{"id":482,"date":"2021-07-28T20:17:49","date_gmt":"2021-07-28T20:17:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/understanding-literacy-in-our-lives\/?post_type=chapter&p=482"},"modified":"2021-08-09T16:03:28","modified_gmt":"2021-08-09T16:03:28","slug":"3-9-3-how-communication-can-be-used-as-prevention-and-treatment-for-anxiety-disorders-research-essay","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/understanding-literacy-in-our-lives\/chapter\/3-9-3-how-communication-can-be-used-as-prevention-and-treatment-for-anxiety-disorders-research-essay\/","title":{"rendered":"3.9.3 How communication can be used as prevention and treatment for anxiety disorders (research essay)"},"content":{"raw":"

English 102, April 2021<\/h3>\r\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/h1>\r\nIn\u00a0this essay,\u00a0I\u00a0analyzed\u00a0articles that support my thesis statement of \u201cIs communication, either via therapy or an inner circle, thought to reduce anxiety symptoms?\u201d\u00a0Anxiety is one of the most diagnosed disorders in the world. Whether it be social anxiety, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or one of the many other types. I have experienced severe anxiety at a younger age and have managed to overcome it through communication therapy. However, there are many people who choose alternative methods of therapy like medication. There is no correct nor incorrect way to approach the therapy process of someone dealing with a form of anxiety, but over the past few years, there has been significant research favouring the different forms of communication therapy and how it helps those with anxiety overcome the disorder.\u00a0Regardless of what type of anxiety, the\u00a0various types\u00a0of anxiety disorders have been prevalent in society for years, however recently, the numbers of people dealing with anxiety have\u00a0likely skyrocketed. Although the exact cause for this is unable to be\u00a0determined, many professionals believe that it is due to a lack of communication. Communication is\u00a0a very broad\u00a0term and includes things like\u00a0texting, speaking, and writing, as well as things like painting and drawing. Professionals believe that communication can be used not only as a\u00a0preventative\u00a0measure, but also as a method to overcome and prevent anxiety.\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n

How has communication helped me personally, overcome and treat anxiety?<\/strong><\/h1>\r\nStarting from the age where I first went to school\/left the house, I would cry uncontrollably when I was not with my parents. Not because I was scared\u00a0to be without them, nor because I did not know what to do, but more because I would constantly overthink to the point where I would make myself be sick. I would run through scary scenarios in my\u00a0head and think of the absolute worst things that could happen, for no reason at all. I would not how\u00a0to communicate it, to be honest, I struggle now even to communicate what I thought and how I felt. Eventually, after a year or\u00a0two of crying every day on the way to school, and then being fine as soon as I was kept busy, I was taken to therapy for what was labelled under the umbrella term, anxiety. My dad had to take a\u00a0spare shirt when he dropped us off at school, because I would cry myself into such a state that I would sometimes throw up on him. If my parent were 5 minutes late, or if there was\u00a0a big storm, I my mind would\u00a0race,\u00a0and I would automatically assume the worst had happened or was going to happen. It\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0until I began going to therapy\u00a0that I was able to understand what was going on and why it was happening. Before therapy, I just assumed it was normal, only other people could hide it better than I could, however that was not the case. I was unable to sleep at friends' houses for years, they\u00a0would\u00a0always have to\u00a0stay at my house, because if I\u00a0was\u00a0not with my parents or my family, I was terrified something would happen to them. After\u00a0attending\u00a0therapy and\u00a0learning firstly how to get my parents to understand what and how I was\u00a0thinking, I was able to slowly better my communication with them so that they could better understand what I was going through and how to help me. It took many years, and many different therapists and\u00a0different types\u00a0of communication as well as\u00a0different types\u00a0of therapy,\u00a0but eventually I was able to overcome it with the help of my loved ones and therapists. This is not a sob story, nor a story to make my essay more believable, but this is\u00a0my\u00a0story\u00a0about how over time, and with communication, I overcame an anxiety disorder, and hence, why I have such an\u00a0interest\u00a0in this topic.\r\n

Methods\u00a0used<\/strong><\/h1>\r\nMost, if not\u00a0all of\u00a0the featured articles had to have conducted\u00a0tests or\u00a0used previous test to arrive at the various conclusions. Whether it was\u00a0scientific\u00a0tests, or just surveys that needed to be completed anonymously\u00a0in order to\u00a0obtain how different people feel,\u00a0all of\u00a0the tests were done in such a way as to achieve the most neutral and scientifically beneficial results possible for that specific category. To begin with,\u00a0Haverkampf, along with his own research,\u00a0conducted countless hours of researching\u00a0and analysing past papers and other research that was\u00a0conducted\u00a0in order for\u00a0him to\u00a0take into account\u00a0what other professors and researchers had found therefore his articles tend to be very credible.\r\n

Studies\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\r\n

How can communication help treat anxiety, and why does it work?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\r\nAlthough\u00a0there are so many\u00a0different types\u00a0of anxiety, and so many different causes for anxiety, many people around the world, even those who have been diagnosed with the\u00a0different types\u00a0of anxiety, are unaware of what anxiety\u00a0is\u00a0and how\u00a0communication as a form of treatment\u00a0for it can help.\u00a0\u00a0Jonathan\u00a0Haverkampf\u00a0has two articles\u00a0that\u00a0I\u00a0will be analysing simultaneously\u00a0in an\u00a0attempt\u00a0to\u00a0answer\u00a0the question that\u00a0is, \u201cHow, and why,\u00a0can communication\u00a0be used as a\u00a0treatment\u00a0for\u00a0anxiety\u201d.\u00a0In an article,\u00a0Communication\u00a0Focused Therapy for Anxiety and Panic Attacks by Christian Jonathan\u00a0Haverkampf, the author\u00a0breaks down what anxiety is, as well as looking into the different communication patterns,\u00a0possible side\u00a0effects, the process to understanding and approaching anxiety, and what communication focused therapy is and why it is important. The conclusion was that based on many years of research and looking at different papers that have been written, and it was found that communication is the main, and\u00a0most important part of change. It was\u00a0established\u00a0that when there is a meaningful exchange of words, thoughts or messages, and a mutual flow of information in a \u2018safe environment\u2019,\u00a0it brings a positive change in both people who take part.\u00a0(Haverkampf, 39)\u00a0<\/em>\r\n\r\nThe study looked specifically at public speaking anxiety and its relationship to different \u201cpsychological stress indicators\u201d at four different stages of the delivery.\u00a0(Haverkampf, 9)\u00a0<\/em>The author found that communication in\u00a0some\u00a0way,\u00a0or another was extremely important and \u201cthe vehicle of change\u201d\u00a0(Haverkampf, 39)\u00a0<\/em>It was found that communication lowers anxiety because it allows people to \u2018de-stress\u2019, and essentially makes more meaningful information available to those we can trust, allowing them to help us and support us if it is needed.\u00a0(Haverkampf, 18)\u00a0<\/em>It allows people to adapt to their environments, and live life according to their own interests and values. It was found that the reason there was such success with communication, was because it allows people to \u201cgrasp who they are, and their wants and needs in life\u201d.\r\n\r\nCommunication allows us to have a sense of self and a grasp of who we are and what we need and want in the world, but it has to be learned\u00a0similar to\u00a0our communication with other people.\u201d\u00a0(Haverkampf, 18)\u00a0<\/em>This study follows the common theme\u00a0of communication. It investigates what it is, why it helps, and the positive effect it has on coping\u00a0with,\u00a0and dealing with anxiety.\u00a0 It is an in-depth study that helped me generate a broader understanding of anxiety, whilst looking at some forms of communication that can help, and different factors that may even worsen the effect anxiety has on one's life, like social setting.\r\n\r\nAnother article that was linked very\u00a0closely with\u00a0to the previous article is Communication-Focused\u00a0Therapy (CFT)\u00a0for Social Anxiety and Shyness,\u00a0also by\u00a0Jonathan\u00a0Haverkampf.\u00a0This article looks\u00a0at why communication is important, why people with social anxiety struggle to communicate, and what is so dangerous about a lack of communication.\u00a0Haverkampf\u00a0believes that communication is the\u00a0roots\u00a0of how people pursue what is valuable to them and fulfill their aspirations, communicating is an essential part of leading a happy life. However, people with social anxiety who struggle to communicate, essentially have their lives interfered with as they are unable to develop helpful communication patterns, and this\u00a0in turn\u00a0interferes with \u201clife itself\u201d\u00a0(Haverkampf, 108)<\/em>.\u00a0He then states that\u00a0\u201cIndividuals with social anxiety often see their communication patterns as a direct expression of themselves rather than as a skill which can be experimented with to find ways of interacting with others that ultimately fit one\u2019s personality and sense of self.\u201d\u00a0Haverkampf\u00a0came to these conclusions by means of research, previous papers, other studies. He believes that the most important factor of\u00a0communication,\u00a0is\u00a0that it allows for an exchange of meaningful messages, which\u00a0allow\u00a0the individual to become better connected to oneself.\u00a0(Haverkampf, 110)<\/em>\r\n

What is the best style of communication?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\r\nIn an article I looked at called \u201cSocial Anxiety and Perceived Social Support: Gender Differences and the Mediating Role of Communication Styles\u201d by Michael D. Barnett and others.\u00a0The purpose of this study was to investigate different types of communication styles \u201cas mediators of the relationship between social anxiety and perceived social support.\u201d\u00a0(Barnett et al, 3)<\/em>\u00a0This means that Barnett underwent the study in order to try and establish whether there was a relationship between different communication styles, and social anxiety. This article specifically spoke about social anxiety and\u00a0whether or not\u00a0there were differences between genders when it came to the different communication styles, and what may be causing these differences, be it a perceived LACK of social support and hence the lack of people to communicate with etc.\u00a0(Barnett et al, 6).\u00a0<\/em>I found this article interesting because it analyzes the different forms of communication styles (varying\u00a0from expressiveness\u00a0to more negative forms of communication like verbal aggressiveness) and it breaks down the link and common problems between social anxiety and communication and examines social support and how it is linked to communication.\u00a0(Barnett et al, 5)<\/em>\u00a0The link that was found was that individuals with higher social anxiety were more likely to avoid perceived negative social outcomes by developing a \u201cself-protective\" style of communication in which there is very little \u201cself-disclosure\".\u00a0(Barnett et al, 11)\u00a0<\/em>In order to get the desired results, participants completed an online survey and received extra course credit for participating. The authors found that there were no gender differences with regards to social anxiety or perceived social support, however, social anxiety was found to be more prominent where people of both genders perceived they had very little to no social support and did not express their thoughts as they felt they had nobody to express them to.\u00a0(Barnett et al, 11)\u00a0<\/em>The authors found that women had higher levels of expressiveness and emotionality, while men had higher levels of preciseness, verbal aggressiveness, \u201cquestioningness\u201d, and impression manipulativeness, however, there is no explanation for what causes this. The common theme in this article was communication, and how it links to mediating the different forms of anxiety (in this case, social anxiety). I had anxiety when I was younger and communication helped me deal with it, I am interested to find out why. Support is very dependent on social support, which in one way or another is a discourse, whether it be friends or family, people just don\u2019t always understand that.\r\n

Can a lack of communication have a negative effect on general well-being?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\r\nIt is said, in an article by Yixin Chen, that although communication can help overcome, as well as prevent, anxiety, it is also said that a lack of communication can have many negative side effects\u00a0and cause for concern. One of them being loneliness.\u00a0Loneliness is a state of emotional distress accompanying perceived deficiencies in the quantity or quality of one\u2019s social relationships.\u201d\u00a0(Chen, 4)\u00a0<\/em>The inability to communicate with people and\u00a0experince\u00a0a \u201creal, honest bond\u201d (Littler, 9) can lead to individuals seeking comfort and trying to communicate by means of things are not made for a deep and intimate form of communication, for example, social media. This leads to an\u00a0all-round\u00a0sense of\u00a0loneliness\u00a0and can result in depression and other negative side effects and\u00a0conditions. Loneliness has become so common since 2018,\u00a0that \u201cit has been increasingly recognized as a significant public health\u00a0problem.\u201d\u00a0(Chen, 5)\u00a0However, just as a lack of communication leads to loneliness, \u201cloneliness has been seen to have a unique and deleterious effect on physical and psychological\u00a0health.\u201d\u00a0(Chen, 6). Loneliness deteriorates\u00a0some of the positive psychological functions in the brain that are\u00a0responsible\u00a0for things like \u201cgeneral well-being\"\u00a0(Wright et al, 7). Additionally, \u201cloneliness has been found to be a full or partial mediator linking psychosocial predictors, such as self-esteem and social support\u201d (Chen, 8) which make it even more difficult for one to then communicate as\u00a0they then have an even worse perceived social support which is one of the primary factors of causing anxiety in the first\u00a0place.\r\n

Is communication something that can be learnt and done alone, effectively?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\r\nAnother interesting\u00a0article by Ara\u00a0Irfat\u00a0and other author\u00a0was examined. In this article,\u00a0Irfat\u00a0and other authors examined the \u201crise in mental disorders over the past few decades\u201d (Irfat\u00a0et al, 1920), and specifically, people suffering from common mental disorders like anxiety and depression.\u00a0These are conditions that millions around the world are\u00a0affected\u00a0by, however, many do not recognize it as a condition that can be treated, nor\u00a0one that is dangerous to\u00a0one's\u00a0health, including many of those who are affected by it.\u00a0As shown above, Chen and other authors and recently stated, with evidence, that that however is not the case and\u00a0anxiety and a lack of communication (which is one of the primary causes for anxiety) can lead\u00a0\u201cloneliness\u201d\u00a0and a general\u00a0\u201cdeterioration of\u00a0well-being\u201d\u00a0(Chen, 6) The\u00a0authors go on to break down the causes of anxiety and how it\u00a0works\u00a0and affects the brain,\u00a0as\u00a0well as what the different types of treatment are.\u00a0This was very interesting as the common denominator was that all,\u00a0or most forms are treatment involve communication in some way or another. These types of communication are embedded int the various types of therapy, which\u00a0include psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, or a combination of both.\r\n

Do college students identify as suffering from\u00a0anxiety?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\r\nIn an\u00a0artice\u00a0by Dolly Young, at\u00a0the University of\u00a0Tennessee, Young wrote an article about her findings when investigating the causes of college student's speech anxiety and\u00a0whether or not\u00a0they suffer from it. This article conducted a study by means of an online, anonymous survey to examine anxiety and speaking, but from the perspective of students. Young analyzed the findings to answer questions like \u201cDo speaking activities indeed make students nervous? If so, what is it about speaking that makes students anxious? Which speaking activities make students particularly uncomfortable? Can instructors do anything to reduce anxiety, particularly speaking anxiety, in the classroom?\u201d The most common answers were that speaking activities do indeed make students \u201cnervous and anxious\u201d (Young, 543). Although the cause was unable to be determined by means of the survey, this led to further research being \u201cgiven the go ahead\u201d to be conducted, which in time will hopefully lead to the reasons that students feel anxious and nervous when tasked to speak in front of others and their teachers. A common denominator for \u201cWhat can teachers do to prevent students feeling anxious\u201d was more in depth \u201cspeech training\u201d (Young, 548), as well as smaller groups to present in front of.\r\n

Academic fields that may be interested<\/strong><\/h1>\r\nI believe that fields that are involved directly with communication as a treatment for anxiety, as well as communication as a preventative measure for anxiety, would be psychology and education, as well as non-psychology fields like social work, human resources, and clinical mental health counselling. Psychology and mental health counselling would both be interested in this topic as communication to treat anxiety is directly related to therapy and the treatment of anxiety. Psychology is related to the study of the mind and so this topic would be of interest because the communication required would consist of how people are thinking and the way they are dealing with certain things.\u00a0 The educational field would take interest in a topic like this because many of the causes for anxiety are related to school and studies in some way. The educational system would look at how they can, and if they can, address certain common factors and what they can do to reduce anxiety. They could also educate people on the importance of communication as well as the different factors that may cause anxiety, as well as educate people on the different types of communication. By doing this, the education system will become more productive, and the youth would become less anxious.\u00a0A less anxious youth could subsequently lead to less self-harm, a more productive youth, fewer mental health conditions, and a\u00a0generation with a better all-round well-being.\r\n

Counter argument\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\r\nAlthough I have not necessarily found any concrete evidence that communication does not and cannot help treat anxiety, nor can it help prevent it, I have found evidence that could be interpreted in such a way that it would make sense if someone is taught to communicate the wrong way, or if someone trusts\u00a0an \u201cinner circle\u201d of theirs, who then break their trust, it can be very detrimental to the specific individual and can actually end up leading to more disorder on top of anxiety, as well as trust issues and lack of confidence.\u00a0Jonathan\u00a0Haverkampf\u00a0believes\u00a0that\u00a0the most important factor of communication, is that it allows for an exchange of meaningful messages, which then in turn,\u00a0allow the individual to become better connected to oneself.\u00a0(Haverkampf, 110)\u00a0<\/em>This will lead to the individual understanding the cause of the disorder, and coming to terms with it which \u201cis imperative for an individual with any type of mental disorder or anxiety disorder\u201d\u00a0(Joshua A. B. Littler)<\/em>, because if an individual does not understand it, nor believe that they are suffering from it, then how can they go about improving the necessary skills\u00a0(communication) and do what needs to be done in order to combat it and overcome it.\u00a0However, if an individual who is either being taught to communicate effectively, or undergoing a specific\u00a0type\u00a0of communication therapy, be it professional or in a social context,\u00a0and it is being done incorrectly, the results will not show and the individual will not see any progress, leading to a lack of trust,\u00a0and also, a decline in the previous levels\u00a0of communication. Hence, if the process is not done correctly, it can have negative effects for the patient, and in the bigger picture, the\u00a0slandering of the\u00a0different communication methods.\r\n

Conclusion\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\r\nIn conclusion, communication is a vital part of not only dealing with anxiety, but also avoiding anxiety of many different forms. It allows one to express their thoughts and is also very dependent on the social circle and the level of trust the person has in the people they are communicating with (their inner circle).\u00a0 In this essay I have found appropriate articles and\u00a0research to answer\u00a0questions like \u201cWhat causes anxiety?\u201d and \u201cHow do anxiety disorders affect our everyday life?\u201d\u00a0in order to\u00a0give\u00a0the readers a\u00a0better understanding of\u00a0anxiety as a whole and link\u00a0this research back\u00a0to my main point, how communication can be used to help combat people suffering from different types of anxiety and to give readers some context, and for a better understanding of the topic. In my previous essay, I used an article\u00a0by Barnett and other,\u00a0where the prime purpose of the\u00a0study\u00a0was to try and establish whether there was a relationship between different communication styles, and social anxiety. This article specifically spoke about social anxiety and whether there were differences between genders when it came to the different communication styles, and what may be causing these differences, be it a perceived LACK of social support and hence the lack of people to communicate with, or something else. \u201cAre there specific types of communication that work best for combatting anxiety, if so, which types?\u201d\u00a0I conclude that communication does not only be used to prevent and treat anxiety, but it is much more than that.\u00a0Communication can be used not only to treat and prevent anxiety, which in turn can prevent loneliness and improve general-well-being and health, but also, communication forms the base, that if the foundations are solid, can prevent many\u00a0very prevalent and dangerous mental disorders that are so common, yet so\u00a0harmful in today's world.\r\n

Works Cited<\/p>\r\n

Michael D. Barnett, et\u00a0al (2020)\u00a0Social Anxiety and Perceived Social Support: Gender Differences and the Mediating Role of Communication Styles,\u00a0<\/em>2020, pp. 1-18<\/p>\r\n

Jonathan\u00a0Haverkampf\u00a0(2017)\u00a0Communication-Focused Therapy (CFT) for Social Anxiety and Shyness,\u00a0<\/em>2017, pp. 108-113<\/p>\r\n

Jonathan\u00a0Haverkampf\u00a0(2019)\u00a0COMMUNICATIONFOCUSED THERAPY\u00ae (CFT) FOR ANXIETY AND PANIC ATTACKS, 2019,\u00a0<\/em>pp. 1-41<\/p>\r\n

Joshua A. B. Littler. \u201cANXIETY AND COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION\u201d School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, 2019, pp 1-14<\/p>\r\n

Chen, Yixin. \u201cHow Does Communication Anxiety Influence Well-Being?\u201d International Journal of Communication, 2019, pp. 4795-4807<\/p>\r\n

Wright, Jesse H. et al \u201cComputer-Assisted Cognitive-Behavior Therapy and Mobile Apps for Depression and Anxiety\u201d Current Psychiatry Reports, 2019, pp 1-9<\/p>\r\n

Irfat, Ara et al. \u201cMANAGING ANXIETY DISORDERS: A SHORT COMMUNICATION\u201d WORLD JOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Vol 9, 2020, pp. 1919-1928<\/p>\r\n

Johnston, Jo. \u201cStress and anxiety\u201d Veterinary Nursing Journal, Vol. 35, 2020, pp. 217-221<\/p>\r\n

Hilliard, Jake; Kear, Karen; Donelan, Helen and Heaney, Caroline (2020). Students\u2019 experiences of anxiety in an assessed, online, Computers and Education, 143, article no. 103675.<\/p>\r\n

Duffy, Mary E. \u201cTrends in Mood and Anxiety Symptoms and Suicide-Related Outcomes Among US\u201d Elsevier, 2018, pp. 1-17<\/p>\r\n

Lidner, Philip et al. \u201cTherapist-led and self-led one-session virtual reality exposure therapy for public speaking anxiety with consumer hardware and software: A randomized controlled trial\u201d\u00a0Journal of Anxiety Disorders, Vol 51, 2018, pp. 11-22<\/p>\r\n

Chorpita\u00a0BF, Barlow DH. \u201cThe development of anxiety: the role of control in the early environment\u201d Psychol Bull. 1998, Vol 124 pp. 3-21.<\/p>\r\n

Young, Dolly. \u201cAn Investigation of Students' Perspectives on Anxiety and Speaking\u201d University of Tennessee, 1990, pp. 540-551<\/p>\r\n ","rendered":"

English 102, April 2021<\/h3>\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/h1>\n

In\u00a0this essay,\u00a0I\u00a0analyzed\u00a0articles that support my thesis statement of \u201cIs communication, either via therapy or an inner circle, thought to reduce anxiety symptoms?\u201d\u00a0Anxiety is one of the most diagnosed disorders in the world. Whether it be social anxiety, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or one of the many other types. I have experienced severe anxiety at a younger age and have managed to overcome it through communication therapy. However, there are many people who choose alternative methods of therapy like medication. There is no correct nor incorrect way to approach the therapy process of someone dealing with a form of anxiety, but over the past few years, there has been significant research favouring the different forms of communication therapy and how it helps those with anxiety overcome the disorder.\u00a0Regardless of what type of anxiety, the\u00a0various types\u00a0of anxiety disorders have been prevalent in society for years, however recently, the numbers of people dealing with anxiety have\u00a0likely skyrocketed. Although the exact cause for this is unable to be\u00a0determined, many professionals believe that it is due to a lack of communication. Communication is\u00a0a very broad\u00a0term and includes things like\u00a0texting, speaking, and writing, as well as things like painting and drawing. Professionals believe that communication can be used not only as a\u00a0preventative\u00a0measure, but also as a method to overcome and prevent anxiety.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

How has communication helped me personally, overcome and treat anxiety?<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Starting from the age where I first went to school\/left the house, I would cry uncontrollably when I was not with my parents. Not because I was scared\u00a0to be without them, nor because I did not know what to do, but more because I would constantly overthink to the point where I would make myself be sick. I would run through scary scenarios in my\u00a0head and think of the absolute worst things that could happen, for no reason at all. I would not how\u00a0to communicate it, to be honest, I struggle now even to communicate what I thought and how I felt. Eventually, after a year or\u00a0two of crying every day on the way to school, and then being fine as soon as I was kept busy, I was taken to therapy for what was labelled under the umbrella term, anxiety. My dad had to take a\u00a0spare shirt when he dropped us off at school, because I would cry myself into such a state that I would sometimes throw up on him. If my parent were 5 minutes late, or if there was\u00a0a big storm, I my mind would\u00a0race,\u00a0and I would automatically assume the worst had happened or was going to happen. It\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0until I began going to therapy\u00a0that I was able to understand what was going on and why it was happening. Before therapy, I just assumed it was normal, only other people could hide it better than I could, however that was not the case. I was unable to sleep at friends’ houses for years, they\u00a0would\u00a0always have to\u00a0stay at my house, because if I\u00a0was\u00a0not with my parents or my family, I was terrified something would happen to them. After\u00a0attending\u00a0therapy and\u00a0learning firstly how to get my parents to understand what and how I was\u00a0thinking, I was able to slowly better my communication with them so that they could better understand what I was going through and how to help me. It took many years, and many different therapists and\u00a0different types\u00a0of communication as well as\u00a0different types\u00a0of therapy,\u00a0but eventually I was able to overcome it with the help of my loved ones and therapists. This is not a sob story, nor a story to make my essay more believable, but this is\u00a0my\u00a0story\u00a0about how over time, and with communication, I overcame an anxiety disorder, and hence, why I have such an\u00a0interest\u00a0in this topic.<\/p>\n

Methods\u00a0used<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Most, if not\u00a0all of\u00a0the featured articles had to have conducted\u00a0tests or\u00a0used previous test to arrive at the various conclusions. Whether it was\u00a0scientific\u00a0tests, or just surveys that needed to be completed anonymously\u00a0in order to\u00a0obtain how different people feel,\u00a0all of\u00a0the tests were done in such a way as to achieve the most neutral and scientifically beneficial results possible for that specific category. To begin with,\u00a0Haverkampf, along with his own research,\u00a0conducted countless hours of researching\u00a0and analysing past papers and other research that was\u00a0conducted\u00a0in order for\u00a0him to\u00a0take into account\u00a0what other professors and researchers had found therefore his articles tend to be very credible.<\/p>\n

Studies\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n

How can communication help treat anxiety, and why does it work?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Although\u00a0there are so many\u00a0different types\u00a0of anxiety, and so many different causes for anxiety, many people around the world, even those who have been diagnosed with the\u00a0different types\u00a0of anxiety, are unaware of what anxiety\u00a0is\u00a0and how\u00a0communication as a form of treatment\u00a0for it can help.\u00a0\u00a0Jonathan\u00a0Haverkampf\u00a0has two articles\u00a0that\u00a0I\u00a0will be analysing simultaneously\u00a0in an\u00a0attempt\u00a0to\u00a0answer\u00a0the question that\u00a0is, \u201cHow, and why,\u00a0can communication\u00a0be used as a\u00a0treatment\u00a0for\u00a0anxiety\u201d.\u00a0In an article,\u00a0Communication\u00a0Focused Therapy for Anxiety and Panic Attacks by Christian Jonathan\u00a0Haverkampf, the author\u00a0breaks down what anxiety is, as well as looking into the different communication patterns,\u00a0possible side\u00a0effects, the process to understanding and approaching anxiety, and what communication focused therapy is and why it is important. The conclusion was that based on many years of research and looking at different papers that have been written, and it was found that communication is the main, and\u00a0most important part of change. It was\u00a0established\u00a0that when there is a meaningful exchange of words, thoughts or messages, and a mutual flow of information in a \u2018safe environment\u2019,\u00a0it brings a positive change in both people who take part.\u00a0(Haverkampf, 39)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The study looked specifically at public speaking anxiety and its relationship to different \u201cpsychological stress indicators\u201d at four different stages of the delivery.\u00a0(Haverkampf, 9)\u00a0<\/em>The author found that communication in\u00a0some\u00a0way,\u00a0or another was extremely important and \u201cthe vehicle of change\u201d\u00a0(Haverkampf, 39)\u00a0<\/em>It was found that communication lowers anxiety because it allows people to \u2018de-stress\u2019, and essentially makes more meaningful information available to those we can trust, allowing them to help us and support us if it is needed.\u00a0(Haverkampf, 18)\u00a0<\/em>It allows people to adapt to their environments, and live life according to their own interests and values. It was found that the reason there was such success with communication, was because it allows people to \u201cgrasp who they are, and their wants and needs in life\u201d.<\/p>\n

Communication allows us to have a sense of self and a grasp of who we are and what we need and want in the world, but it has to be learned\u00a0similar to\u00a0our communication with other people.\u201d\u00a0(Haverkampf, 18)\u00a0<\/em>This study follows the common theme\u00a0of communication. It investigates what it is, why it helps, and the positive effect it has on coping\u00a0with,\u00a0and dealing with anxiety.\u00a0 It is an in-depth study that helped me generate a broader understanding of anxiety, whilst looking at some forms of communication that can help, and different factors that may even worsen the effect anxiety has on one’s life, like social setting.<\/p>\n

Another article that was linked very\u00a0closely with\u00a0to the previous article is Communication-Focused\u00a0Therapy (CFT)\u00a0for Social Anxiety and Shyness,\u00a0also by\u00a0Jonathan\u00a0Haverkampf.\u00a0This article looks\u00a0at why communication is important, why people with social anxiety struggle to communicate, and what is so dangerous about a lack of communication.\u00a0Haverkampf\u00a0believes that communication is the\u00a0roots\u00a0of how people pursue what is valuable to them and fulfill their aspirations, communicating is an essential part of leading a happy life. However, people with social anxiety who struggle to communicate, essentially have their lives interfered with as they are unable to develop helpful communication patterns, and this\u00a0in turn\u00a0interferes with \u201clife itself\u201d\u00a0(Haverkampf, 108)<\/em>.\u00a0He then states that\u00a0\u201cIndividuals with social anxiety often see their communication patterns as a direct expression of themselves rather than as a skill which can be experimented with to find ways of interacting with others that ultimately fit one\u2019s personality and sense of self.\u201d\u00a0Haverkampf\u00a0came to these conclusions by means of research, previous papers, other studies. He believes that the most important factor of\u00a0communication,\u00a0is\u00a0that it allows for an exchange of meaningful messages, which\u00a0allow\u00a0the individual to become better connected to oneself.\u00a0(Haverkampf, 110)<\/em><\/p>\n

What is the best style of communication?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

In an article I looked at called \u201cSocial Anxiety and Perceived Social Support: Gender Differences and the Mediating Role of Communication Styles\u201d by Michael D. Barnett and others.\u00a0The purpose of this study was to investigate different types of communication styles \u201cas mediators of the relationship between social anxiety and perceived social support.\u201d\u00a0(Barnett et al, 3)<\/em>\u00a0This means that Barnett underwent the study in order to try and establish whether there was a relationship between different communication styles, and social anxiety. This article specifically spoke about social anxiety and\u00a0whether or not\u00a0there were differences between genders when it came to the different communication styles, and what may be causing these differences, be it a perceived LACK of social support and hence the lack of people to communicate with etc.\u00a0(Barnett et al, 6).\u00a0<\/em>I found this article interesting because it analyzes the different forms of communication styles (varying\u00a0from expressiveness\u00a0to more negative forms of communication like verbal aggressiveness) and it breaks down the link and common problems between social anxiety and communication and examines social support and how it is linked to communication.\u00a0(Barnett et al, 5)<\/em>\u00a0The link that was found was that individuals with higher social anxiety were more likely to avoid perceived negative social outcomes by developing a \u201cself-protective” style of communication in which there is very little \u201cself-disclosure”.\u00a0(Barnett et al, 11)\u00a0<\/em>In order to get the desired results, participants completed an online survey and received extra course credit for participating. The authors found that there were no gender differences with regards to social anxiety or perceived social support, however, social anxiety was found to be more prominent where people of both genders perceived they had very little to no social support and did not express their thoughts as they felt they had nobody to express them to.\u00a0(Barnett et al, 11)\u00a0<\/em>The authors found that women had higher levels of expressiveness and emotionality, while men had higher levels of preciseness, verbal aggressiveness, \u201cquestioningness\u201d, and impression manipulativeness, however, there is no explanation for what causes this. The common theme in this article was communication, and how it links to mediating the different forms of anxiety (in this case, social anxiety). I had anxiety when I was younger and communication helped me deal with it, I am interested to find out why. Support is very dependent on social support, which in one way or another is a discourse, whether it be friends or family, people just don\u2019t always understand that.<\/p>\n

Can a lack of communication have a negative effect on general well-being?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

It is said, in an article by Yixin Chen, that although communication can help overcome, as well as prevent, anxiety, it is also said that a lack of communication can have many negative side effects\u00a0and cause for concern. One of them being loneliness.\u00a0Loneliness is a state of emotional distress accompanying perceived deficiencies in the quantity or quality of one\u2019s social relationships.\u201d\u00a0(Chen, 4)\u00a0<\/em>The inability to communicate with people and\u00a0experince\u00a0a \u201creal, honest bond\u201d (Littler, 9) can lead to individuals seeking comfort and trying to communicate by means of things are not made for a deep and intimate form of communication, for example, social media. This leads to an\u00a0all-round\u00a0sense of\u00a0loneliness\u00a0and can result in depression and other negative side effects and\u00a0conditions. Loneliness has become so common since 2018,\u00a0that \u201cit has been increasingly recognized as a significant public health\u00a0problem.\u201d\u00a0(Chen, 5)\u00a0However, just as a lack of communication leads to loneliness, \u201cloneliness has been seen to have a unique and deleterious effect on physical and psychological\u00a0health.\u201d\u00a0(Chen, 6). Loneliness deteriorates\u00a0some of the positive psychological functions in the brain that are\u00a0responsible\u00a0for things like \u201cgeneral well-being”\u00a0(Wright et al, 7). Additionally, \u201cloneliness has been found to be a full or partial mediator linking psychosocial predictors, such as self-esteem and social support\u201d (Chen, 8) which make it even more difficult for one to then communicate as\u00a0they then have an even worse perceived social support which is one of the primary factors of causing anxiety in the first\u00a0place.<\/p>\n

Is communication something that can be learnt and done alone, effectively?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Another interesting\u00a0article by Ara\u00a0Irfat\u00a0and other author\u00a0was examined. In this article,\u00a0Irfat\u00a0and other authors examined the \u201crise in mental disorders over the past few decades\u201d (Irfat\u00a0et al, 1920), and specifically, people suffering from common mental disorders like anxiety and depression.\u00a0These are conditions that millions around the world are\u00a0affected\u00a0by, however, many do not recognize it as a condition that can be treated, nor\u00a0one that is dangerous to\u00a0one’s\u00a0health, including many of those who are affected by it.\u00a0As shown above, Chen and other authors and recently stated, with evidence, that that however is not the case and\u00a0anxiety and a lack of communication (which is one of the primary causes for anxiety) can lead\u00a0\u201cloneliness\u201d\u00a0and a general\u00a0\u201cdeterioration of\u00a0well-being\u201d\u00a0(Chen, 6) The\u00a0authors go on to break down the causes of anxiety and how it\u00a0works\u00a0and affects the brain,\u00a0as\u00a0well as what the different types of treatment are.\u00a0This was very interesting as the common denominator was that all,\u00a0or most forms are treatment involve communication in some way or another. These types of communication are embedded int the various types of therapy, which\u00a0include psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, or a combination of both.<\/p>\n

Do college students identify as suffering from\u00a0anxiety?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

In an\u00a0artice\u00a0by Dolly Young, at\u00a0the University of\u00a0Tennessee, Young wrote an article about her findings when investigating the causes of college student’s speech anxiety and\u00a0whether or not\u00a0they suffer from it. This article conducted a study by means of an online, anonymous survey to examine anxiety and speaking, but from the perspective of students. Young analyzed the findings to answer questions like \u201cDo speaking activities indeed make students nervous? If so, what is it about speaking that makes students anxious? Which speaking activities make students particularly uncomfortable? Can instructors do anything to reduce anxiety, particularly speaking anxiety, in the classroom?\u201d The most common answers were that speaking activities do indeed make students \u201cnervous and anxious\u201d (Young, 543). Although the cause was unable to be determined by means of the survey, this led to further research being \u201cgiven the go ahead\u201d to be conducted, which in time will hopefully lead to the reasons that students feel anxious and nervous when tasked to speak in front of others and their teachers. A common denominator for \u201cWhat can teachers do to prevent students feeling anxious\u201d was more in depth \u201cspeech training\u201d (Young, 548), as well as smaller groups to present in front of.<\/p>\n

Academic fields that may be interested<\/strong><\/h1>\n

I believe that fields that are involved directly with communication as a treatment for anxiety, as well as communication as a preventative measure for anxiety, would be psychology and education, as well as non-psychology fields like social work, human resources, and clinical mental health counselling. Psychology and mental health counselling would both be interested in this topic as communication to treat anxiety is directly related to therapy and the treatment of anxiety. Psychology is related to the study of the mind and so this topic would be of interest because the communication required would consist of how people are thinking and the way they are dealing with certain things.\u00a0 The educational field would take interest in a topic like this because many of the causes for anxiety are related to school and studies in some way. The educational system would look at how they can, and if they can, address certain common factors and what they can do to reduce anxiety. They could also educate people on the importance of communication as well as the different factors that may cause anxiety, as well as educate people on the different types of communication. By doing this, the education system will become more productive, and the youth would become less anxious.\u00a0A less anxious youth could subsequently lead to less self-harm, a more productive youth, fewer mental health conditions, and a\u00a0generation with a better all-round well-being.<\/p>\n

Counter argument\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Although I have not necessarily found any concrete evidence that communication does not and cannot help treat anxiety, nor can it help prevent it, I have found evidence that could be interpreted in such a way that it would make sense if someone is taught to communicate the wrong way, or if someone trusts\u00a0an \u201cinner circle\u201d of theirs, who then break their trust, it can be very detrimental to the specific individual and can actually end up leading to more disorder on top of anxiety, as well as trust issues and lack of confidence.\u00a0Jonathan\u00a0Haverkampf\u00a0believes\u00a0that\u00a0the most important factor of communication, is that it allows for an exchange of meaningful messages, which then in turn,\u00a0allow the individual to become better connected to oneself.\u00a0(Haverkampf, 110)\u00a0<\/em>This will lead to the individual understanding the cause of the disorder, and coming to terms with it which \u201cis imperative for an individual with any type of mental disorder or anxiety disorder\u201d\u00a0(Joshua A. B. Littler)<\/em>, because if an individual does not understand it, nor believe that they are suffering from it, then how can they go about improving the necessary skills\u00a0(communication) and do what needs to be done in order to combat it and overcome it.\u00a0However, if an individual who is either being taught to communicate effectively, or undergoing a specific\u00a0type\u00a0of communication therapy, be it professional or in a social context,\u00a0and it is being done incorrectly, the results will not show and the individual will not see any progress, leading to a lack of trust,\u00a0and also, a decline in the previous levels\u00a0of communication. Hence, if the process is not done correctly, it can have negative effects for the patient, and in the bigger picture, the\u00a0slandering of the\u00a0different communication methods.<\/p>\n

Conclusion\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n

In conclusion, communication is a vital part of not only dealing with anxiety, but also avoiding anxiety of many different forms. It allows one to express their thoughts and is also very dependent on the social circle and the level of trust the person has in the people they are communicating with (their inner circle).\u00a0 In this essay I have found appropriate articles and\u00a0research to answer\u00a0questions like \u201cWhat causes anxiety?\u201d and \u201cHow do anxiety disorders affect our everyday life?\u201d\u00a0in order to\u00a0give\u00a0the readers a\u00a0better understanding of\u00a0anxiety as a whole and link\u00a0this research back\u00a0to my main point, how communication can be used to help combat people suffering from different types of anxiety and to give readers some context, and for a better understanding of the topic. In my previous essay, I used an article\u00a0by Barnett and other,\u00a0where the prime purpose of the\u00a0study\u00a0was to try and establish whether there was a relationship between different communication styles, and social anxiety. This article specifically spoke about social anxiety and whether there were differences between genders when it came to the different communication styles, and what may be causing these differences, be it a perceived LACK of social support and hence the lack of people to communicate with, or something else. \u201cAre there specific types of communication that work best for combatting anxiety, if so, which types?\u201d\u00a0I conclude that communication does not only be used to prevent and treat anxiety, but it is much more than that.\u00a0Communication can be used not only to treat and prevent anxiety, which in turn can prevent loneliness and improve general-well-being and health, but also, communication forms the base, that if the foundations are solid, can prevent many\u00a0very prevalent and dangerous mental disorders that are so common, yet so\u00a0harmful in today’s world.<\/p>\n

Works Cited<\/p>\n

Michael D. Barnett, et\u00a0al (2020)\u00a0Social Anxiety and Perceived Social Support: Gender Differences and the Mediating Role of Communication Styles,\u00a0<\/em>2020, pp. 1-18<\/p>\n

Jonathan\u00a0Haverkampf\u00a0(2017)\u00a0Communication-Focused Therapy (CFT) for Social Anxiety and Shyness,\u00a0<\/em>2017, pp. 108-113<\/p>\n

Jonathan\u00a0Haverkampf\u00a0(2019)\u00a0COMMUNICATIONFOCUSED THERAPY\u00ae (CFT) FOR ANXIETY AND PANIC ATTACKS, 2019,\u00a0<\/em>pp. 1-41<\/p>\n

Joshua A. B. Littler. \u201cANXIETY AND COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION\u201d School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, 2019, pp 1-14<\/p>\n

Chen, Yixin. \u201cHow Does Communication Anxiety Influence Well-Being?\u201d International Journal of Communication, 2019, pp. 4795-4807<\/p>\n

Wright, Jesse H. et al \u201cComputer-Assisted Cognitive-Behavior Therapy and Mobile Apps for Depression and Anxiety\u201d Current Psychiatry Reports, 2019, pp 1-9<\/p>\n

Irfat, Ara et al. \u201cMANAGING ANXIETY DISORDERS: A SHORT COMMUNICATION\u201d WORLD JOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Vol 9, 2020, pp. 1919-1928<\/p>\n

Johnston, Jo. \u201cStress and anxiety\u201d Veterinary Nursing Journal, Vol. 35, 2020, pp. 217-221<\/p>\n

Hilliard, Jake; Kear, Karen; Donelan, Helen and Heaney, Caroline (2020). Students\u2019 experiences of anxiety in an assessed, online, Computers and Education, 143, article no. 103675.<\/p>\n

Duffy, Mary E. \u201cTrends in Mood and Anxiety Symptoms and Suicide-Related Outcomes Among US\u201d Elsevier, 2018, pp. 1-17<\/p>\n

Lidner, Philip et al. \u201cTherapist-led and self-led one-session virtual reality exposure therapy for public speaking anxiety with consumer hardware and software: A randomized controlled trial\u201d\u00a0Journal of Anxiety Disorders, Vol 51, 2018, pp. 11-22<\/p>\n

Chorpita\u00a0BF, Barlow DH. \u201cThe development of anxiety: the role of control in the early environment\u201d Psychol Bull. 1998, Vol 124 pp. 3-21.<\/p>\n

Young, Dolly. \u201cAn Investigation of Students’ Perspectives on Anxiety and Speaking\u201d University of Tennessee, 1990, pp. 540-551<\/p>\n

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