Symptoms
Signs of an anxiety disorder are divided into physiological and psychological.
Physiological ones include:
- labored breathing;
- increased heart rate;
- feeling of tightness in the chest;
- heartache;
- headache;
- dizziness;
- shiver;
- general weakness;
- increased sweating;
- nausea;
- stomach pain;
- numbness of the limbs;
- violation of thermoregulation.
To the psychological:
- disorientation;
- feeling of fear.
Treatment
In medicine, the following methods are used to treat anxiety conditions:
- Psychotherapy. Consultations are often required not only with the patient, but also with those around him. In particular, collective activities are effective in relieving tension.
- Medications. Antidepressants and tranquilizers are used. Specific drugs are selected by a specialist.
- The main role in the effective treatment of anxiety disorders is played by the correct selection of the type of therapy and medications. SM-Clinic specialists remind you that self-medication can seriously worsen your psychological state.
Results of diagnosing the level of school anxiety in 5th grade students
Analytical report of a diagnostic study of the level of school anxiety of 5th grade students
In October 2021, a diagnostic study of 5th grade students was conducted to study the level of school anxiety in the process of adaptation of students in 5th grade.
There are 15 students in the 5th grade.
Classroom teacher
The methodology was used:
— Methodology for identifying the level of anxiety of students in grades 4-5
15 people took part in the diagnostics.
Express method for identifying anxiety among students in grades 3-5.
Target:
determine the level of anxiety of students of primary and secondary school age.
Children are asked to rate how they have been feeling recently.
Results obtained during the diagnostics:
— a high level of anxiety was detected in 1 person (7%),
— an increased level of anxiety is observed in 3 students (20%)
— Average level of school anxiety – 3 students (20%)
— Low level of anxiety – 8 students (53%)
Results of a diagnostic study of the level of school anxiety during the adaptation period of students in grade 5
Table No. 1
| Anxiety level | ||||
| № | High | Elevated | Average | Short |
General level of anxiety of 5th grade students
Conclusion:
Based on the results of a diagnostic study of the level of school anxiety of fifth-grade students during the adaptation period, it can be concluded that the overall level of anxiety in the class is within the average values and corresponds to the age standards of students, which indicates normal adaptation of 5th-grade students.
With an average level of personal anxiety, the student feels comfortable, maintains emotional balance, and performance mainly in situations to which he has already managed to adapt, in which he knows how to behave, and knows the extent of his responsibility. If the situation becomes more complicated or additional difficulties arise, anxiety, restlessness, a feeling of tension, and emotional discomfort may appear. Restoration of emotional balance occurs after achieving a sufficient level of adaptation.
Students with an average level of anxiety
in 5th grade, 3 people (20%).
There are 3 students in the class (20%) who have an increased level of school anxiety
, including such factors as experiencing social stress, fear of self-expression, fear of testing knowledge, fear of not meeting the expectations of others, fears regarding teachers.
A student with a high level of anxiety
– 1 person (7%). A high level of anxiety means that most situations in which a person finds himself are perceived as threatening his prestige, self-esteem, and physical health. Behavior and contacts with people are regulated primarily by emotions. High emotional sensitivity is combined with increased vulnerability and touchiness, which significantly complicates communication and creates many communication barriers.
Also in the 5th grade, students (8 people, 53%) were identified with a low level of school anxiety.
A low level of anxiety encourages laziness in the same way that high anxiety encourages constant activity to improve the results achieved. Low level of anxiety - “hidden anxiety” - defensive behavior It is often said that children with low levels of anxiety do not experience anxiety, but constantly fail due to their bad luck, failure, and the attitudes of other people. Many situations of success are assessed as unsuccessful (devaluation). There is also a devaluation of failures - such sensitivity to adversity is, as a rule, compensatory, protective in nature and interferes with the full formation of personality. The student does not seem to allow the unpleasant experience into his consciousness. Emotional well-being in this case is preserved at the cost of an inadequate attitude to reality, negatively affecting the productivity of activity. It is not possible to analyze the experience gained. He often chooses simple tasks to perform in order to avoid exciting situations in every possible way (because he is confident that he can successfully cope with the problem).
The class teacher of the 5th grade was given recommendations for working with students who have an increased level of anxiety.
Recommendations for the class teacher when working with students with varying degrees of school anxiety:
School anxiety
- This is a relatively mild form of manifestation of a child’s emotional distress. It is expressed in excitement, increased anxiety in educational situations, in the classroom, in anticipation of a bad attitude towards oneself, negative evaluation from teachers and peers. The child constantly feels his own inadequacy, inferiority, and is not sure of the correctness of his behavior and his decisions.
First of all, the causes of anxiety are determined by the natural neuropsychic organization of the student, the characteristics of upbringing, and the excessive demands of parents.
The main manifestations of school anxiety, in particular, include the following: the student often answers not to the point, cannot highlight the main thing; experiences failures for a long time during the lesson; has difficulty getting ready for classes after a break, etc.
High level of anxiety
– can be generated either by the student’s real disadvantage in the most significant areas of activity and communication, or exist as if in spite of an objectively favorable situation, being a consequence of certain personal conflicts, disturbances in the development of self-esteem, etc. Such anxiety is often experienced by schoolchildren who are good and even excellent students, who are responsible for their studies, social life, and school discipline, but this apparent well-being comes at an unreasonably high price and is fraught with breakdowns, especially when their activities become more difficult. Such schoolchildren exhibit pronounced vegetative reactions, neurosis-like and psychosomatic disorders.
Help
: increasing self-esteem (as adults) and developing the ability to cope with increased anxiety through certain exercises. Particular attention from an adult (teacher or parent) should be given to support, praise, celebrating successes, and support in case of failure. Avoid value judgments and comparisons with the results of more successful students; if compared, then his own results. Avoid criticism in front of others. Help analyze not only failures, but also successes, so that they, in turn, are not perceived by such children as accidental, as the result of some external influences (for example, a teacher’s good mood, or I was just lucky today).
Supposed actions of an adult
(teacher or parent) in relation to an anxious child:
- Provide support, show sincere concern for the child, and more often give a positive assessment of their actions and actions;
- Call the child by name more often and praise him in the presence of other children and adults;
- Entrust the execution of prestigious assignments within the given team;
- If we compare the results of work, then only his own (achieved yesterday, a week or a month ago);
- It is better to avoid solving those tasks that are limited in time;
- It is better to ask not at the beginning or end of the lesson, but in the middle;
- You should not rush or push them to answer, give them time to answer, and do not repeat the question several times (otherwise the child will not answer soon,
because he will perceive a new repetition of the question as a new stimulus);
- Establishing visual contact - “eye to eye” - instilling a sense of trust in the child’s soul;
- Conversations in the class about the problems of each child (that everyone has difficulties), so that he feels that he is not alone;
- Be patient, results are not quick.
Low anxiety level
– “hidden anxiety” - defensive behavior It is often said that these children do not experience anxiety, but constantly fail due to their bad luck, failure, and the attitudes of other people. Many situations of success are assessed as unsuccessful (devaluation). There is also a devaluation of failures - such sensitivity to adversity is, as a rule, compensatory, protective in nature and interferes with the full formation of personality. The student does not seem to allow the unpleasant experience into his consciousness. Emotional well-being in this case is preserved at the cost of an inadequate attitude to reality, negatively affecting the productivity of activity. It is not possible to analyze the experience gained. He often chooses simple tasks to perform in order to avoid exciting situations in every possible way (because he is confident that he can successfully cope with the problem).
- Behavior (defensive): in order to increase self-esteem - criticize others. Outwardly, there are no signs of anxiety, but this form is not stable; when the stimulus is significant, it can turn into open, unregulated anxiety. These children may have had unregulated anxiety in the past, which they learned to cope with by suppressing it. In order not to repeat a similar experience, we learned to avoid situations (including complex learning tasks).
Help:
When working with such students, it is necessary to pay attention to developing the ability to analyze their experiences and find their causes (self-analysis). By breaking down simple tasks, achieve more complex ones and pay attention to this so that there is no avoidance.
Recommendations for parents:
1. Build a relationship with your child so that he feels calm and confident with you:
- listen to your child, spend as much time with him as possible. Establish family traditions, joint activities: games (mobile, board, computer); reading interesting books together, going to the cinema, theater, museum, joint shopping; walking together; joint entertainment and recreation; cooking together;
- share your experience with your child: tell him about your childhood, difficulties, joys, mistakes and experiences;
- if there are several children in the family, try to give your “undivided” attention to each of them separately, and not just all together at the same time.
2. Take care of yourself, especially in those moments when you are under stress or irritated:
- tell yourself “Stop!” and count to 10;
- do not touch the child;
- it’s better to go to another room;
— postpone joint activities with the child (if possible);
- at these moments, avoid sudden movements, move deliberately slower;
- breathe deeper and slower, deliberately lower the volume and tone of your voice, do not slam the door.
3. If you are upset, then children should know about your condition. Talk to your children directly about your feelings, desires, and needs using “I messages” instead of taking your dissatisfaction out on your children:
- “Sorry, I’m very tired at work. Not everything is going well for me. It was a very difficult day. Now I’ll drink tea, rest a little, and then we’ll talk”;
“I’m very upset, I’m in a terrible mood. I want to be alone. Please play in the next room";
- “Sorry, I’m very irritated right now. You are absolutely not to blame for anything. Now I’ll put myself in order and come to you.”
4. In those moments when you are upset or angry:
- do something pleasant for yourself that could calm you down;
- take a warm bath, shower;
- drink tea;
- listen to your favorite music;
- just relax, lying on the couch;
- use deep breathing, exhale your anger in the form of a cloud;
- tense and relax your hands.
Prevention
To prevent anxiety disorders, a person should streamline their regimen: get enough sleep, be outdoors more often. The results of many studies show that physical activity helps to cope with anxiety: during exercise, adrenaline is released and the patient is less likely to experience causeless anxiety.
People prone to anxiety should limit their consumption of alcohol, as it has a negative impact on their emotional state.
Automotive training techniques and breathing practices have a positive effect.
If you often feel a sense of causeless anxiety and fear, do not put off going to the doctor. Qualified medical specialists will help you cope with psychological problems, get rid of phobias and return to normal life.
Taylor Anxiety Scale
This questionnaire was created to determine the level of anxiety in subjects. Such states arise in a person as a result of changes in the conscious assessment of others and oneself. Based on the results, we can draw a conclusion about the professional suitability of the employee.
Anxiety does not always act as a negative trait; in some life situations it allows you to cope with tasks better and more efficiently. People with high levels of anxiety are much more productive in their work when they are praised for their successes. With a low rate, on the contrary, when they learn about their mistakes.
