Why is it a part of the PRC?
Pain can cause Anxiety
Anxiety can cause pain symptoms
Anxiety can be a force for positive change…
When it’s managed, it can be motivating Can be helpful Can protect
Anxiety is a problem when…
- Causes changes in behavior
- Interferes with social connections and engagement
- Anticipation of something bad happening that interferes with life
- Not proportional to the situation
Symptoms of Anxiety
Physiology
- Heart racing
- Nausea
- Sweating
- Excess Saliva Builtup
- Stomach discomfort
- Changes in appetite
- Changes in sleep
- Hyperventilating
- Tremors ## Psychology
- Can’t concentrate
- Mind Racing
- Worry
- Anger / Irritability
- Catastrphizing
- Cognitive Distortion ## Behaviors
- Avoidance
- Procrastination
- Nail biting/picking/hair pulling/bouncing leg
- Slamming doors
- Isolation
- Outburst
- Perfectionism
Symptoms of Pain
Majority of the Anxiety symptoms can present themselves in POTS and FND
Pain
To the brain, pain means danger
Breaking the cycle ⇒ [PRC - Exposure Therapy](PRC - Exposure Therapy “wikilink”)
- Exposure to the feared things
- Face fears
- “I can handle this”
- Face fears again and again
- Talking about the fears so much they become meaningless
Management Plan
- 6-12 months of PRC - No sleep-overs
Avoid
- Situations when there is not enough sleep
- Situations that may be perceived as Health Emergency
- Situations that may cause being too tired
- Add to their anxiety with questions
- Having an emergent response to a non-urgent situations
- Validating pain symptoms without a clear cause
Do
- Avoid discussing accommodations or plans
- Make plans for success
- Inform family on knowing how to handle symptoms of pain