{"id":3425,"date":"2020-01-10T18:02:10","date_gmt":"2020-01-10T10:02:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/scc.sg\/e\/?p=3425"},"modified":"2020-06-09T17:43:47","modified_gmt":"2020-06-09T09:43:47","slug":"worry-or-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scc.sg\/e\/worry-or-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"Worry or Anxiety?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Worry or Anxiety<\/h3>\n

Anxiety and worry. These are common emotions that all of us face. We face anxiety in family, work,\u00a0studies. They are legitimate emotions and being human, no one is immune to experiencing these\u00a0negative emotions in life. Many people are plagued by anxiety and worry which has become a serious\u00a0mental health issue in recent times affecting well-being, relationships, and normal functioning. We can\u00a0also feel guilty about our anxiety.<\/p>\n

Let us begin by defining \u201cWorry\u201d or \u201cAnxiety\u201d. \u201cWorry\u201d is defined as \u201cto make anxious or\u00a0uncomfortable\u201d, \u201ca feeling of anxiety\u201d. \u201cAnxiety\u201d is defined as \u201cfear, especially caused by uncertainty\u00a0about something\u201d, \u201cfeeling troubled, or fearful\u201d. (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>
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Next, let us look at some situations where we feel anxiety or worry. We feel anxious if our workplace\u00a0is talking of retrenchments or we are hoping for a promotion. Or we have just sent out an application\u00a0letter and anxiously waiting for a response.<\/p>\n

We feel anxious while waiting for medical diagnosis for ourselves or loved ones. We face anxiety\u00a0while performing our multiple roles and balancing these roles. Those who are schooling will feel\u00a0anxious during examinations and worry about their performance, or even in daily learning, coping with\u00a0homework and assignments.<\/p>\n

A big stressor for all of us are relationships, particularly, significant relationships. We face anxiety over\u00a0our relationships in the family: aging parents, differences with spouses, rebellion of children. We could\u00a0face tensions in relationships at workplace, friendships or community (church, etc) too.<\/p>\n

We also feel anxious when things do not go our way: MRT breakdowns, conflicts in relationships,\u00a0adjustments, etc. We feel worry too when we read headlines of economic slowdowns, terrorist\u00a0attacks, increase in divorce rates, etc. And we wonder will it happen to us too?<\/p>\n

Hence, worry and anxiety is part and parcel of life. There will be times when we face acute worry and anxiety like hoping for a loved one\u2019s recovery in the ICU, or waiting for a job offer and being a sole\u00a0breadwinner after being laid off.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorry and anxiety may fill our world but it does not have to fill our hearts. The presence of anxiety is\u00a0unavoidable, but the prison of anxiety is optional.\u201d – Max Lucado<\/em><\/p>\n

It is in managing worries and anxieties that will set one person apart from another. Two persons\u00a0facing similar challenging situations can have different responses or different levels of worry. One can\u00a0function and cope better; the second one is so limited by the worry that he could not sleep well at\u00a0night, does not want to leave home, or having anger outbursts frequently, going on a downward spiral.\u00a0Toxic anxiety can also lead to other poor habits like binge eating, drinking, abandoning or neglecting\u00a0relationships.<\/p>\n

It is helpful to be aware if one is experiencing excessive worry or anxiety which can become clinical\u00a0and requires medication. One good way to cope is speak to someone who would care \u2013 your spouse,\u00a0siblings, best friend, or a Counsellor. It helps most people if they could open up their hearts\u00a0and speak to someone whom they could trust. Just knowing someone hears them, spending time to\u00a0listen to them and understand what they are going through, and journeying with them is itself a\u00a0therapeutic experience.<\/p>\n

We gain insights in sharing with significant others who could support us with love and acceptance. It\u00a0is a human need to receive love and acceptance. In the process, we gain courage and confidence to\u00a0face our worries or anxious situations and to overcome them. We could reframe the way we look at\u00a0things or face our fears. We will learn how to talk ourselves out of anxious situations, view bad news\u00a0with strength, or simply allowing ourselves time to recover.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>
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It is in managing worries and anxieties that will set one person apart from another. Two persons\u00a0facing similar challenging situations can have different responses or different levels of worry.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/section>
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It helps most people if they could open up their hearts\u00a0and speak to someone whom they could trust. Just knowing someone hears them, spending time to\u00a0listen to them and understand what they are going through, and journeying with them is itself a\u00a0therapeutic experience.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/section><\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

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