When patients with AS encounter an unpleasant situation, they reported feeling fear and physiological aroual, which triggers anxiety.

AS and Avoidance of Healthy Activities

When patients have AS and chronic health conditions, the former exacerbates the latter since it induces fear, and therefore, vulnerability to symptoms of the physical conditions. 


AS and Fear of Physical Chronic Conditions

The motivation to avoid symptoms of anxiety in AS patients makes them turn to unhealthy practices which are detrimental to their health.

AS and Unhealthy Practices

- Fear of Chronic Medical Conditions
- Avoidance of Daily Activities
- Engagement in Unhealthy Practices
- Pathophysiological Alterations

Santa Clara University

Anxiety Sensitivity (AS) describes the fear of anxiety-related symptoms that are often accompanied by hyperarousal, pain, stomach distress, and racing thoughts. Individuals experience physical and social fears alongside concerns for mental capability.

Anxiety Sensitivity

Horenstein, Arielle, et al. “How Does Anxiety Sensitivity Increase Risk of Chronic Medical Conditions?” Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, vol. 25, no. 3, 2 Apr. 2018, https://doi.org/10.1111/cpsp.12248. 

How does anxiety sensitivity increase risk of chronic conditions?

Effects of AS

- Psychoeducation (teaching the patient about their diagnosis by explaining the physiology of anxiety or how the flight-fight system works)
- Cognitive Restructuring (identifying, challenging, and replacing the patient's beliefs causing AS)
- Emotional Acceptance (teach patients to mindfully observe their reactions rather than trying to control them)
- Interoceptive Exposure (train clients to manage symptoms, instead of fearing them, after exposing themselves to their own bodily sensations)
- In Vivo Situational Exposure (exposing patients to their feared situations and instructing them to remain in that situation to "face their face", eventually reducing the fear)

Current Treatments for AS

- Stressful life events are fond to be longitudinally associated with increases in AS ( research suggests these cause self-focused repetitive thought like rumination)
- Specific stressful events relating to health and family are predictive of increase in AS
- Uncued panic attacks can predict increased AS in adults

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