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Scared is a feeling of fear or anxiety. It is a reaction to something that is seen as dangerous, scary or harmful. When someone is scared their heart races, breathing becomes rapid and muscles tense. Someone who is scared feels like they want to run away or hide.

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The Scooby-doo gang and courage the cowardly dog are walking through the cornfields when Shaggy steps on the exoskeleton of a bug, already scaring him. Velma then tells him that they now have wings which scares them even more! Shortly after the bugs attack and everyone gets scared and runs away from them.

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EXCLUSIVE: Scooby-Doo Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog in Spooky Straight Outta Nowhere Clip

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A scared disorder related to psychology 

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A scared disorder related to psychology 

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A phobia is an intense fear of a specific object, situation, or activity. People get extremely anxious when encountering the things they are afraid of even if the thing isn't a real threat. It can sometimes be so intense that it will affect their daily life. Some common phobias are a fear of heights (acrophobia), fear of flying (aviophobia), and a fear of closed spaces (claustrophobia).

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“Phobias: Symptoms, Types, Causes, and Treatment.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/249347#symptoms.

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A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder that causes an individual to experience extreme, irrational fear about a situation, living creature, place, or object.

When a person has a phobia, they will often shape their lives to avoid what they consider to be dangerous. The imagined threat is greater than any actual threat posed by the cause of terror.

Phobias are diagnosable mental disorders.

The person will experience intense distress when faced with the source of their phobia. This can prevent them from functioning normally and sometimes leads to panic attacks.

In the United States, approximately 19 million people have phobias.

A phobia is an exaggerated and irrational fear.

The term 'phobia' is often used to refer to a fear of one particular trigger. However, there are three types of phobia recognized by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). These include:

Specific phobia: This is an intense, irrational fear of a specific trigger.

Social phobia, or social anxiety: This is a profound fear of public humiliation and being singled out or judged by others in a social situation. The idea of large social gatherings is terrifying for someone with social anxiety. It is not the same as shyness.

Agoraphobia: This is a fear of situations from which it would be difficult to escape if a person were to experience extreme panic, such being in a lift or being outside of the home. It is commonly misunderstood as a fear of open spaces but could also apply to being confined in a small space, such as an elevator, or being on public transport. People with agoraphobia have an increased risk of panic disorder.

Specific phobias are known as simple phobias as they can be linked to an identifiable cause that may not frequently occur in the everyday life of an individual, such as snakes. These are therefore not likely to affect day-to-day living in a significant way.

Social anxiety and agoraphobia are known as complex phobias, as their triggers are less easily recognized. People with complex phobias can also find it harder to avoid triggers, such as leaving the house or being in a large crowd.

A phobia becomes diagnosable when a person begins organizing their lives around avoiding the cause of their fear. It is more severe than a normal fear reaction. People with a phobia have an overpowering need to avoid anything that triggers their anxiety.

A person with a phobia will experience the following symptoms. They are common across the majority of phobias:

a sensation of uncontrollable anxiety when exposed to the source of fear

a feeling that the source of that fear must be avoided at all costs

not being able to function properly when exposed to the trigger

acknowledgment that the fear is irrational, unreasonable, and exaggerated, combined with an inability to control the feelings

A person is likely to experience feelings of panic and intense anxiety when exposed to the object of their phobia. The physical effects of these sensations can include:

abnormal breathing

accelerated heartbeat

trembling

hot flushes or chills

a choking sensation

chest pains or tightness

butterflies in the stomach

pins and needles

confusion and disorientation

nausea

dizziness

A feeling of anxiety can be produced simply by thinking about the object of the phobia. In younger children, parents may observe that they cry, become very clingy, or attempt to hide behind the legs of a parent or an object. They may also throw tantrums to show their distress.

Complex phobias

A complex phobia is much more likely to affect a person's wellbeing than a specific phobia.

For example, those who experience agoraphobia may also have a number of other phobias that are connected. These can include monophobia, or a fear of being left alone, and claustrophobia, a fear of feeling trapped in closed spaces.

In severe cases, a person with agoraphobia will rarely leave their home.

The most common specific phobias in the U.S. include:

Claustrophobia: Fear of being in constricted, confined spaces

Aerophobia: Fear of flying

Arachnophobia: Fear of spiders

Driving phobia: Fear of driving a car

Emetophobia: Fear of vomiting

Erythrophobia: Fear of blushing

Hypochondria: Fear of becoming ill

Zoophobia: Fear of animals

Aquaphobia: Fear of water

Acrophobia: Fear of heights

Blood, injury, and injection (BII) phobia: Fear of injuries involving blood

Escalaphobia: Fear of escalators

Tunnel phobia: Fear of tunnels

These are far from the only specific phobias. People can develop a phobia of almost anything. Also, as society changes, the list of potential phobias changes. For instance, nomophobia is the fear of being without a cell phone or computer.

As described in one paper, it is "the pathologic fear of remaining out of touch with technology."

It is unusual for a phobia to start after the age of 30 years, and most begin during early childhood, the teenage years, or early adulthood.

They can be caused by a stressful experience, a frightening event, or a parent or household member with a phobia that a child can 'learn.'

Specific phobias

These usually develop before the age of 4 to 8 years. In some cases, it may be the result of a traumatic early experience. One example would be claustrophobia developing over time after a younger child has an unpleasant experience in a confined space.

Phobias that start during childhood can also be caused by witnessing the phobia of a family member. A child whose mother has arachnophobia, for example, is much more likely to develop the same phobia.

Complex phobias

More research is needed to confirm exactly why a person develops agoraphobia or social anxiety. Researchers currently believe complex phobias are caused by a combination of life experiences, brain chemistry, and genetics.

They may also be an echo of the habits of early humans, leftover from a time in which open spaces and unknown people generally posed a far greater threat to personal safety than in today's world.

How the brain works during a phobia

Some areas of the brain store and recall dangerous or potentially deadly events.

If a person faces a similar event later on in life, those areas of the brain retrieve the stressful memory, sometimes more than once. This causes the body to experience the same reaction.

In a phobia, the areas of the brain that deal with fear and stress keep retrieving the frightening event inappropriately.

Researchers have found that phobias are often linked to the amygdala, which lies behind the pituitary gland in the brain. The amygdala can trigger the release of "fight-or-flight" hormones. These put the body and mind in a highly alert and stressed state.

Phobias are highly treatable, and people who have them are nearly always aware of their disorder. This helps diagnosis a great deal.

Speaking to a psychologist or psychiatrist is a useful first step in treating a phobia that has already been identified.

If the phobia does not cause severe problems, most people find that simply avoiding the source of their fear helps them stay in control. Many people with specific phobias will not seek treatment as these fears are often manageable.

It is not possible to avoid the triggers of some phobias, as is often the case with complex phobias. In these cases, speaking to a mental health professional can be the first step to recovery.

Most phobias can be cured with appropriate treatment. There is no single treatment that works for every person with a phobia. Treatment needs to be tailored to the individual for it to work.

The doctor, psychiatrist, or psychologist may recommend behavioral therapy, medications, or a combination of both. Therapy is aimed at reducing fear and anxiety symptoms and helping people manage their reactions to the object of their phobia.

Medications

The following medications are effective for the treatment of phobias.
Beta blockers
These can help reduce the physical signs of anxiety that can accompany a phobia.

Side effects may include an upset stomach, fatigue, insomnia, and cold fingers.
Antidepressants
Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly prescribed for people with phobias. They affect serotonin levels in the brain, and this can result in better moods.

SSRIs may initially cause nausea, sleeping problems, and headaches.

If the SSRI does not work, the doctor may prescribe a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) for social phobia. Individuals on an MAOI may have to avoid certain types of food. Side effects may initially include dizziness, an upset stomach, restlessness, headaches, and insomnia.

Taking a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA), such as clomipramine, or Anafranil, has also been found to help phobia symptoms. Initial side effects can include sleepiness, blurred vision, constipation, urination difficulties, irregular heartbeat, dry mouth, and tremors.
Tranquilizers
Benzodiazepines are an example of a tranquilizer that might be prescribed for a phobia. These may help reduce anxiety symptoms. People with a history of alcohol dependence should not be given sedatives.

In 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) strengthened their warning about benzodiazepines. Using these drugs can lead to physical dependence, and withdrawal can be life threatening. Combining them with alcohol, opioids, and other substances can result in death. It is essential to follow the doctor's instructions when using these drugs.

Behavioral therapy

There are a number of therapeutic options for treating a phobia.
Desensitization, or exposure therapy
This can help people with a phobia alter their response to the source of fear. They are gradually exposed to the cause of their phobia over a series of escalating steps. For example, a person with aerophobia, or a fear of flying on a plane, may take the following steps under guidance:

1. They will first think about flying.

2. The therapist will have them look at pictures of planes.

3. The person will go to an airport.

4. They will escalate further by sitting in a practice simulated airplane cabin.

5. Finally, they will board a plane.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
The doctor, therapist, or counselor helps the person with a phobia learn different ways of understanding and reacting to the source of their phobia. This can make coping easier. Most importantly, CBT can teach a person experiencing phobia to control their own feelings and thoughts.

Phobias can be a source of genuine and ongoing distress for an individual. However, they are treatable in most cases, and very often the source of fear is avoidable.

If you have a phobia, the one thing you should never be afraid of is seeking help. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) offer a useful resource for locating a therapist. They also offer a range of talks on how to overcome specific phobias.

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Phobias: Symptoms, types, causes, and treatment

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A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder that causes an individual to experience extreme, irrational fear about a situation, living creature, place, or object. When a person has a phobia, they will often shape their lives to avoid what they consider to be dangerous.

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Psychological shock is when you experience many emotions and a physical reaction because of a stressful event. When shocked everyone has different reactions. Some people might feel jittery and sick. some might get chest pain.

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-Witnessing or getting into a car accident.
- Getting disturbing news about someone.
- Doing something that you a scared of.

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Psychological shock is when you experience a surge of strong emotions and a corresponding physical reaction, in response to a (typically unexpected) stressful event.

By thoroughly understanding this reaction before it happens, you'll be able to recognize it and make much better decisions if/when it does. I'll help you do that here.

The types of events that can trigger psychological shock reactions include:

A car accident or near miss.

Being broken up with.

Your child having an accident or near miss.

Situations that provoke fear, such as being in an airplane with severe turbulence.

Witnessing something scary.

Hearing a story that makes you feel traumatized, such as learning a friend's child has drowned.

Consuming a news stories that provokes a trauma reaction, such as hearing a story about people being separated from their children.

Getting sued or some other financial related stressor.

Being stopped by the police.

Being at the dentist.

Usually, your degree of reaction will depend on how close you are to the event. For example, hearing a friend's child has died or been injured is more stressful than hearing that this has happened to a friend of a friend. However, even events that don't personally affect you can trigger unexpectedly strong fear reactions.

Even reading about anxiety can induce feelings of anxiety-so, if you're anxiety prone, don't be surprised if you experience some of these sensations as you're reading here.

What are the symptoms of psychological shock?

The hallmark symptom of shock is feeling a surge of adrenalin.

You may feel jittery or physically sick, like you're going to vomit or have diarrhea.

Your mind will likely feel very foggy, or like you can't think straight.

You may feel out of body.

Your chest may feel tight.

You may feel a disconnection from what's happening, like you're watching a movie of events unfolding rather than actually being there.

You may feel intense anger and want to scream or yell-for example, if your child is injured while someone else is supposed to be watching them.

You may feel like you want to run.

Why do we have these symptoms?

These symptoms are all part of the body's acute fight, flight, or freeze response. Your body prepares you for fast, thoughtless action. For example, blood rushes to the muscles in your limbs ready for you to spring into activity; we tend to hyperventilate as well, which leads to the cognitive symptoms of feeling spacey and foggy.

What should you do?

Since it's hard to think straight when you're in shock, you should give yourself a chance to calm down before acting, unless quick action is necessary. You may be tempted to make a poor decision. For example, you might feel tempted to drive off after you've hit someone else's car, even though you know that's not morally right and could result in legal problems. This urge to run isn't you being a terrible person-it's just your flight response. You need to give yourself a few minutes for your rational brain to take over.

Likewise, try not to hit anyone or throw anything. That urge is your fight reaction.

In a situation like being stopped by the police, recognize that you may find it very difficult to listen accurately and follow instructions, so take it slow. Don't make any sudden movements. Ask the officer to repeat back instructions as necessary and stay polite.

As an example of how foggy people can get when feeling acute psychological stress, my dentist and I were recently discussing how people have difficulty following instructions when they're in the dental chair, and do things such as confuse their left and right.

What happens next?

Since you've gotten a surge of stress hormones released into your bloodstream, it's going to take some time-perhaps a few hours-for your body to get back to its normal state.

While this is happening, you may feel queasy or light-headed, or you may feel muscle tension, pain or stiffness. Why do you feel pain? When you have a shock reaction, you'll typically unconsciously tense your muscles, ready to fight or flee. You don't notice the pain of this when you're in the midst of an adrenalin surge, but as the surge is wearing off, some pain sensations from doing that may emerge.

You don't particularly need to do anything as you're waiting for your body to return to normal. Your body knows what to do. Nurture yourself as best you can-for example, get social support by telling someone what has happened.

Although psychological shock can feel intense, your body will only maintain this state for a short period. Humans are exceptionally good at coping with traumatic experiences. By understanding what's happening to your body and your thinking, it's much less of a scary experience. If you're a parent, this is a great concept to teach your teenagers about. If you do, they'll be more prepared to manage their emotions in a stressful situation, such as being stopped by the police. If you're having a more sustained reaction to trauma, educate yourself about how to deal with your emotions (see, for example, here and here), and see a therapist if necessary.
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What Is Psychological Shock? And 5 Tips for Coping

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Psychological shock is when you experience a surge of strong emotions and a corresponding physical reaction, in response to a (typically unexpected) stressful event. By thoroughly understanding this reaction before it happens, you'll be able to recognize it and make much better decisions if/when it does. I'll help you do that here.

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Disgust is a feeling of repulse towards something dirty, offensive, or just unpleasant. It is often shown in forms of body language and facial expressions towards the thing that they don't like.

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In this video we see a girl see a fly and feel disgusted by it. This drives her to kill the fly, only to be more disgusted by the dead fly, making her feel sick.

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Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is related to the emotion of disgust. People with OCD will experience impulsive and drastic feelings of disgust towards certain situations or objects which will cause them to do things repetitively to try to relieve their disgust. An example is someone who will repeatedly wash their hands to feel less disgusted about germs.

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Namhafte Fachleute präsentieren in dieser Monographie neueste Forschungsergebnisse auf den Gebieten der kognitiven Prozesse wie Gedächtnis, Entscheidungsfindung und logisches Denken und der Emotionen wie Ärger, Angst, Trauer und Eifersucht. Neben historischen Hintergründen und Aspekten der philosophischen Debatte werden jeweils auch die Verknüpfungen mit anderen Bereichen der Psychologie dargestellt. (12/98)

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Namhafte Fachleute präsentieren in dieser Monographie neueste Forschungsergebnisse auf den Gebieten der kognitiven Prozesse wie Gedächtnis, Entscheidungsfindung und logisches Denken und der Emotionen wie Ärger, Angst, Trauer und Eifersucht. Neben historischen Hintergründen und Aspekten der philosophischen Debatte werden jeweils auch die Verknüpfungen mit anderen Bereichen der Psychologie dargestellt. (12/98)

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"Anger is an emotion characterized by antagonism toward someone or something you feel has deliberately done you wrong" (Kazdin, Encyclopedia)

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In this clip we see the mouse being treated like a baby by the girl. The girl pampers the mouse by bathing burping, rocking him and even changing his diaper. The mouse tries so hide but the little girl found him. Once he was free, he was so angry his face got red and smoke came from his ears. He then ran away out of anger

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Tom & Jerry | Angry Baby Jerry | Boomerang UK

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an example of an anger disorder in psychology is Intermittent explosive disorder 

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an example of an anger disorder in psychology is Intermittent explosive disorder 

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Intermittent explosive disorder (IED) is when people have sudden and extreme outbursts of aggression. It is usually seen as "overdramatic" but can actually cause harm to the individual and others. The cause of this is unknown but is thought to be from imbalances in the brain and a person's environment and childhood.

Coccaro, Emil F., et al. “Intermittent Explosive Disorder as a Disorder of Impulsive Aggression for DSM-5.” American Journal of Psychiatry, 1 June 2012, https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.11081259.

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A easy example of being confused is when you are learn a new subject in math and you don't understand the steps of how your teacher got the answer.

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A mental disturbance characterized by bewilderment, inability to think clearly or act decisively, and disorientation for time, place, and person. Also called mental confusion.

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A trusted reference in the field of psychology, offering more than 25,000 clear and authoritative entries.

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the physiological or psychological response to internal or external stressors. Stress involves changes affecting nearly every system of the body, influencing how people feel and behave

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Pain (hurt) is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage. Pain is a sensation of the body, and is always an unpleasant emotional experience and is non-physical

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Definition of Embarrassment in psychology: 

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Definition of Embarrassment in psychology: 

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Embarrassment is a painful but important emotional state. Its believed that embarrassment is to make people feel bad about themselves. After embarrassment most people learn to not make that same mistake again.

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An example of Hurt in psychology is explicit rejection

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An example of Hurt in psychology is explicit rejection

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-Being told someone does not want to be your friend
-They do no want to date you anymore
-Getting fired
-Someone saying "I never want to see you again"

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-conflicts at home
-increased responsibilities
-Financial problems
-Health issues

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Abstract

Introduction: Pain is defined "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage". Pain is a sensation of the body, and is always an unpleasant emotional experience. The role of psychology is auxiliary and supplemental to medicine. This is an aid addressed to the patient, physician and patient's caregivers: professional caregivers, family members and significant others. At each stage of the diagnostic and therapeutic process, psychology offers help, both from the cognitive and practical aspects.

Objective: The objective of the article is to present important psychological aspects of studies concerning pain, and the psychological methods and techniques of pain treatment.

State of knowledge: Pain is the leading reason for patients seeking medical care and is one of the most disabling, burdensome, and costly conditions. Pain accompanies many diseases, each one of which generates unique/separate diagnostic, therapeutic and research problems. DEPRESSION AND RELATED PSYCHICAL DISORDERS: There is a significant relationship between depression and pain symptoms, as well as between pain and suicidal thoughts. Patients with a long history of pain disorders also have increased depression and anxiety symptoms, as well as suicidal thoughts. Patients with more severe depression and anxiety symptoms also have an increase in pain problems. The intensity of pain correlates with the intensity of psychopathological symptoms - both with mood lowering and with anxiety symptoms and worry. Active pain coping strategies strive to function in spite of pain, or to distract oneself from pain, are associated with adaptive functioning. Passive strategies involve withdrawal or relinquishing control to an external force or agent and are related to greater pain and depression. Pain catastrophizing is a negatively distorted perception of pain as awful, horrible and unbearable. Catastrophizing is strongly associated with depression and pain. Studies in which functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used showed that pain catastrophizing, independent of the influence of depression, was significantly associated with increased activity in brain areas related to anticipation of pain, attention to pain, emotional aspects of pain and motor control. Pain behaviour is a conditioned pain. Care and concern on the part of others, secondarily enhance a patient's pain behaviours, which lead to an increase in the intensity of the pain experienced. A history of early life adversity (ELA) - rejection, neglect, physical or sexual abuse is related to the development of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in adulthood. Ovarian hormones have been shown to modulate pain sensitivity. IMAGING OF THE HUMAN BRAIN IN CHRONIC PAIN: Acute pain and chronic pain are encoded in different regions of the brain. Chronic pain can be considered a driving force that carves cortical anatomy and physiology, creating the chronic pain brain/ mind state. Cognitive-behavioural methods of pain treatment in domains of pain experience, cognitive coping and appraisal (positive coping measures), and reduced pain experience are effective in reducing pain in patients.

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national center for biotechnology information

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Pain is the leading reason for patients seeking medical care and is one of the most disabling, burdensome, and costly conditions. Pain accompanies many diseases, each one of which generates unique/separate diagnostic, therapeutic and research problems. DEPRESSION AND RELATED PSYCHICAL DISORDERS: The ...

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In this clip, you can see that Nemo's dad is stressed about his son messing around and getting stuck inside of something in the ocean and he stresses out wondering if he had hurt himself or not.

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An emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure.

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- Test anxiety is a psychological condition in which people experience extreme distress and anxiety in testing situations.
- Some symptoms of test anxiety can be physical and cognitive. Some physical symptoms are sweating, shaking, rapid heartbeat, dry mouth, fainting, and nausea. Some cognitive symptoms are memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and negative self-talk.
- Test anxiety can not be treated but can be controlled. Things that might help can be to get plenty of sleep a night before, have a good meal before the test, make sure you take brakes between studying, exercise and get the frustration out, take deep breaths during the test.

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This is us before our final.

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An example disorder in psychology is Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) 

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An example disorder in psychology is Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) 

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In this video it talks about the signs for social anxiety.

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https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-test-anxiety-2795368

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Many people experience stress or anxiety before an exam. In fact, a little nervousness can actually help you perform your best. However, when this distress becomes so excessive that it actually interferes with performance on an exam, it is known as test anxiety.

What does it feel like to experience test anxiety? You paid attention in class, took detailed notes, read every chapter, and even attended extra study sessions after class, so you should do great on that big exam, right?

When the test is presented, however, you find yourself so nervous that you blank out the answers to even the easiest questions. If this experience sounds familiar, then you might be experiencing test anxiety.

What Is Text Anxiety?

Test anxiety is a psychological condition in which people experience extreme distress and anxiety in testing situations. While many people experience some degree of stress and anxiety before and during exams, test anxiety can actually impair learning and hurt test performance.

Other examples of performance anxiety:

A businessman freezes up and forgets the information he was going to
present to his co-workers and manager during a work presentation.

A high school basketball player becomes very anxious before a big game. During the game, she is so overwhelmed by this stress that she starts missing even easy shots.

A violin student becomes extremely nervous before a recital. During the performance, she messes up on several key passages and flubs her solo.

Identifying Test Anxiety

While people have the skills and knowledge to do very well in these situations, their excessive anxiety impairs their performance. The severity of test anxiety can vary considerably from one person to another. Some people might feel like they have "butterflies" in their stomach and while others might find it difficult to concentrate on the exam.

A little bit of nervousness can actually be helpful, making you feel mentally alert and ready to tackle the challenges presented in an exam. The Yerkes-Dodson law suggests that there is a link between arousal levels and performance. Essentially, increased arousal levels can help you do better on exams, but only up to a certain point.

Once these stress levels cross that line, the excessive anxiety you might be experiencing can actually interfere with test performance. Excessive fear can make it difficult to concentrate and you might struggle to recall things that you have studied. You might feel like all the information you spent some much time reviewing suddenly seems inaccessible in your mind.

You blank out the answers to questions to which you know you know the answers. This inability to concentrate and recall information then contributes to even more anxiety and stress, which only makes it that much harder to focus your attention on the test.

Symptoms of Test Anxiety

The symptoms of test anxiety can vary considerably and range from mild to severe. Some students experience only mild symptoms of test anxiety and are still able to do fairly well on exams. Other students are nearly incapacitated by their anxiety, performing dismally on tests or experiencing panic attacks before or during exams.​

Physical Symptoms

Physical symptoms of test anxiety include sweating, shaking, rapid heartbeat, dry mouth, fainting, and nausea. Sometimes these symptoms might feel like a case of "butterflies" in the stomach, but they can also be more serious symptoms of physical illness such as nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting.

Cognitive and Behavioral Symptoms

Cognitive and behavioral symptoms can include avoiding situations that involve testing. This can involve skipping class or even dropping out of school. In other cases, people might use drugs or alcohol to cope with symptoms of anxiety.

Other cognitive symptoms include memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and negative self-talk.

Emotional Symptoms

Emotional symptoms of test anxiety can include depression, low self-esteem, anger, and a feeling of hopelessness. Fortunately, there are steps that students can take to alleviate these unpleasant and oftentimes harmful symptoms. By learning more about the possible causes of their test anxiety, students can begin to look for helpful solutions.

Causes of Test Anxiety

While test anxiety can be very stressful for students who experience it, many people do not realize that is actually quite common. Nervousness and anxiety are perfectly normal reactions to stress. For some people, however, this fear can become so intense that it actually interferes with their ability to perform well.

So what causes test anxiety? For many students, it can be a combination of things. Poor study habits, poor past test performance, and an underlying anxiety problem can all contribute to test anxiety.

A few potential causes of test anxiety include:

Fear of failure: If you connect your sense of self-worth to your test scores, the pressure you put on yourself can cause severe test anxiety.

Poor testing history: If you have done poorly on tests before, either because you didn't study well enough or because you were so anxious, you couldn't remember the answers, this can cause even more anxiety and a negative attitude every time you have to take another test.

Unpreparedness: If you didn't study or didn't study well enough, this can add to your feeling of anxiety.

Biological Causes

In stressful situations, such as before and during an exam, the body releases a hormone called adrenaline. This helps prepare the body to deal with what is about to happen and is commonly referred to as the "fight-or-flight" response. Essentially, this response prepares you to either stay and deal with the stress or escape the situation entirely.

In a lot of cases, this adrenaline rush is actually a good thing. It helps prepare you to deal effectively with stressful situations, ensuring that you are alert and ready. For some people, however, the symptoms of anxiety they feel can become so excessive that it makes it difficult or even impossible to focus on the test.

Symptoms such as nausea, sweating, and shaking hands can actually make people feel even more nervous, especially if they become preoccupied with these test anxiety symptoms.

Mental Causes

In addition to the underlying biological causes of anxiety, there are many mental factors that can play a role in this condition. Student expectations are one major mental factor. For example, if a student believes that she will perform poorly on an exam, she is far more likely to become anxious before and during a test.

Test anxiety can also become a vicious cycle. After experiencing anxiety during one exam, students may become so fearful about it happening again that they actually become even more anxious during the next exam. After repeatedly enduring test anxiety, students may begin to feel that they have no power to change the situation, a phenomenon known as learned helplessness.

Coping With Test Anxiety

So what exactly can you do to prevent or minimize test anxiety? Here are some strategies to help:

Avoid the perfectionist trap. Don't expect to be perfect. We all make mistakes and that's okay. Knowing you've done your best and worked hard is really all that matters, not perfection.

Banish the negative thoughts. If you start to have anxious or defeated thoughts, such as "I'm not good enough," "I didn't study hard enough," or "I can't do this," push those thoughts away and replace them with positive thoughts. "I can do this," "I know the material," and "I studied hard," can go far in helping to manage your stress level when taking a test.

Get enough sleep. A good night's sleep will help your concentration and memory.

Make sure you're prepared. That means studying for the test early until you feel comfortable with the material. Don't wait until the night before. If you aren't sure how to study, ask your teacher or parent for help. Being prepared will boost your confidence, which will lessen your test anxiety.

Take deep breaths. If you start to feel anxious while you're taking your test, deep breathing may be useful for reducing anxiety. Breathe deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth. Work through each question or problem one at a time, taking a deep breath in between each one as needed. Making sure you are giving your lungs plenty of oxygen can help your focus and sense of calm.

Therapy and Medications Can Also Help

A Word From Verywell

Test anxiety can be unpleasant and stressful, but it is also treatable. If you believe that test anxiety is interfering with your ability to perform well, try utilizing some self-help strategies designed to help you manage and lower your anxiety levels.

If you are still struggling to manage your test anxiety, talk to your counselor, another mental health practitioner, or your primary care physician for more advice about treatments that are available.

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Test Anxiety Can Make It Difficult to Do Well on Exams

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Many people experience stress or anxiety before an exam. In fact, a little nervousness can actually help you perform your best. However, when this distress becomes so excessive that it actually interferes with performance on an exam, it is known as test anxiety. What does it feel like to experience test anxiety?

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https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/generalized-anxiety-disorder/expert-answers/test-anxiety/faq-20058195

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Many people will bounce back from an embarrassing incident quickly. Others who are more sensitive may develop feelings of anxiety or panic whenever they think about it, which can be often if they are prone to rumination. They may even try to avoid specific social interactions for fear of being humiliated again. Just one embarrassing experience can be detrimental to someone's confidence and sense of self-worth over a long period of time. Great embarrassment can lead to anxiety, depression, and, in extreme cases, the impulse to self-harm.

One of the best ways to get over embarrassment is to laugh about it. In fact, people who can shrug laugh off an embarrassing moment are generally viewed as more trustworthy, likable, and sociable. Realizing that everyone makes mistakes can help. Gaining some perspective about the real weight of the mistake and how much people actually noticed it is valuable as well.

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Embarrassment is a painful but important emotional state. Most researchers believe that the purpose of embarrassment is to make people feel badly about their social or personal mistakes as a form of internal (or societal) feedback, so that they learn not to repeat the error.

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An emotional state of unhappiness, ranging in intensity from mild to extreme.

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An example disorder in psychology is (SAD) Seasonal affective disorder

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An example disorder in psychology is (SAD) Seasonal affective disorder

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In this video it talks about what (SAD) disorder is and the symptoms as well as how to control it.

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A natural instinctive state of mind deriving from ones's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.

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A complex reaction pattern, involving experimental, behavioral and physiological elements.

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How does a emotion differ from a feeling?

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How does a emotion differ from a feeling?

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A feeling is a reaction to the emotional situation. They are based on an emotional experience, they vary from person to person.

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A trusted reference in the field of psychology, offering more than 25,000 clear and authoritative entries.

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https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emotion

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Synonyms

Choose the Right Synonym for emotion

feeling, emotion, affection, sentiment, passion mean a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation.

feeling denotes any partly mental, partly physical response marked by pleasure, pain, attraction, or repulsion; it may suggest the mere existence of a response but imply nothing about the nature or intensity of it.

emotion carries a strong implication of excitement or agitation but, like feeling, encompasses both positive and negative responses.

affection applies to feelings that are also inclinations or likings.

sentiment often implies an emotion inspired by an idea.

passion suggests a very powerful or controlling emotion.

Example Sentences

a display of raw The defendant showed no She was overcome with emotion emotion when the verdict was read. emotion at the news of her friend's death.

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'emotion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Middle French, from emouvoir to stir up, from Old French esmovoir, from Latin emovēre to remove, displace, from e- + movēre to move

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

The first known use of emotion was in 1579

Dictionary Entries Near emotion

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on emotion

Merriam-Webster unabridged

The Great British Vocabulary Quiz

Named after Sir Robert Peel, what are British police called?

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The meaning of EMOTION is a conscious mental reaction (such as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body. How to use emotion in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Emotion.

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https://online.uwa.edu/news/emotional-psychology/

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How we interpret and respond to the world around us makes up who we are and contributes to our quality of life. The study of emotional psychology allows researchers to dive into what makes humans react as they do to certain stimuli and how those reactions affect us both physically and mentally. While the study of emotional psychology is vast and complex, researchers have discovered quite a bit about what constitutes our emotions and our behavioral and physical reactions to them.

Defining Emotions

Emotions are often confused with feelings and moods, but the three terms are not interchangeable. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), emotion is defined as "a complex reaction pattern, involving experiential, behavioral and physiological elements." Emotions are how individuals deal with matters or situations they find personally significant. Emotional experiences have three components: a subjective experience, a physiological response and a behavioral or expressive response.

Feelings arise from an emotional experience. Because a person is conscious of the experience, this is classified in the same category as hunger or pain. A feeling is the result of an emotion and may be influenced by memories, beliefs and other factors.

A mood is described by the APA as "any short-lived emotional state, usually of low intensity." Moods differ from emotions because they lack stimuli and have no clear starting point. For example, insults can trigger the emotion of anger while an angry mood may arise without apparent cause.

Defining emotions is a task that is not yet complete. Many researchers are still proposing theories about what makes up our emotions, and existing theories are constantly being challenged. Still, there's a good basis of knowledge to analyze when exploring the topic.

The Process of Emotion

While there is debate about sequence, there is general agreement that emotions, as mentioned earlier, are made up of three parts: subjective experiences, physiological responses and behavioral responses. Let's look at each of these parts in more detail.

Subjective Experiences

All emotions begin with a subjective experience, also referred to as a stimulus, but what does that mean? While basic emotions are expressed by all individuals regardless of culture or upbringing, the experience that produces them can he highly subjective.

Subjective experiences can range from something as simple as seeing a color to something as major as losing a loved one or getting married. No matter how intense the experience is, it can provoke many emotions in a single individual and the emotions each individual feel may be different. For example, one person may feel anger and regret at the loss of a loved one while another may experience intense sadness.

Physiological Responses

We all know how it feels to have our heart beat fast with fear. This physiological response is the result of the autonomic nervous system's reaction to the emotion we're experiencing. The autonomic nervous system controls our involuntary bodily responses and regulates our fight-or-flight response. According to many psychologists, our physiological responses are likely how emotion helped us evolve and survive as humans throughout history.

Interestingly, studies have shown autonomic physiological responses are strongest when a person's facial expressions most closely resemble the expression of the emotion they're experiencing. In other words, facial expressions play an important role in responding accordingly to an emotion in a physical sense.

Behavioral Responses

The behavioral response aspect of the emotional response is the actual expression of the emotion. Behavioral responses can include a smile, a grimace, a laugh or a sigh, along with many other reactions depending on societal norms and personality.

While plentiful research suggests that many facial expressions are universal, such as a frown to indicate sadness, sociocultural norms and individual upbringings play a role in our behavioral responses. For example, how love is expressed is different both from person to person and across cultures.

Behavioral responses are important to signal to others how we're feeling, but research shows that they're also vital to individuals' well-being. A study in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology found that while watching negative and positive emotional films, suppression of behavioral responses to emotion had physical effects on the participants. The effects included elevated heart rates. This suggests that expressing behavioral responses to stimuli, both positive and negative, is better for your overall health than holding those responses inside. Thus, there are benefits of smiling, laughing and expressing negative emotions in a healthy way.

The physiological and behavioral responses associated with emotions illustrate that emotion is much more than a mental state. Emotion affects our whole demeanor and our health. Furthermore, our ability to understand others' behavioral responses plays a huge role in our emotional intelligence, which will be discussed in more detail later.

Emotions and Psychology

Theories and hypotheses about emotions date back centuries. In fact, basic or primary emotions are referenced in the Book of Rights, a first-century Chinese encyclopedia. Emotion is much harder to measure and properly define than many other human responses. Much of the study that has been done in emotional psychology is about basic emotions, our psychological and behavioral responses, and the role of emotional intelligence in our lives.

Basic and Complex Emotions

In emotional psychology, emotions are split into two groups: basic and complex.

Basic emotions are associated with recognizable facial expressions and tend to happen automatically. Charles Darwin was the first to suggest that emotion-induced facial expressions are universal. This suggestion was a centerpiece idea to his theory of evolution, implying that emotions and their expressions were biological and adaptive. In fact, emotions have been observed in animals by researchers for several years, suggesting that they're pivotal to survival in other species as well. Basic emotions are likely to have played a role in our survival throughout human evolution, signaling to those around us to react accordingly.

Emotional psychologist Paul Ekman identified six basic emotions that could be interpreted through facial expressions. They included happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise and disgust. He expanded the list in 1999 to also include embarrassment, excitement, contempt, shame, pride, satisfaction and amusement, though those additions have not been widely adapted.

List of the six basic emotions

Sadness

Happiness

Fear

Anger

Surprise

Disgust

Similarly, in the 1980s, psychologist Robert Plutchik identified eight basic emotions which he grouped into pairs of opposites, including joy and sadness, anger and fear, trust and disgust, and surprise and anticipation. This classification is known as a wheel of emotions and can be compared to a color wheel in that certain emotions mixed together can create new complex emotions.

More recently, a new study from the Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of Glasgow in 2014 found that instead of six, there may only be four easily recognizable basic emotions. The study discovered that anger and disgust shared similar facial expressions, as did surprise and fear. This suggests that the differences between those emotions are sociologically-based and not biologically-based. Despite all the conflicting research and adaptations, most research acknowledge that there are a set of universal basic emotions with recognizable facial features.

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Complex emotions have differing appearances and may not be as easily recognizable, such as grief, jealousy or regret. Complex emotions are defined as "any emotion that is an aggregate of two or more others." The APA uses the example of hate being a fusion of fear, anger and disgust. Basic emotions, on the other hand, are unmixed and innate. Other complex emotions include love, embarrassment, envy, gratitude, guilt, pride, and worry, among many others.

Complex emotions vary greatly in how they appear on a person's face and don't have easily recognizable expressions. Grief looks quite different between cultures and individuals. Some complex emotions, such as jealousy, may have no accompanying facial expression at all.

Theories of Emotion

As we've explored, emotion is multifaceted and debatable. Thus, many theories of emotion exist. While some theories directly refute others, many build upon each other. Here are some common theories of emotional psychology that have helped shape the field and how humans view emotions.

James-Lange Theory

The James-Lange Theory of Emotion is one of the earliest emotion theories of modern psychology. Developed by William James and Carl Lange in the 19th century, the theory hypothesizes that physiological stimuli (arousal) causes the autonomic nervous system to react which in turn causes individuals to experience emotion. The reactions of the nervous system could include a fast heartbeat, tensed muscles, sweating and more. According to this theory, the physiological response comes before the emotional behavior. Over time, the James-Lange theory has been challenged, as well as expanded upon in other theories, suggesting that emotion is the mix of physiological and psychological response.

Facial-Feedback Theory

The Facial-Feedback Theory of Emotion suggests that facial expressions are crucial to experiencing emotion. This theory is connected to the work of Charles Darwin and William James that hypothesized that facial expressions impact emotion as opposed to their being a response to an emotion. This theory holds that emotions are directly tied to physical changes in the facial muscles. Thus, someone who forced himself to smile would be happier than someone who wore a frown.

Cannon-Bard Theory

Developed by Walter Cannon and Philip Bard in the 1920s, the Cannon-Bard Theory of Emotion was developed to refute the James-Lange theory. This theory posits that bodily changes and emotions occur simultaneously instead of one right after the other. This theory is backed by neurobiological science that says that the once a stimulating event is detected, the information is relayed to both the amygdala and the brain cortex at the same time. If this holds true, arousal and emotion are a simultaneous event.

Schachter-Singer Theory

This theory, developed by Stanley Schachter and Jerome E. Singer, introduces the element of reasoning into the process of emotion. The theory hypothesizes that when we experience an event that causes physiological arousal, we try to find a reason for the arousal. Then, we experience the emotion.

Cognitive Appraisal Theory

Richard Lazarus pioneered this theory of emotion. According to the Cognitive Appraisal Theory, thinking must occur before experiencing emotion. Thus, a person would first experience a stimulus, think, and then simultaneously experience a physiological response and the emotion.

These are far from the only theories of emotion that exist, but they provide great examples of how the ideas about how emotion is generated differ from each other. What all theories of emotion have in common is the idea that an emotion is based off some sort of personally significant stimulus or experience, prompting a biological and psychological reaction.

Benefits of Understanding Emotions

As discussed, emotions have helped humans evolve and survive. According to Ekman, who developed the wheel of emotion, "It would be very dangerous if we didn't have emotions. It would also be a very dull life. Because, basically, our emotions drive us - excitement, pleasure, even anger." That is why it's important that we're able to understand emotions as they play such an important role in how we behave.

Ekman argues that emotions are fundamentally constructive. They are influenced by what is good for our species overall and what we learned during our upbringing. They guide our behavior in a way that should lead us to a positive outcome. However, emotions can become destructive if the emotions we've learned are the correct response no longer fit our situation, or if subconscious emotions cause reactions that we are unable to understand. Being in touch with your emotions and turning your understanding into action is called emotional awareness. Being able to do this with others as well is referred to as emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions. The term was first coined by researchers Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer and found popularity through Dan Goleman's 1996 book. They define it as the ability to recognize, understand and manage our own emotions as well as recognize, understand and influence those of others. The study of emotional intelligence has gained much popularity since the mid-1990s, with business professionals, relationship coaches and more using the term to encourage others to improve their lives. Many researchers believe that emotional intelligence can be improved over time, while some argue that it's a trait we're born with or without.

The components of emotional intelligence include:

Appraising and expressing emotions in the self and others: Recognizing or expressing verbal or nonverbal cues about emotion

Regulating emotion in the self and others: Managing emotions so that all parties are motivated towards a positive outcome.

Using emotions in adaptive ways: Using emotion and the interpretation of emotions to result in positive outcomes.

Those who have emotional intelligence open themselves to positive and negative emotional experiences, identify the emotions and communicate those emotions appropriately. Emotionally intelligent people can use their understanding of their emotions and the emotions of others to move toward personal and social growth. Those with low emotional intelligence may unable to understand and control their emotions or those of others. This could leave others feeling badly when they don't understand their emotions, feelings, or expressions.

Clearly, there are personal and professional benefits to improving your emotional intelligence. In Forbes, Co-Chair of Nobel Peace prize-nominated campaign and New York Times best-selling author Chade-Meng Tan addressed the benefits of improving emotional intelligence. He pointed out that high emotional intelligence correlates with better work performance, makes people better leaders and creates the conditions for personal happiness. He stated, "There are also compelling personal benefits, and the most basic of those occur in three categories: calmness and clarity of mind, resilience and more satisfying relationships."

Emotional intelligence plays a role in overall success much like traditional intelligence. In fact, some researchers argue that it plays a bigger role. In his 1995 book "Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ," psychologist Daniel Goleman introduced the idea of an EQ. Much like an IQ, an EQ is a measurement for individuals' emotional intelligence aptitude. Goleman argues that EQ counts twice as much as IQ and technical skills combined when it comes to becoming successful.

Whether or not that is true is certainly debatable, but emotional intelligence has served humans well throughout our evolution and history. It played a role long before it was officially defined, and likely will for years to come.

The Future of Emotional Psychology

While numerous studies and robust research about emotions has already been done, the field of emotional psychology undoubtedly has an exciting future. From artificial intelligence to new challenges to long-held theories, there's no telling what our understanding of humans and their emotional responses will be.

If you want to join the ranks of those studying emotions, consider an online bachelor's degree in psychology. A bachelor's degree from the University of West Alabama will give you a foundation in experimental design and data analysis.

Already have a bachelor's degree? Further your psychology career with an online masters in experimental psychology. Our experienced faculty have Ph.D.s in diverse areas of experimental psychology. The connections you make and the skills you learn will prepare you for employment in the field or further study.

Earn your degree entirely online at one of the state's most affordable institutions. Our culturally and intellectually diverse institution and flexible structure allow you to challenge yourself while still fitting education into your busy lifestyle. We proudly provide all our students with personal support from application to graduation.

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The Science of Emotion: Exploring the Basics of Emotional Psychology | UWA Online

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How we interpret and respond to the world around us makes up who we are and contributes to our quality of life. The study of emotional psychology allows researchers to dive into what makes humans react as they do to certain stimuli and how those reactions affect us both physically and mentally.

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A trusted reference in the field of psychology, offering more than 25,000 clear and authoritative entries.

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https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/social-anxiety-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20353561

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Overview

It's normal to feel nervous in some social situations. For example, going on a date or giving a presentation may cause that feeling of butterflies in your stomach. But in social anxiety disorder, also called social phobia, everyday interactions cause significant anxiety, self-consciousness and embarrassment because you fear being scrutinized or judged negatively by others.

In social anxiety disorder, fear and anxiety lead to avoidance that can disrupt your life. Severe stress can affect your relationships, daily routines, work, school or other activities.

Social anxiety disorder can be a chronic mental health condition, but learning coping skills in psychotherapy and taking medications can help you gain confidence and improve your ability to interact with others.
Social anxiety disorder care at Mayo Clinic
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Symptoms

Feelings of shyness or discomfort in certain situations aren't necessarily signs of social anxiety disorder, particularly in children. Comfort levels in social situations vary, depending on personality traits and life experiences. Some people are naturally reserved and others are more outgoing.

In contrast to everyday nervousness, social anxiety disorder includes fear, anxiety and avoidance that interfere with relationships, daily routines, work, school or other activities. Social anxiety disorder typically begins in the early to mid-teens, though it can sometimes start in younger children or in adults.

Emotional and behavioral symptoms

Signs and symptoms of social anxiety disorder can include constant:

Fear of situations in which you may be judged negatively

Worry about embarrassing or humiliating yourself

Intense fear of interacting or talking with strangers

Fear that others will notice that you look anxious

Fear of physical symptoms that may cause you embarrassment, such as blushing, sweating, trembling or having a shaky voice

Avoidance of doing things or speaking to people out of fear of embarrassment

Avoidance of situations where you might be the center of attention

Anxiety in anticipation of a feared activity or event

Intense fear or anxiety during social situations

Analysis of your performance and identification of flaws in your interactions after a social situation

Expectation of the worst possible consequences from a negative experience during a social situation

For children, anxiety about interacting with adults or peers may be shown by crying, having temper tantrums, clinging to parents or refusing to speak in social situations.

Performance type of social anxiety disorder is when you experience intense fear and anxiety during speaking or performing in public but not in other types of more general social situations.

Physical symptoms

Physical signs and symptoms can sometimes accompany social anxiety disorder and may include:

Blushing

Fast heartbeat

Trembling

Sweating

Upset stomach or nausea

Trouble catching your breath

Dizziness or lightheadedness

Feeling that your mind has gone blank

Muscle tension

Avoiding common social situations

Common, everyday experiences may be hard to endure when you have social anxiety disorder, including:

Interacting with unfamiliar people or strangers

Attending parties or social gatherings

Going to work or school

Starting conversations

Making eye contact

Dating

Entering a room in which people are already seated

Returning items to a store

Eating in front of others

Using a public restroom

Social anxiety disorder symptoms can change over time. They may flare up if you're facing a lot of changes, stress or demands in your life. Although avoiding situations that produce anxiety may make you feel better in the short term, your anxiety is likely to continue over the long term if you don't get treatment.

When to see a doctor

See your doctor or a mental health professional if you fear and avoid normal social situations because they cause embarrassment, worry or panic.

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Causes

Like many other mental health conditions, social anxiety disorder likely arises from a complex interaction of biological and environmental factors. Possible causes include:

Inherited traits. Anxiety disorders tend to run in families. However, it isn't entirely clear how much of this may be due to genetics and how much is due to learned behavior.

Brain structure. A structure in the brain called the amygdala (uh-MIG-duh-luh) may play a role in controlling the fear response. People who have an overactive amygdala may have a heightened fear response, causing increased anxiety in social situations.

Environment. Social anxiety disorder may be a learned behavior - some people may develop significant anxiety after an unpleasant or embarrassing social situation. Also, there may be an association between social anxiety disorder and parents who either model anxious behavior in social situations or are more controlling or overprotective of their children.

Risk factors

Several factors can increase the risk of developing social anxiety disorder, including:

Family history. You're more likely to develop social anxiety disorder if your biological parents or siblings have the condition.

Negative experiences. Children who experience teasing, bullying, rejection, ridicule or humiliation may be more prone to social anxiety disorder. In addition, other negative events in life, such as family conflict, trauma or abuse, may be associated with this disorder.

Temperament. Children who are shy, timid, withdrawn or restrained when facing new situations or people may be at greater risk.

New social or work demands. Social anxiety disorder symptoms typically start in the teenage years, but meeting new people, giving a speech in public or making an important work presentation may trigger symptoms for the first time.

Having an appearance or condition that draws attention. For example, facial disfigurement, stuttering or tremors due to Parkinson's disease can increase feelings of self-consciousness and may trigger social anxiety disorder in some people.

Complications

Left untreated, social anxiety disorder can control your life. Anxieties can interfere with work, school, relationships or enjoyment of life. This disorder can cause:

Low self-esteem

Trouble being assertive

Negative self-talk

Hypersensitivity to criticism

Poor social skills

Isolation and difficult social relationships

Low academic and employment achievement

Substance abuse, such as drinking too much alcohol

Suicide or suicide attempts

Other anxiety disorders and certain other mental health disorders, particularly major depressive disorder and substance abuse problems, often occur with social anxiety disorder.

Prevention

There's no way to predict what will cause someone to develop an anxiety disorder, but you can take steps to reduce the impact of symptoms if you're anxious:

Get help early. Anxiety, like many other mental health conditions, can be harder to treat if you wait.

Keep a journal. Keeping track of your personal life can help you and your mental health professional identify what's causing you stress and what seems to help you feel better.

Set priorities in your life. You can reduce anxiety by carefully managing your time and energy. Make sure that you spend time doing things you enjoy.

Avoid unhealthy substance use. Alcohol and drug use and even caffeine or nicotine use can cause or worsen anxiety. If you're addicted to any of these substances, quitting can make you anxious. If you can't quit on your own, see your health care provider or find a treatment program or support group to help you.

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Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) - Symptoms and causes

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Learn more on this disorder where everyday interactions cause significant worry and self-consciousness because you fear being judged negatively by others.

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Happiness is a state of emotional well-being that a person experiences either in a narrow sense, when good things happen in a specific moment, or more broadly, as a positive evaluation of ones life and accomplishments overall

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https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/general/feelings-vs-emotions-is-there-a-difference-between-them/

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Feelings & Emotions: Difference Between Feelings And Emotions? | BetterHelp

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People often use "feelings" and "emotions" interchangeably, and although they are both human traits, there are differences that you probably didn't know about. In this article, you'll learn how to identify the difference between feelings and emotions, as well as have a better understanding of how the human mind works.

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https://www.apa.org/topics/depression/seasonal-affective-disorder

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When daylight hours start to decrease and it gets colder outside many people may find themselves experiencing symptoms resembling depression. For some the symptoms are relatively brief. Tempers may seem shorter for parents stuck inside with cranky or sick children and an increased sense of lethargy is not uncommon on a dreary winter day. For others, however, these symptoms can be quite disabling.

Seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD, is more than just the winter blues. It is a type of depression that lasts for a season, typically the winter months, and goes away during the rest of the year. Symptoms of SAD are the same as those of depression. They can vary in severity and often interfere with personal relationships. Symptoms include fatigue, pervasively sad mood, loss of interest, sleep difficulty, or excessive sleeping, craving and eating more starches and sweets, weight gain, feelings of hopelessness or despair, and thoughts of suicide.

If your winter blues are severe and have gone on for at least two winters, you might have a case of SAD.

Tips to manage seasonal affective disorder

Experience as much daylight as possible. The lack of sun exposure is part of what causes SAD and soaking up as much as you can, can lessen your symptoms. Sit by a window or get out for a walk during daylight hours. You could even take up a winter sport to get you outside and keep you moving.

Eat healthily. Comfort foods don't have to be loaded with extra calories and lots of sugar and fat. Get creative and look for hearty, low-calorie recipes that are easy to prepare. Instead of eating cake and cookies, try making a dessert from seasonal fruits like apples and pears.

Spend time with your friends and family. Spending time with your friends and family is a great way to lift your spirits and avoid social isolation. Snuggle with your kids or pets; visit with your friends while drinking a hot cup of tea or play board games with your family. Friends and family can be good to talk to about how the season is affecting you. Take the time to educate them about SAD so they can better understand your situation.

Stay active. Don't stay cooped up in your house all winter. Get out and enjoy your community this season. Volunteer, join a local club, go for a walk, or go ice skating with your loved ones to start. Also, if you know you experience SAD year after year, be proactive about planning out a schedule in advance of winter to keep active and engaged with others. Research shows exercise and scheduling pleasant activities can be effective ways to lessen the impact of SAD.

Seek professional help. If you continue to struggle with feelings of depression, you may want to seek help from a mental health professional, such as a psychologist. A psychologist can help determine if someone has seasonal affective disorder and how best to treat it. Research shows that psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, is an effective treatment for SAD, and may have more long-term benefits than light therapy-daily use of an artificial bright lamp-or antidepressant medication.

How a psychologist can help

A psychologist can help you identify problem areas and then develop an action plan for changing them. Psychologists are uniquely trained to understand the connection between the mind and body. They can offer strategies as to how to adjust your goals so that they are attainable, as well as help you change unhealthy behaviors and address emotional issues.

Practicing psychologists use a variety of evidence-based treatments-most commonly psychotherapy-to help people improve their lives. Psychologists, who have doctoral degrees, receive one of the highest levels of education of any health care professional. On average, they spend seven years in education and training following their undergraduate degrees; moreover, psychologists are required to take continuing education to maintain their professional standing.

You can find psychologists near you by visiting APA's Psychologist Locator.

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When daylight hours start to decrease and it gets colder outside many people may find themselves experiencing symptoms resembling depression. For some the symptoms are relatively brief. Tempers may seem shorter for parents stuck inside with cranky or sick children and an increased sense of lethargy is not uncommon on a dreary winter day.

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In this clip, it shows the happy core memories that the character, Riley, has experienced.

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Physical and Psychological Pain: The Case of Hurt Feelings

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Pain has two components: physical and psychological. Each one comes from a particular region in the brain, but interact in unexpected ways.

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In this article, it talks about what makes some people happy and how you can maintain being happy. Having a hobby, maintaining close relationships, and giving back to those in need are some examples given on how to maintain happiness for yourself.

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Anger (apa.org)
Kazdin, Alan E. Encyclopedia of Psychology. 8 Volume Set. American Psychological Association, 2000.

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Anger is an emotion characterized by antagonism toward someone or something you feel has deliberately done you wrong.

Anger can be a good thing. It can give you a way to express negative feelings, for example, or motivate you to find solutions to problems.

But excessive anger can cause problems. Increased blood pressure and other physical changes associated with anger make it difficult to think straight and harm your physical and mental health.

Adapted from the Encyclopedia of Psychology

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Anger is an emotion characterized by antagonism toward someone or something. It can give you a way to express negative feelings or motivate you to find solutions, but excessive anger can harm your physical and mental health.

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Table of Contents

This article was most recently revised and updated by

happiness, in psychology, a state of emotional well-being that a person experiences either in a narrow sense, when good things happen in a specific moment, or more broadly, as a positive evaluation of one's life and accomplishments overall-that is, subjective well-being. Happiness can be distinguished both from negative emotions (such as sadness, fear, and anger) and also from other positive emotions (such as affection, excitement, and interest). This emotion often co-occurs with a specific facial expression: the smile.

The different meanings

People from around the world tend to have a similar concept of happiness and can recognize happiness in others. As a result, the specific emotion of happiness is often included as one of a small number of basic emotions that cannot be broken down into more fundamental emotions and that may combine to form other, more complex emotions (in fact, it is sometimes the only positive emotion that is considered to be basic). Thus, happiness is an important concept for researchers who study emotions.

An entire field of research has developed around the more inclusive concept of subjective well-being, which is characterized by a broad collection of happiness-related phenomena rather than a specific momentary emotion. As one might expect, people who are happy in this way tend to experience frequent positive emotions and infrequent negative emotions. This broader form of happiness is not purely emotional, however: it also has a cognitive component. When happy people are asked to think back on the conditions and events in their lives, they tend to evaluate these conditions and events positively. Thus, happy people report being satisfied with their lives and the various domains in their lives.

Interestingly, these different components of happiness do not always co-occur within the same person. It is possible that someone could experience a great deal of negative emotions yet still acknowledge that the conditions of his or her life are good ones. For example, someone who works with the poor, the sick, or the destitute may experience frequent negative emotions but may also feel satisfied with life because the work is worthwhile. Similarly, people who spend lots of time engaging in hedonistic pleasures may experience frequent momentary positive emotions, but they may also feel that life is empty and meaningless. Subjective well-being researchers are interested in the various factors that influence these distinct components.

Study and assessment

Psychologists are interested in happiness for two reasons. First, psychologists study happiness because laypeople are interested in happiness. When people from around the world are asked to list the things that are most important to them, happiness consistently tops the list. People rank attaining happiness as being more important than acquiring money, maintaining good health, and even going to heaven. Psychologists believe that they can help people achieve this goal of being happy by studying the factors that are associated with happiness.

A second reason why psychologists study happiness is because a person's evaluative responses to the world may provide information about the basic characteristics of human nature. One of the most basic principles guiding psychological theory is that people and animals are motivated to approach things in the world that cause pleasure and to avoid things in the world that cause pain. Presumably, this behavior results from adaptive mechanisms that guide organisms toward resources and away from dangers. If so, the evaluative reactions of many people about the world should be useful and revealing. For instance, some psychologists have suggested that human beings have a basic need to experience strong and supportive social relationships. They point to evidence from the field of subjective well-being to support their claim-a person's social relationships are reliably linked to his or her happiness. Thus, cataloging the correlates of happiness should provide important information about the features of human nature.

The results of scientific studies reveal several trends. For instance, when researchers ask people to report on their happiness, their answers tend to be consistent over time: people who say they are happy now also tend to say that they are happy when asked again in the future. Because the conditions in people's lives don't usually change that frequently, the stability of happiness measures provides support for the idea that these measures truly do tap this important construct. In addition, research shows that when life events do occur, people's reports of happiness change in response.

Perhaps more importantly, when psychologists try to assess happiness in a variety of different ways, these measures all seem to converge on the same answer. For instance, when researchers ask people to provide self-reports of happiness, they tend to agree with informant-reports of happiness-that is, ratings provided by friends and acquaintances. Furthermore, psychological tests-such as those that ask subjects to list as many positive memories as they can within a minute-may also determine who is happy without even asking for an explicit judgment of happiness, and, again, these measures tend to agree with self-reports. Psychologists can even find evidence of happiness in the brain: certain patterns of brain activity are reliably associated with happiness.

When psychologists track people's levels of happiness, most people report being in mildly positive moods most of the time. In addition, when psychologists ask people to rate their overall life satisfaction, most people report scores that are above neutral. This research finding is not limited to relatively well-off samples (like the college students who are often asked to participate in psychological studies). Instead, it has been replicated in many different populations in many nations around the world. Thus, when psychologists study the correlates of happiness, they are usually looking for factors that distinguish the very happy from the mildly happy rather than the happy from the miserable.

Predictors of happiness

Psychologists have arrived at several surprising conclusions in their search for predictors of happiness. Many of the factors that may first come to mind do not seem to play a major role in happiness. For example, although people strive to acquire high-paying jobs and dream about winning the lottery, income is not strongly correlated with happiness. Wealthy people are happier than poorer people, but the difference is not very large. As one might expect, the association between money and happiness is strongest among very poor groups and among poor countries. Income leads to smaller and smaller gains in happiness as income levels rise.

Health also plays a role in subjective well-being, but the associations are, again, surprisingly small. Surveys of representative populations show that objective measures (including doctors' reports, hospital visits, and lists of symptoms) are very weakly correlated with happiness. Subjective reports (such as a person's own evaluation of his or her health) tend to correlate more strongly, but even these associations are, at most, moderate in size. In addition, although people with major health problems, such as paralyzing spinal-cord injuries, are quite a bit less happy than uninjured people, the difference is not as large as some might expect. Even people with very serious illnesses tend to report happiness scores that are above neutral.

The factor that has been most closely linked to high levels of happiness is social relationships. Research consistently shows that people who have strong social relationships tend to report higher levels of well-being. As with other domains, subjective reports of relationship quality and relationship satisfaction tend to exhibit the highest correlations with subjective well-being. But even more objective measures, including the number of close friends a person has, the number of social organizations to which the person belongs, and the amount of time the person spends with others, all show small to moderate correlations with happiness. As one might expect based on this research, specific types of social relationships are also important for subjective well-being. For instance, marital status is one of the strongest demographic predictors of happiness. Married people consistently report higher levels of happiness than single people, who report greater happiness than the widowed, divorced, or separated. Interestingly, however, it does not appear that marriage itself causes higher levels of subjective well-being. Longitudinal studies show that people only receive a small boost in happiness around the time they get married, and they quickly adapt to baseline levels. The differences between married and unmarried people are due primarily to the lasting negative effects of divorce and widowhood, along with selection effects that might actually predispose happy people to marry.

Other determinants

Other demographic characteristics also show weak associations with happiness. Religious people tend to report greater happiness than nonreligious people, though the size of these effects varies depending on whether religious beliefs or religious behaviors are measured. Factors such as intelligence, education, and job prestige are also only slightly related to well-being. Happiness does not seem to change dramatically over the course of the life span, except perhaps at the very end of the life when declines are somewhat steep. In addition, sex differences in subjective well-being are not large.

In contrast to the relatively weak effects of external circumstance, research shows that internal factors play a strong role in subjective well-being. Individual differences in happiness-related variables emerge early in life, are stable over time, and are at least partially heritable. For instance, behavioral genetic studies show that identical twins who were reared apart are quite a bit more similar in their levels of happiness than are fraternal twins who were reared apart. This suggests that genes play an important role. Most estimates put the heritability of subjective well-being components at around 40-50 percent for positive emotional states and between 30-40 percent with respect to the negative emotional states of depression and anxiety.

Personality researchers have shown that at least some of these genetic effects may be due to the influence of specific personality traits on happiness. For example, the stable personality trait of extraversion is moderately correlated with positive affect (that is, the feeling of a positive emotion) and, to a lesser extent, with life satisfaction and negative affect (that is, the feeling of a negative emotion). People who are outgoing, assertive, and sociable tend to report more intense and more frequent positive emotions. This association is so robust that some psychologists have even suggested that the two constructs-extraversion and positive affect-are controlled by the same underlying physiological systems. Similarly, researchers have shown that the basic personality trait of neuroticism is moderately to strongly correlated with negative affect (and again, to a lesser extent, with life satisfaction and positive affect). This and other research on the links between happiness and traits (including factors such as optimism and self-esteem) show that personality plays a strong role in people's subjective well-being.

There is a popular notion that the way that people view the world should influence their happiness. Some people always look for the silver lining in things, and presumably this positive outlook shapes the emotions that they feel. Psychologists, too, believe that the way that one thinks about the world is related to characteristic levels of happiness. A great deal of research has been conducted to examine the cognitive processes that affect a person's subjective well-being.

For instance, many researchers examine the role that social comparison processes play in happiness. Initially, psychologists thought that people evaluated the conditions in their own lives by comparing them with the conditions in other people's lives. Those individuals who are worse off than the people around them (in other words, people who experience upward comparisons) should experience unhappiness; those individuals who are better off than the people around them (in other words, people who experience downward comparisons) would experience happiness. Although this effect can occur, other research suggests that the processes are a bit more complicated. For one thing, both upward and downward comparisons can lead to either increases or decreases in happiness. People may look to someone who is better off and think either that they are performing terribly in comparison or that the other person serves as an example of an achievement toward which they can strive. Obviously, these two interpretations should lead to different effects on happiness. In addition, research shows that happy and unhappy people often choose different people for comparison. Happy people may choose comparison people who serve to maintain their happiness; unhappy people may choose comparisons that lead to less happiness. Thus, social comparison affects happiness in complicated ways.

Psychologists have also shown that goals and aspirations influence happiness. Not surprisingly, people who are rapidly approaching a goal tend to experience higher levels of happiness than people who are approaching a goal more slowly. But research also shows that simply having important goals is associated with greater happiness. Presumably, the sense of purpose that these goals create may protect people from the negative effects of temporary setbacks. Interestingly, the specific goals that people choose may also affect their happiness. Research suggests that choosing goals that are a challenge but not unachievable is important.

Functions

Although people tend to think about happiness as an outcome that they desire rather than as a tool that can be used to achieve additional goals, psychologists have begun to ask what function happiness serves. One of the best known theories, developed by American psychologist Barbara Fredrickson in 1998, posits that the function of happiness (or more precisely, the function of positive emotions) is to broaden one's thinking and to build one's resources. According to this theory, positive emotions lead people to think creatively and to try new things. As a result, happy people can develop new ways to approach the world, new interests, new social relationships, and even new physical skills. All of these effects lead to positive outcomes in people's lives.

Psychologists have begun using experimental and longitudinal studies to determine whether positive affect plays a role in future positive outcomes. These studies provide evidence that happy people are more sociable and cooperative than unhappy people, are healthier than unhappy people, and earn more money than unhappy people. A number of studies have even shown that happy people live longer than unhappy people (and this is not just due to the fact that happy people tend to be healthy). Thus, although most people want to be happy because it feels good, this desired goal may lead to other positive outcomes in their lives.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Adam Augustyn.

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Happiness | Definition, Nature, Psychology, & Facts

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happiness, in psychology, a state of emotional well-being that a person experiences either in a narrow sense, when good things happen in a specific moment, or more broadly, as a positive evaluation of one's life and accomplishments overall-that is, subjective well-being.

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Stress. It's a four-letter word that many of us dread. Whether it's a tense interaction with a boss or pressure from friends and family, we all face stressful situations from time to time.

For some of us, these events happen sporadically. For others, daily stress is a regular part of life.

There's a good chance we can all identify negative stress, but did you know that stress can also be positive?

Good stress, called eustress, can actually be beneficial to you. Unlike bad stress, or distress, good stress can help with motivation, focus, energy, and performance. For some people, it can also feel exciting.

On the other hand, bad stress typically causes anxiety, concern, and a decrease in performance. It also feels uncomfortable, and it can lead to more serious issues if not addressed.

It's no secret that the long-term effects of distress can damage our health.

Stress has the ability to negatively impact our lives. It can cause physical conditions, such as headaches, digestive issues, and sleep disturbances. It can also cause psychological and emotional strains, including confusion, anxiety, and depression.

According to the American Psychological Association, untreated chronic stress, or stress that's constant and lasts over an extended period of time, can result in high blood pressure or a weakened immune system.

It can also contribute to the development of and heart disease.

There's a distinction between a stressor and actual stress. A stressor can be a person, place, or situation that's causing you stress. Stress is the actual response to one or a combination of those stressors.

There are any number of situations that can cause stress. Dr. Gary Brown, a licensed psychotherapist, says some of the more common stressors include:

relationship conflicts at home

new or increasing work responsibilities

increasing demands

financial strain

loss of a loved one

health problems

moving to a new location

exposure to one or more traumatic incidents, such as a car accident or a violent crime

Knowing how to spot the signs of stress is the first step in developing ways to manage its adverse effects.

Some of the more common physical, psychological, and emotional signs of chronic stress include:

rapid heart rate

elevated blood pressure

feeling overwhelmed

fatigue

difficulty sleeping

poor problem-solving

fear that the stressor won't go away

persistent thoughts about one or more stressors

changes in behavior, including social withdrawal, feelings of sadness, frustration, loss of emotional control, inability to rest, and self-medication

When it comes to managing stress, making simple changes can go a long way in improving your overall health and reducing stress. Having tools and strategies you can turn to in stressful situations can prevent your stress levels from escalating.

Find a balance

It's important to structure some of your time so that you can be comfortably busy without being overwhelmed, Brown says. "Working hard does not usually equate with working efficiently," he said. In fact, working too much can reduce productivity.

Be kind to yourself

Understanding that you aren't weak because you're feeling stress is important, Brown says. Stress is a very normal reaction to the stressors in your life.

Lean on the people you trust

Before your stress levels escalate, reach out to someone you trust, such as a friend, family member, or coworker. Sharing your feelings or venting your concerns may help to reduce your stress.

Keep a journal

Set aside time to reflect on your day. Write down any thoughts or feelings you're having. This can be a useful tool to help you better understand your stressors and how you react to stress, Brown says.

Eat well-balanced, regular meals

When it comes to managing stress, proper nutrition is your friend. Skipping meals can lower your blood sugar, which can depress your mood. In some cases, this can also trigger intense feelings of anger and frustration, Brown says.

Exercise regularly

Engaging in regular physical activity can improve your overall health and reduce your stress levels. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins. These feel-good hormones can also ease symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Get plenty of rest

Your ability to manage stress decreases when you're tired. Try to get a recommended seven to nine hours each night. If you have insomnia, aim to get as much sleep as you can, then build in periods of rest during the day.

Practice relaxation exercises

These exercises, which can include deep, slow breathing and progressive muscle relaxation, involve tensing and then relaxing various groups of muscles.

Try to carve out three minutes, three times a day to practice these exercises, says Dr. Russell Morfitt, a psychologist.

Schedule your worry

While it may feel awkward at first, consider scheduling the worry to specific parts of the day, Morfitt says. "When we lean into our fears by deliberately seeking out our stressors and not avoiding them or escaping them, they often lose their power," he said.

A therapist or mental health professional can also help you find ways to manage your stress.

Consider working with a mental health professional if your stress is chronic or accompanied by daily headaches, tight jaw, fibromyalgia, or constant fatigue, says Dr. David J. Puder of Loma Linda University Behavioral Medicine Center.

You should also see a mental health professional if you have feelings of depression, suicidal thoughts, and panic attacks.

When looking for a mental health professional, ask friends or family members for referrals. After your first session, Puder says to reflect on the following questions:

Will you trust the therapist?

Do you feel heard and understood?

Do you feel comfortable to speak up if you disagree with them?

Can you see that they care about you as an individual?

Answering these questions can help you determine if this person is right for you.

Effective therapy sessions can happen in person, over the phone, and even online. To help find a therapist that's right for you, check out these five affordable therapy options.

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Psychological Stress: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Diagnosis

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Stress. It's a four-letter word that many of us dread. Whether it's a tense interaction with a boss or pressure from friends and family, we all face stressful situations from time to time. For some of us, these events happen sporadically. For others, daily stress is a regular part of life.