Anxiety

Front 1

a painful uneasiness of mind. a state of heightened tension accompanied by a vague feeling of apprehension, expectation, or dread.
always anticipatory
not due to external threats

Back 1

anxiety

Front 2

response to actual present, external danger. it does not persist, since the external danger that gives rise to it is soon eliminated.

Back 2

fear

Front 3

4 levels of anxiety

Back 3

mild
moderate
severe
panic

Front 4

s/s of mild anxiety

Back 4

motivates person to problem solve

Front 5

responses to mild anxiety

Back 5

sleep, eat more, exercise, smoke, cry, drink, laugh, curse

Front 6

interventions for mild anxiety

Back 6

mobilizing self through heightened awareness, but nurses job is to help them identify anxiety (label it), help identify source, teach problem solving and ways to deal with it (come up with a plan)

Front 7

s/s of moderate anxiety

Back 7

person still has productive use of cognitive abilities
•decreased attention & concentration, alertness – feels physically tense
•increase tension, discontent

Front 8

responses to mild-moderate anxiety

Back 8

defense mechanisms used to protect or relieve anxiety, overuse of DM can impair ability to deal with reality and ability to function

Front 9

interventions for moderate anxiety

Back 9

still can think but need attention & reassurance (stay with them & talk about their feelings). Identify what is causing anxiety (label it), many times people don’t know what to label it and feel relieved that they aren’t going crazy. Same as above id sources, problem solve, ways to deal. Provide person opportunity to talk about feelings, concerns – even about being labeled w/anxiety. What does that mean to them?

Front 10

s/s of severe anxiety

Back 10

non-productive level of anxiety
•unable to concentrate or problem solve
•feeling of dread

Front 11

responses to moderate-severe anxiety

Back 11

if left untreated will develop physiological problems (neuro, dermo, GI, cardio)
Severe – extended pds of time can lead to actual anxiety disorders (diagnosis) – somatoform and dissociative disorders – their personality fractures they disassociate in their head – mild form (miss exit while driving because of thinking)

Front 12

interventions for severe anxiety

Back 12

short attention span – learning not possible – goal is always to lower anxiety by one level. Interventions meet physical needs, besides talking in a directive manner w/patient (lets go to your room) – reduce stimuli, provide reassurance by staying w/them, offer medication (also at panic level), talking kept to a minimum (simple, brief & very concrete), listen for feelings or expressions of concern

Front 13

s/s of panic anxiety

Back 13

-can’t focus at all, misperceive environment
-terrorized, learning cannot occur

Front 14

responses to panic anxiety

Back 14

Extreme, unable to process lose touch w/reality, may develop serious psychological problems including delusions, hallucinations, impairment of functioning

Front 15

interventions for severe-panic anxiety

Back 15

think they’re having a heart attack when they come to ER, chest pain, can’t catch breath, headache, urinary freq, dry mouth, diaphoretic, tachycardic, cannot focus on anything, feel like suffocating, choking, like they’re losing it – going crazy. May try to flee situation – running amuck or frozen & unresponsive. Misperceive environment and are at risk of striking out because they don’t know what’s going on – delusions,
Reduce stimuli, medicate, stay with pt, be directive, authoritative, very simple commands, meet physical needs – goal is to decrease anxiety by at least 1 level.
As anxiety is diminishing and ability to concentrate comes back, can start talking about what happened –what was going on.

Front 16

4 ways we cope w/anxiety

Back 16

1. Acting out
2.Somatization
3.Freeze in the spot
4.Learning/problem solving

Front 17

What coping mechanism for anxiety is this - angry outbursts (throw, hit), cry, physical/verbal abuse, laughter

Back 17

acting out

Front 18

What coping mechanism for anxiety is this - experience emotional anxiety as physical symptoms ( headache, GI symptoms, pseudo-seizures)

Back 18

somatization

Front 19

What coping mechanism for anxiety is this - withdraw & go into depression

Back 19

freeze in the spot

Front 20

What coping mechanism for anxiety is the most effective?

Back 20

learning/problem solving