1.Anxiety motivates a person to take action, to solve a problem or to resolve a crisis
Concepts Of Anxiety
Panic without reason.
Uncontrollable repetitive actions.
Unexplainable or overwhelming worry.
Irrational fear of objects.
Re-experiencing a traumatic events.
Examples of unusual
behavior
Mild Moderate Severe Panic
Perception Increased Selective inattention
- Distorted perception
- If prolong, may experience presence of hallucinations and delusions
- Disorganized
Mild Moderate Severe Panic
Physiologic Mild physiologic changes
- Perspiration - Moderate
muscle tension
- Increased heart & respiratory rate
- Gastric distress
- Headache- Dry mouth- Frequent
urination - High pitch
voice
- Severe headache
- Nausea- Diarrhea- Trembling - Vertigo- Pale- Tachycardia- Chest pain- Increased
BP,RR,PR- Dilated
pupil
- May bolt and run
- Totally immobile and mute
- Dilated pupils
- Increased Bp and Pulse Rate
- Flight/fight or freeze
Mild Moderate Severe Panic
Behavioral - Alert- Energetic- Confident- Enhance
learning
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Easily distracted
- Decreased span of attention
- Increased rate in speech
- Pacing
- Difficulty focusing even with assistance
- Ineffective reasoning and problem solving
- Disorientation - Loud and rapid
speech- Confused
communication- Crying- Inability to
think abstractly
- Immobilization- Out of contact
in the reality- Hysterical or
mute- Disorganized or
irrational reasoning
- Desperation and may result to suicide
- Feeling overwhelmed and out of control
Coping
Nursing intervention
1. Helps client focus attention to learn and solve problem
2. Motivate client to make changes or engage in goal directed activity
1. Redirect the person to topics because he/she has difficulty concentrating
2. Speak in short, simple and easy to understand sentence
1. Decrease the person’s anxiety level.
2. Stay with the person because anxiety is likely to worsen if he/ she is left alone.
3. Talk in low, calm and soothing voice
4. Walk with the person while talking if he/ she can’t sit still
1. Provide safety because the person cannot perceive potential harm.
2. Continuously talk with the person in a comforting manner even though the client cannot process what you are saying.
5. Relaxation technique such as deep breathing exercise.6. Use touch carefully7. Administer medication for escalating anxiety
3. Provide non- stimulating environment to decrease anxiety.4. Remain with the person until panic subsides (panic can last from 5-30 minutes)
Anxiety disorders is diagnosed when anxiety becomes chronic and impairs individual’s major functions resulting to maladaptive behavior and emotional disability.
Anxiety disorders
Characterized by persistent, irrational fear attached to an object or situation that objectively does not pose a significant fear
A-specific irrational fear
Phobic disorder
1. Agoraphobia- fear of open space2. Social phobia- fear of being
humiliated or embarrassed so they avoid social situations.
3. Specific phobia- persistent irrational fear other than the above.
Types of phobic disorder
Zoophobia – animals Genophobia – dirt Androphobia – man Acrophobia – height Pyrophobia – fire Ailurophobia – cats Belonophobia – needles Hemathophobia – blood Xenophobia – fear of strangers Mysophobia – contamination or
germs Astraphobia – storms, thunder, &
lightning
Other examples of phobias
1. Gradually expose client to the feared object through SYSTEMIC DESENSITIZATION.
2. FLOODING – abrupt exposure to the feared object
Nursing interventions
3. Help client to describe her feelings prior to a response for a phobic object.4. Help the client identify alternative coping strategies.Example: reframing
Nursing interventions
5. Practice relaxation technique with the client.6. Teach client about medications as part of the treatment plan.
Nursing interventions
Occur in a certain situation such as driving a car
Atleast 1 of the attacks has been followed by 1 month of the ff. symptoms
1. persistent concern of having additional attacks
2. worry about consequences Example: “going crazy”, losing control, having heart attack
3. significant changes in behavior
A: recurrent, unpredictable and
intense