Can Anxiety Cause Anxiety: An Examination of Reciprocal Relationships in Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are a class of mental health conditions characterized by feelings of fear, worry, and unease that persist beyond the immediate danger and interfere with daily functioning (APA, 2013). Common anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
One intriguing aspect of anxiety disorders is the potential for a cycle or feedback loop between anxiety and its symptoms. This phenomenon, often referred to as "anxiety causing anxiety," can be better understood through two interrelated concepts: state-dependent learning and hypervigilance.
State-dependent learning is a psychological principle that suggests learning or remembering is influenced by the emotional or physiological state of an individual at the time of encoding (Bouton, 2004). In the context of anxiety disorders, an initial experience of anxiety may lead to subsequent heightened anxious responses due to learned associations between specific situations and feelings of fear.
Hypervigilance is a state of excessive and continuous awareness of potential threats in the environment (Foa et al., 1986). Individuals with anxiety disorders often exhibit hypervigilance, constantly scanning their surroundings for signs of danger. This heightened state of alertness can exacerbate feelings of anxiety and perpetuate the cycle of anxiety causing anxiety.
While it may seem counterintuitive, the evidence suggests that anxiety can indeed cause further anxiety through processes such as state-dependent learning and hypervigilance. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing effective treatments for anxiety disorders, which often involve addressing both the initial anxious response and the perpetuating cycle of symptoms (Barlow et al., 2004).
References:
1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
2. Bouton, M. E. (2004). State-dependent learning. In R. A. Dudai & W. Schmidt (Eds.), Encyclopedia of behavioral neuroscience (pp. 5786-5793). Oxford University Press.
3. Foa, E. B., Huppert, J., & Perry, D. G. (1986). A cognitive model for panic: Theory and experimental findings. Behavior Therapy, 17(2), 149-158.
4. Barlow, D. H., Minichino, M. F., & Durham, V. E. (2004). Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders: Rationale and description. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 42(7), 679-693.