IPMAT Indore 2024 · Verbal Ability · Question 8

RC passage 2: Passage 2 – Anxiety: evolution, disorder and treatment — this question belongs to a set. Read the full set with all 6 questions →

Read the following passage and choose the answer that is closest to each of the questions that are based on the passage.

Anxiety is an emotion that all people experience from time to time, and we do that for good reasons. It has been built into us; we have inherited it from our evolutionary past, because, in general, anxiety has a survival function. It kicks in whenever we sense danger – we freeze, we devote all of our attention to the danger, and our bodies react with a big release of adrenalin, an increase in blood flow to the muscles, getting us ready to run as fast as we can or fight as fiercely as we might. Anxiety also helps us to focus on things when we have deadlines and, if someone is driving too fast when we cross the road, it helps us to jump out of the way quickly.

So, there is nothing wrong with anxiety in general, and in fact, we would have difficulties if we did not experience it to some extent. However, it can get problematic if the danger is imagined rather than real, or is something that is exaggerated. In those cases, particularly if the perceived danger is out of proportion to the real danger, and it is persistent and disabling, then there is a danger of an anxiety disorder.

Scientists are looking at what role genes play in the development of these disorders and are also investigating the effects of environmental factors such as pollution, physical and psychological stress, and diet. Several parts of the brain are key actors in the production of fear and anxiety. Using brain imaging technology and neurochemical techniques, scientists have discovered that the amygdala plays a significant role in most anxiety disorders. By learning more about how the brain creates fear and anxiety, scientists may be able to devise better treatments for these disorders.

The first psychotherapy treatment that was shown to be effective was ‘exposure therapy’, which essentially encourages people in a graded way to go into their feared situations and stay in them for as long as they can and build their confidence that way. Another is ‘group cognitive behaviour therapy’, a talking therapy that helps people to understand the link between negative thoughts and mood and how altering their behaviour can enable them to manage anxiety and feel in control. There are, of course, drugs that can help people with anxiety, but medication will not cure an anxiety disorder, it can only help to keep it under control while the person receives psychotherapy.

There is plenty of evidence that exercise can help with anxiety problems. When stress affects the brain, with its many nerve connections, the rest of the body feels the impact as well. Exercise and other physical activity produce endorphins, which are chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers. Additionally, getting physically tired can help people fall asleep faster and have deeper, more relaxing sleep. As many people suffering from anxiety often have problems with insomnia, just the ability to get a good night’s rest can change their perspectives.

Anxiety is a normal but highly subjective human emotion. While normal anxiety serves a beneficial and adaptive purpose, it can also become the cause of tremendous suffering for millions of people. It is important that people recognise excessive anxiety in themselves at the earliest, as treatment can be very successful. Leaving it untreated can be a misery.