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Situational Anxiety

Situational anxiety is caused by new situations or changing events. It can also be caused by various events that make that particular individual uncomfortable. Its occurrence is very common. Often, an individual will experience panic attacks or extreme anxiety in specific situations. A situation that causes one individual to experience anxiety may not affect another individual, at all. For example, some people become uneasy in crowds or tight spaces, so standing in a tightly packed line, say at the bank or a store register, may cause them to experience extreme anxiety, possibly a panic attack. Others, however, may experience anxiety when major changes in life occur, such as entering college, getting married, having children, etc.

Treatment of situational anxiety can be similar to that of other anxiety disorders. Often, a combination of medications and psychotherapy or counseling is recommended. Medications usually include benzodiaepines or selective seratonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRI’s. The most popular benzodiazepines include Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, and Ativan. The most commonly prescribed SSRI’s are Lexapro, Celexa, Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, and Symbyax. However, depending on the degree of anxiety, counseling or psychotherapy alone can be sufficient. The overall purpose of counseling or psychotherapy is to determine when the anxiety began, what situation(s) caused it, why the situation(s) caused it, and how to prevent it from happening again. Other treatments for situational anxiety include relaxation techniques and hobbies. Exercising and participation in sports has been proven to relieve stress, which is typically the rooted cause of the anxiety. Yoga is a popular option because not only is it a form of exercise, but it also assists with relaxation and meditation. Hypnosis is a more alternative form of treatment.

Their appearance typically looks strained, with increased sweating from the hands, feet and axillae.[citation needed] The individual may be tearful which can suggest depression.

Caffeine Elimination

Caffeine can be beneficial in that it has the ability to clear the mind, increase focus, and essentially help individuals stay awake for extended periods of time. Unfortunately, it also has the ability to hinder one’s cognitive functioning. When it produces these negative affects, the individual is said to have caffeinism. Caffeinism results from excessive consumption of substances like coffee, tea, headache medications, etc. It has been known to cause severe anxiety, along with more minor effects, such as muscle twitchings, hand tremors, and headaches. The best way to prevent caffeinism is to either wean off of caffeine completely or reduce consumption. For some people, anxiety can be very much reduced by coming off caffeine.[76] Anxiety can temporarily increase during caffeine withdrawal.[77][78][79]

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common chronic disorder characterized by long-lasting anxiety that is not focused on any one object or situation. Those suffering from generalized anxiety experience non-specific persistent fear and worry and become overly concerned with everyday matters. Generalized anxiety disorder is the most common anxiety disorder to affect older adults.[4] Anxiety can be a symptom of a medical or substance abuse problem, and medical professionals must be aware of this. A diagnosis of GAD is made when a person has been excessively worried about an everyday problem for six months or more.[5] A person may find they have problems making daily decisions and remembering commitments as a result of lack of concentration/preoccupation with worry.[6] Their appearance looks strained, with increased sweating from the hands, feet and axillae.[citation needed] The individual may be tearful which can suggest depression.[7] Someone suffering from GAD may have difficulty regulating their emotions. They may express inappropriate emotions at random times or act in a way that does not fit the situation they are in. Before a diagnosis of anxiety disorder is made, physicians must rule out drug-induced anxiety and medical causes.

Childhood Anxiety Disorders

Unfortunately, many of the same anxiety disorders that affect adults affect children, as well. A very common anxiety disorder in children is school phobia, which in some cases, can be a type of separation anxiety. Sometimes, the child has no reason to fear going to school; it is simply a fear they cannot help. In other instances, the child may have a legitimate reason to fear going to school. They may experience bullying from other classmates, or even their teacher. They could also be stressed from the workload they are given. School phobia may also be a form of social phobia, also known as social anxiety, which is one of the three main types of phobias. Children with this disorder may avoid speaking in front of their classmates or meeting a new person. Typically, social phobia in children is caused by some traumatic event, such as not knowing an answer when called on in class.

Like adults, children may also suffer from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The symptoms for both disorders are the same in children as they are in adults. If a child has GAD, they may worry about anything, even if it is seemingly minor. They long for attention, approval, and encouragement from others. The only difference is they are more likely to worry about things that relate to them, as a kid. Those things may include, but are not limited to, grades, bullies, getting hurt, storms, etc. Should a child have OCD, their symptoms still include repetitive and/or compulsive behaviors.

There is a genetic factor to consider when determining the cause of childhood anxiety disorders. It is more common for children whose parents have anxiety disorders to attain an anxiety disorder than it is for children whose parents do not have anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders are also more common among little girls than among little boys. Overall, the majority of females are innately more emotional than males, therefore they tend to over-think various situations, which in turn may cause them to worry.

Several methods of treatment have been found to be effective in treating childhood anxiety disorders, in particular. Like adults, children may undergo psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, or counseling. They may still be given medication, such as SSRI’s, but they are in much smaller doses. Even still, administering such potent medications, like antidepressants, to children is extremely controversial. As a result, other forms of treatment have become increasingly popular, so as to avoid prescribing children with those medications. Family therapy is a form of treatment in which, not only the child meets with a therapist, but the primary guardians and siblings, if there are any, meet with the therapist, as well. Each family member may attend individual therapy, but family therapy is typically a form of group therapy. Art and play therapy are also used. Art therapy is most commonly used when the child will not or cannot verbally communicate, due to trauma or a disability in which they are nonverbal. Participating in art activities allows the child to express what they otherwise may not be able to communicate to others. Play therapy is just as it sounds. The child is allowed to play however they please as a therapist observes them. The therapist may intercede from time to time with a question, comment, or suggestion. This is often most effective when the family of the child plays a big role in their treatment. A good bit of consultation goes into treatment of children, simply because their guardians are the ones who ultimately control the child’s well-being. So, combinations of these therapies can be used.

The use of Dance Therapy in treating anxiety, depression, and severe stress

As mentioned above, dance therapy can be used to treat numerous illnesses, disorders, and ailments. It is most commonly used to treat anxiety disorders, clinical depression, and severe stress. Though these disorders can be comorbid, and are often referred to as being associated with each other, they are each an individual issue. Anxiety disorders can be defined as a group of mental disorders, in which a severe, and sometimes permanent state of worry, is the dominant symptom . Clinical depression focuses more on thoughts and feelings of sadness, chronic gloom, inadequacy, and lack of activity . Severe stress is simply worry that may arise from a difficult situation . Though they each have their own identity, dance therapy seems to have the same effects on all three. With each issue, there is a form of stress associated with it, so dance therapy is used to calm that stress. Dance therapy also gives results that medications do not. While medications may have side affects, such as tremor or nervousness, dance therapy strengthens the body . Anxiety, depression, and severe stress have the potential to affect all aspects of a person's well-being: physical, social, mental/emotional. Dance therapy has been shown to improve each of those areas. In previous studies, it was confirmed that dance therapy aids in the improvement of physical health, Psychological domain, social relations, global value, and general life .

Education

Because becoming a dance therapist requires a graduate degree of at least a Master's level, the undergraduate track that a student chooses to take is very important, as well. There is no specific undergraduate degree that a student is required to obtain. However, it is highly recommended that they choose a degree in a behavioral science, like Psychology, or in something related to dance, such as Performing Arts .

There are only 6 ADTA approved master's programs from which to earn Registered Dance/Movement Therapist (R-DMT) credentials: Antioch University New England in New Hampshire, Columbia College Chicago in Illinois, Drexel University in Pennsylvania, Lesley University in Massachusetts, Naropa University in Colorado, and Pratt Institute in New York [1]. Each of these programs require two to three years of study. Students are expected to complete sixty to sixty-two credit hours, along with an internship/practicum of two to four semesters .

Those with a master's or doctoral degree in a human services-related field may have the option to become an R-DMT via Alternate Route [2].

In addition to the R-DMT, which stands for Registered Dance Movement Therapist, there is the BC-DMT, which stands for Board Certified Dance Movement Therapist. The R-DMT requires a master’s degree with 700 hours of supervised clinical work, while the BC-DMT is the “advanced” qualification requiring a master’s degree of 3,640 hours of supervised clinical work and passing a grueling exam.[39]

There are five universities in the United Kingdom that offer graduate programs in Dance Movement Therapy and have been approved by the ADMP-UK: Dance Voice Therapy and Education Centre, Bristol, Derby University, Goldsmiths University of London, University of Roehampton, and Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland. Goldsmiths University even offers a doctoral degree in dance therapy. Each of these programs require two to three years of study, depending on whether the student chooses to take a full-time or part-time track. The curriculum is quite rigorous. The students are expected to complete a total of 240 credit hours, or more, in the short time they are enrolled. Along with regular coursework, students are obligated to undergo psychotherapy while in the program. Most programs also require that each student create their own method of dance therapy prior to graduation .