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Post by Admin on May 23, 2016 17:29:52 GMT -4
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Post by Manuel Pabom on May 24, 2016 9:19:09 GMT -4
I think that most of the people that commented in the article all share a universal feeling -- that they do not like to be told that it is "all in their head". Although generalized anxiety disorder is indeed a psychiatric disorder in the brain, the physical manifestations that are produced from the anxiety simulate much more worrisome physical problems that can be difficult to tell the patient are "all mental". When anxiety produces symptoms that genuinely feel like those of a heart attack, being told to just "snap out of it" can be discouraging and downright insulting. As providers we must remind ourselves that the symptoms these patients experience feel very real and scary to them in the moment, and we must be supportive and thorough in our explanation of why these things happen physiologically for them to have a better understanding of their disorder and how to manage it.
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Post by Ibidapo Aina on May 24, 2016 9:20:38 GMT -4
Very interesting read. I also used to think people suffering from Anxiety were being ridiculous until I got into Med school. Med school has changed my perception of a lot of things and that is why I think education about the subject and awareness can make people react better when in discussion with patients suffering from anxiety.
The overflowing emotions can be scary and one or two misspoken words can set a person off. Hearing from patients with anxiety about words they would like to hear and what can set them off is good for everyone. I hope we get to read more paragraphs from these patients so we can be well informed.
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Post by Anoop Loke on May 24, 2016 13:54:48 GMT -4
There is no universal cause for anxiety. Each person can have different triggers and different manifestations of anxiety. For some it can be debilitating, affecting all aspects of their life. For a person who has never suffered from anxiety, it might be very difficult for them to empathize. Each person is different with different reactions and coping mechanism. Hearing statements like " stop worrying," " You are being ridiculous," "get over it" could be counter productive. I feel, for a non-professional, the best thing to do is listen, and try to be supportive without overtly trying to empathize with a person suffering from anxiety. As a friend of a person suffering from anxiety, if we can try to understand how an episode affects them and what helps them cope during the episode, we can minimize the counterproductive comments.
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Post by Diana W. on May 24, 2016 18:35:04 GMT -4
I think it is important to recognize that anxiety is not only a "mental" disorder, but it can present in terrifying physical symptoms. It is important to be aware that people deal with situations differently, and that some situations can be incredibly anxiety provoking for some. Furthermore, it is important to not be patronizing or minimize a person's feelings - whether they be anxiety or otherwise. This article demonstrates a trend that anxiety is misunderstood and minimalized by people - despite affecting a third of all Britains. I think the best thing a person can do for someone with anxiety is to recognize it, validate that person's feelings, and allow them to deal with the anxiety the most effective way they know how. Chances are, that person has been battling or dealing with anxiety a considerable amount of time in their life.
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Post by LW on May 25, 2016 10:32:00 GMT -4
I think that it is very important for people that have never experienced severe anxiety before to hear and read first hand encounters such as this article. As future health care providers, we need to be empathetic to patients that are experiencing symptoms that we may not understand, especially the symptoms that may be caused by psychiatric issues. For instance, if someone presents to the Emergency Department with severe chest pain and a history of anxiety, do we brush it off as a panic attack? No, we must rule out many other diagnoses before we can safely say that what they experienced was due to anxiety; and, if that is the most probable cause, we must be able to guide them to ways to help control this issue in their future.
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Post by Sammy Janus, PA-S on May 25, 2016 10:35:53 GMT -4
This article is important to read as a medical provider because it “humanizes” anxiety and shows how it truly affects our patients. Patients with anxiety who are having panic attacks can’t help their body’s physiological reaction by simply “not worrying so much”. It shows us that being a clinician and treating anxiety medically isn’t everything. We need to be able to talk to our patients in a non-condescending tone and in a way that allows us to relate to our patients. Having this ability will lead to a much better patient-clinician relationship and will help build trust quicker. Ultimately, this will make us even better and effective medical providers.
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Post by Amanda Nelli on May 25, 2016 13:14:36 GMT -4
Anxiety is a very real disease. I used to not understand it, but since starting medical school, I have started experiencing anxiety. I often joke that being a medical student is equivalent to generalized anxiety. However, I know it is not anywhere close to the reality of living with an anxiety disorder. It is definitely something to be taken seriously and treated promptly. As providers, we have a responsibility to empathize with our patients in order to treat them effectively and compassionately. This article is a very good resource for us as providers to understand what will be helpful, and not hurtful, to our patients. We need to make sure our conversations with our patients is not inhibiting our relationships or their progress in their disease.
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Post by Oyiza on May 25, 2016 20:03:20 GMT -4
Interestingly reading this article, I felt I must have been guilty in the past for reacting harshly to friends having anxiety disorder. I can't even imagine how they feel. From the survey taken,
1)I think we all need to be mindful of our choice of words when dealing with patients with anxiety disorder, as certain words we think might be helpful e.g think positive, ends up getting them upset. We also need to be empathetic, even though we don't have a clue of what and how they feel inside.
2) And i also think patients with anxiety disorder should be given the opportunity to properly understand what their condition is all about in an intelligent manner, even if it takes animations been made for them.
3) The general public needs to have an idea of what anxiety disorder is all about, most especially the closest family and friends to those diagnosed with it. By so doing, we will have a world of less flare up of AD.
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Post by Keyvan Amini on May 25, 2016 22:16:58 GMT -4
At first, having to read this article seemed very silly. After all it should have been a common sense not to aggravate a person who is experiencing anxiety/panic attacks. However, halfway through the article I found myself being guilty of using one or two of the phrases before, even though I thought I was helping to calm the person. Reading this piece and the knowledge gained in this psychiatric rotation makes me realize how the simplest things said or done could have such drastic effect on another person's mental status. These simple things may even be completely accepted by social and cultural norms. Therefore, I believe articles like this should be circulating the social media more often for better public awareness.
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Post by Tanya joseph on May 25, 2016 22:28:12 GMT -4
From this article, it is clear that as providers we need to be empathetic towards patients. The article also shows how important it is to be careful in our choice of words. Sometimes we fail to realize how sensitive a particular topic might be to someone. To an average person, the symptoms expressed by those suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder may seem petty, or some what, to be over reacting. But a person's experience should never be underestimated or disregarded. Rather, as mentioned above, the best way to handle the situation is to acknowledge that you can't feel what the person is experiencing but is willing to help in anyway possible. Again, educating the general public is vital for ridding society from a terrible plague, that is ignorance. Situations like the above mentioned can definitely be avoided if people are made knowledgeable of the condition. It the will make things better for those affected, and their loved ones.
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edms3
New Member
Posts: 5 
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Post by edms3 on May 26, 2016 10:22:06 GMT -4
Anxiety is a overwhelming feeling most of us have experienced at one point or another however it is when you experience it on a daily basis and it debilitates you that it becomes an issue. As a medical student, I can attest to the anxiety we deal with on a daily basis, ie, did another article come out to read, is my case report worthy of a good grade, did I make a good impression on my preceptor, did I study enough to get a good score on my steps etc... It is too often that anxiety is blown off as a feeling one can simply turn on or off. To make matters worse, when someone tells you to stop worrying is only aggravates you more. If it were just that easy. Overall this article was well written informative.
ESMS3
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Post by Camille Bernot on May 26, 2016 10:34:24 GMT -4
It is very interesting to read the thoughts and opinions of those who suffer from anxiety. I think when people don't fully understand the causes and symptoms of anxiety, they tend to say the wrong things and miss the diagnosis. It is very helpful for us to understand and be able to point out someone who is having anxiety as well as those who suffer from anxiety. Being able to discover and notice these individuals can not only help them deal with the problem, but also help them get through each attack and limiting the numbers of attacks.
I have experienced and witnessed a friend have an anxiety episode. The first time experiencing it was very frightening. We had no idea that she had anxiety attacks and we were shocked and confused as to what to do and how to help. Initially your first thought is to tell them, "just relax you'll be ok" but paying close attention to her reactions and some things she was trying to say, led me to believe it was more serious and that she was having an anxiety attack. At that moment we were still confused as to how to help. When she calmed down, she was able to fill us in about her anxiety attacks and how to help her in the future. I think that was the most important thing, her helping us and filling us in on how to be able to help her in the future.
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Post by Osara M on May 26, 2016 10:42:43 GMT -4
As we all know anxiety is a debilitating psychiatric disorder. Like many other mental health conditions, anxiety disorders seem to be a result of a combination of biological, psychological, and other individual factors. I was surprised to know that anxiety disorders are the most common mental health illnesses in America and North America. As written in the article, rather than criticising or giving our opinion on an anxiety attack, we should let them realize how they should think about anxiety. Eventhough I understand that each person has their own views and beliefs. As professionals, we should teach the patients how to control their anxiety. A good theory published on anxietybc.com was to teach patients about anxiety, teach them how to relax, let them challenge anxious or worrisome thoughts and Face fears. An effective form of counselling for anxiety is cognitive-behavioural therapy. CBT can help them to identify problem behaviours and replace them with helpful strategies. This article gives us, as professionals the opportunity to look at the problems they have and address them in a preferred and timely manner.
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Post by Ujwal Patel on May 26, 2016 12:19:05 GMT -4
I believe everyone has experienced some degree of anxiety in their life. Whether it be waiting for results from Step 1 or Step 2, getting married or going about your daily life and how one handles these episodes is critical. Everyone has their way of taking these external stimuli and forming a reaction. For some, a minor situation can entice an episode of "shallow breathing, hyperventilating, tightness of chest and claustrophobia" and for others there are no manifestations whatsoever. This causes the people who do not easily get anxious to say, "stop worrying or you'll be fine" but in reality it isn't that easy. It is difficult to take this advice because to a person who is having an attack, it could feel like no one is believing what they are going through or that they are lying. The best thing to do in these situations is to understand what they are going through and let them know that you are there for them in whatever way possible. As doctors, we need to address to our patients with anxiety that not everyone is going to understand what they are going through. We have to support and show them different coping mechanisms when their family and friends don't understand the problem. We have to recognize that our patients are going to have to deal with anxiety for the rest of their lives and they need time and patience.
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