Nervousness in body
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Understanding Nervousness in the Body
Anxiety Disorders and Physical Symptoms
Anxiety disorders are characterized by significant and uncontrollable feelings of nervousness and fear, which can severely impair an individual's social, occupational, and personal functioning. These disorders manifest through both physical and cognitive symptoms, including restlessness, irritability, easy fatigability, difficulty concentrating, increased heart rate, chest pain, and stomach pain 1. The distinction between anxiety and fear is crucial: anxiety is an unpleasant emotional state with an unclear or uncontrollable cause, while fear is a response to a recognized external threat 1.
Nervousness as a Collective Emotion
The concept of nervousness extends beyond individual experiences to encompass collective emotions. Antonin Artaud's work illustrates how nervous suffering can be seen as a mode of relating to others and the social body. Nervousness, in this context, is not just a personal feeling but a collective organization that influences and is influenced by social interactions 2. This perspective highlights the interconnectedness of individual and collective emotional states.
Situational Dimensions of Nervousness
Nervousness can be influenced by various situational factors. Research has identified three broad dimensions of self-reported nervousness: social situations, situations involving physical discomfort or potential bodily harm, and situations of disorder or disruption 3. While the first two dimensions are well-documented, the third—situations of disorder or disruption—merits further study due to its unique impact on nervousness 3.
Historical Perspectives on Nervousness
Historically, the concept of nervousness has evolved, particularly in the context of nineteenth-century British literature. During this period, nervousness was often associated with the middle class and was seen as a consequence of modern urban life. This era's literature and medical theories reflected a growing concern about the nervous body's susceptibility to hysteria and other conditions 4. The narratives of the time often depicted nervousness as a symptom of the broader social and environmental changes brought about by modernity 4.
Nervousness and Pain Sensitivity
There is a significant positive correlation between nervousness and pain sensitivity. Studies have shown that individuals with higher levels of self-rated nervousness tend to have a lower pain threshold, suggesting a close interrelationship between the brainstem centers regulating arousal and pain sensitivity 5. This coupling between nervousness and endogenous pain control indicates that nervousness can influence how the body perceives and responds to pain 5.
Conclusion
Nervousness is a multifaceted phenomenon that affects both the mind and body. It can be understood through various lenses, including anxiety disorders, collective emotions, situational factors, historical perspectives, and its relationship with pain sensitivity. By exploring these different dimensions, we gain a comprehensive understanding of how nervousness manifests and impacts individuals and society.
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Epidemiology and Management of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety Disorders are a group of mental problems characterized by extreme sensations of nervousness and dread, affecting an individual's social, word related, and individual capacity.
Collective Emotions: Artaud’s Nerves
Artaud's nervousness is primarily a collective emotion, affecting his relationship with others and the'social body' in his letters, rather than primarily affecting personal consciousness.
Situational dimensions of self-reported nervousness.
Self-reported nervousness is characterized by three broad dimensions: social situations, physical discomfort situations, and situations of disorder or disruption.
Nerves and narratives: a cultural history of hysteria in nineteenth-century British prose
A "new body" emerged in British medical and social theory in the late eighteenth century, marked by susceptibility to hysteria and other nervous conditions, and its tendency to talk, especially about itself.
Nervousness and pain sensitivity: I. A positive correlation
A positive correlation exists between self-rated nervousness and pain threshold, suggesting a coupling between nervousness and endogenous pain control in healthy subjects.
Observational StudyNervousness
Nervousness is one of those quasi-technical terms which are to be reprobated for their vagueness, but which cannot be got rid of. We refuse to admit them into strictly scientific nomenclature, but we are not able to ignore their existence. Nervousness is one of the most obnoxious as well as one of the most commonly used of these terms. It is most obnoxious, because in its pathological signification?the nervousness of " medical cant" as John-
Perceived nervousness and moodiness associated with increased CVD but not cancer morbidity in pre- and postmenopausal women. Observations from the Population Study of Women in Gothenburg, Sweden
Nervousness and moodiness are associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk in pre- and postmenopausal women, but not with cancer morbidity.
Observational StudyAn Exposition of the Symptoms, Essential Nature, and Treatment of Neuropathy or Nervousness
Nervousness, or neuropathy, is characterized by indefinable uneasiness, despondency, or irritability of mind, diminution of physical strength, yielding and tremblings of limbs, starting at noises and sights, giddiness, and tendency to
Is perceived nervousness and anxiety a predictor of premature mortality and severe morbidity? A longitudinal follow up of the Swedish survey of living conditions
Perceived nervousness and anxiety are strongly linked to increased risks of suicide attempts and psychiatric diseases, with severe complaints posing a higher risk for suicide attempts.
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