The Voice of Anxiety Kit Saltzsieder Capstone 2014
Preface: Every day I sit down and I fidget. I can’t stop moving, and I notice everything. I notice other people who can’t stop moving. People who fiddle with the frayed threads on their sweaters. Who chew the ends of their pen caps until it snaps. I see the legs bouncing rhythmically to an imaginary beat that no one else can see but the shaker. This is what peaked my interest. These nervous tics. Why do we do them? Why can’t we stop moving? Is it too much caffine? Too much sugar? Or is it that everyone has some kind of anxiety? So I keep watching, and I create.
Contents Literature Precedents Diagnosis and Prescription People Intervention Prototypes Where to? References Glossary
Panic Disorder: A psychiatric disorder involving distinct
episodes of intense anxiety (panic attacks), which develop abruptly and seemingly without any adequate precipitating event. These episodes, which tend to reach highest intensity over a period of a few minutes and last for an unpredictable amount of time, cause consternation to those affected partly because of their unpredictably. Some people have attacks triggered by certain situations, and can learn to avoid triggers.
Anxiety: A condition of nervous unrest, common to some
degree in most people, but at times reaching the proportions of a psychiatric disorder; for some it is associated with fear of a future catastrophe, while others may be more vague about such thoughts, having what is referred to as “free-floating anxiety.�
Literature
Sometimes, for reasons that are poorly understood, medicines just stop working. New midications are continually reaching the market and sometimes patients and doctors simply want to try a different one to see if it works better and has fewer side reactions. At some point in the course of treatment, after the symptoms are under control, the patient and the doctor begin to reassess the ongoing need for the medicine, and at what dose. Naturually, cutting back on dosage or discontinuing the medicine althogether involves the risk that the original symptoms will return. This consideration has to be weighed carefully against the side effects of the medicine, the inconvieinence of taking it, and the cost. (Some are quite expensive.) Patients with panic disorder are often more accepting of long-term treatment with medications than are some other kinds of patients, because they dread so intensely the prospect of the panic attacks returning. Sometimes it’s quite clear that social stressors and phase-of-life problems contributed heavily to the onset of the panic disorder, so that the patient and doctor eventually feel it’s worth taking a chance by cutting back on the medication tand seeing wehether sypmtoms recur or whether the syndrome seems to have disappeared.
Although anxiety has always been a feature of the human condition, we have been slow to understand this disorder of chronic anxiety and worry. Better understanding has come with improved nosology, in which specific anxiety disorders with unique and shared characteristcs have been articulated. Once considered the essence of “neurosis,� Gerneralized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) has laged behind the other anxiety disorders in being reliably disagnosed, conceptualized, and successfully treated. The general or nonspecific nature of this disorder, and attendant problems of classification, help explain why GAD has been relatively neglected despite its prevealence. Fortunately, progress in measurement and theory has identified key cognitive features, which in turn have been targeted by recent treatment trials, early results of which are quite promising and have the potential to parallel the advances made in treating panic disorder. Such developments would be welcome given the personal and social cost of this chronic disorder and its prevalence across the life span.
Twin studies into temperament and personality tell us about the role of genetic mediation in these constructs, but they also tell us a great deal about the environmental input into disorders. For example, studies of genetic involvement in personality and temperament have shown clearly that these constructs are not pure measures of genetic contribution, but likely include an environmental component.
Precedents
Worry Stones
Worry stones are smooth polished gemstones that are typically oval shaped and feature an area of indention for your thumb . Worry stones work by using a form of reflexology or nerve pressure that when rubbed promotes a feeling of calm and relaxation.
Rubberbands
Living with anxiety requires far too much thinking. These rubber bands, and the little bit of pain that snapping them back on your arm causes, help bring you back to reality so that your thoughts are not causing you to feel like things around you are crashing. They are a great tool to remind you of something you need to remember, and they're nondescript – meaning they're one of the few anxiety treatments that few others will be able to notice, and they can be done almost anywhere.
To pe be ro Su vi vo su ac
Rosary
o keep track of repetitions of prayers, ebbles, knotted strings, and prayer eads (which would come to be called osaries) were used. uch mnemonic devices added a isual and tactile dimension to the ocal repetitions of prayers, allowing upplicants to see and feel the ccumulation of their spiritual efforts.
Pen Biting
The psychology behind pen chewing and biting is to get out internal agression. As children, we did a similar thing where we would make a fuss or a noise when something was bothering us and our mothers or fathers would know what we needed. In this aspect, we transfer that agression to our pen caps, still hoping someone will notice something is wrong.
EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)
Tapping
EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is an energy psychology technique based on the principles of Chinese acupuncture founded by Dr. Gary Craig; an engineer and performance coach. EFT helps to clear the blocks to healing from painful experiences, stress, physical pain etc. with remarkable speed and long lasting effects. It is basically an emotional version of acupuncture without needles.
Temples
Eyebrows
Cheeks Upper Lip Chin
Collar Bone
Under Arms
Diagnosis and Prescriptions
Internet Research
The internet is the easiest way to research symptoms.
Once a diagnosis is confirmed, there are several methods of treatment available, and an order in which they are offered to the individual.
Psychotropics Here are some psychotropic options for anxiety, depression, OCD, and other things that effect the brain. These are the most popularly prescribed prescription medications that doctors will suggest as the first option to treating patients.
Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs)
Anti-Panic Agents
Serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Anafranil Asendin Celexa Elavil Lexapro Luvox Norpramin Pamelor Paxil Prozac Sinequan Surmontil Tofranil Vivacitil
Klonopin Xanax Zoloft
Highlighted in black are medications that are prescribed mainly for general to severe anxiety. What’s interesting about this, is that the brands on the left are labeled as being for things like OCD and depression, not anxiety and panic. The brands on the right, have very high addiction records and are commonly sold illegally.
Anafranil Asendin Celexa Elavil Lexapro Luvox Norpramin Pamelor Paxil Prozac Sinequan Surmontil Tofranil Vivacitil
Klonopin Xanax Zoloft
Psychotherapy Here is a rough similation of a brain that does not suffer from anxiety, and a brain that has a more severe version of anxiety. Emotions and Sensory receptors are heightened in the anxious brain and become more sensitive. Through psychodynamic observation, a therapist can help to train a person with anxiety to desensitize themselves from things that might overstimulate these sections of the brain, and find balance. This treatment option is often offered secondary to prescription medications.
Average Brain
Behavior Balance
Sensory Emotion
Speech
Anxious Brain
Behavior Balance
Sensory Emotion
Speech
If medications are so addictive...
..why reach for the bottle first?
In addition to the fact that medications can have very addictive qualities, they also have long lasting effects that aren’t always common knowledge to the people they are prescribed to. There is nothing wrong with taking medications for a chemical imbalance if that is what is decidedly necessary to relieve a person from their daily anxiety.
People
Elizabeth Age 20 Student, no other occupation
“Panicking about a situation, and not being able to control my emotions.� When asked to describe anxiety.
When anxiety strikes, she will pop her gum or bite her nails. Her therapist told her to practice counting to 5 and taking a deep breath to calm down. The counting allows her to focus on something other than what is making her anxious, distracting her brain enouch to allow panic to ease away. A lot of young people that she’s known have died and this fact adds to her anxiety. Having death as such a common idea from a young age like she was when these people passed is confusing for a child. She often finds herself thinking about these things and that creates panic.
Robert Age 36 Server at Hard Rock Cafe, Property Owner
“I couldn’t tell you my shoe size, because I’ve always just had someone do my shopping.” “The last time I was in an actual food store, all the carts, all the families, the toothpaste, the peanut butter options, it was just too much for me. I actually laid down in the fetal position. It was just too much.” He can’t be in crowded stores, it’s too overwhelming. He will either do his shopping online or have a friend do his shopping for him. Describes his anxiety as an overwhelming feeling of tension. Says that working in a restaurant doesn’t stress him out much because he feels more in control. He can make people wait for things so he doesn’t feel rushed.
“When I am overly anxious, I do everything in threes.”
Intervention
Journal Keeping
Psychiarists confirm that keeping a journal is a good way of getting rid of thoughts to clear the mind of anxiety. To test this idea for myself, I gave a few people journals to write down their thoughts during times of anxiety. This confirmed for me the effectiveness that journal keeping can have to soothe anxiety. I synthesized the data from the journals to find what was most common in them.
Death
I found a few common themes within the journals. Most causes of a person’s anxiety or the on set of their panic begins with thoughts of death, whether it be they are worrying about their own death some day, or thinking about someone close to them who has died. Steming from that I’ve found that being in a particularly stressful environment, interacting with people in their lives, and things going in the world daily are over-arching themes that create a feeling of anxiety and panic.
Stressful Environment
Social Interaction
Driving
Current Events
Prototypes
Foam Forms Through these explorations I developed my hand in carving technique and was able to quickly draw with the foam, forms that represented what the people I have interviewed find relaxing.
Geometric shape that is pleasing to the eye and satisfies the rule of threes.
Organic shape. Associative with a few objects that may evoke pleasant feelings.
Round smooth shape that can mindlessly be interacted with and serve as a distraction.
Claw like shape the reminds the wearer to not fear their anxiety but take control.
Wood Forms
The idea behind making these objects out of wood was to use a natural material that was easily accessable and manipulated into an organic form. I would still like to continue to make some of these objects from wood, but I am aslo considering other materials such as stone
Where to?
It is my goal to create at least three final objects that relieve someone from every day generalize anxiety, while also being fashionable pieces to wear.
References
http://www.etsy.com/listing/24792474/choose-any-3-laser-engraved-worry-stones http://www.rainbowdoorways.com/blog/crystals/what-is-a-worry-stone/ * http://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/treatment/wrist-band http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=1866 Classen, Constance. Studies in Sensory History : Deepest Sense : A Cultural History of Touch. Urbana, IL, USA: University of Illinois Press, 2012. p 32. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/uarts/Doc?id=10651016&ppg=53 Copyright © 2012. University of Illinois Press. All rights reserved. Stern, Ruth. “EFT / Emotional Freedom Technique.” EFT. N.p., n.d. Web. EFT practitioner and licensed mental health counselor. (www.taptotransform.com)
Glossary
Psychotherapy
Cognitive therapy is a form of treatment that allows the individual to try to stop the onset of a panic attack. There are multiple methods that a patient trains themselves in order to prevent a panic attack from happening or progressing. A factor to most panic attacks or anxiety attacks is the individual being hyper-aware of their body movements or feelings that they may associate with a panic attack, which can often cause another one. Other therapy methods include keeping a journal that includes the circumstances at the occurrence of a panic attack, allowing patient and therapist to study.
Psychodynamics
This is the observation of the defense mechanisms patients used that are subconsciously triggered to avoid distress.
Natural Medications
Vit B-12, Vit B-6, Omega-3 fatty acids are natural occurrences that promote healthy production of serotonin.
Psychotropics (Prescriptions)
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), Serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), which are used to reduce panic attacks. Each has side effects that effect the daily life of the individual.