Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong
Fear and Anxiety Virtual Art Exhibit
Fear and Anxiety
The Fear and Anxiety Virtual Art Exhibit explores how fear and anxiety can manifest differently in everyone and the impact of mental health to our lives. Featuring artwork created by the local Hong Kong community, the exhibit aims to raise public awareness on fear and anxiety in Hong Kong.
We will upload the artwork soon. Please stay tuned !
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is an apprehensive mood towards an imagined and vague threat that occurs in the future.
For example, you may feel anxious about your future career prospects as you are apprehensive about the likelihood that your career prospects may take a downturn. In this case, the threat is future-oriented and is not a specific emotional stimulus. The apprehension you feel is, instead, a persistent mood based of how your mind interprets the potential threat.
Anxiety symptoms include headache, abdominal pain, and insomnia.
What is Fear?
Fear is an emotion in response to a perceived threat.
For example, if you see a spider, you are likely to respond by running away. In this case, the spider is a specific threat stimulus that is immediate, real, and definite.
Fear induces an abrupt activation of our body's fight or flight response, producing symptoms such as racing heartbeat, trembling, and sweating. While one may run away from the spider as a flight response, others may kill the spider to fight off the threat. Fear enables us to take immediate and decisive action towards the perceived threat. From an evolutionary perspective, fear is a useful survival function to protect us from danger.
While fear and anxiety are normal reactions, unhealthy levels of fear and anxiety can lead to significant impairment and distress in your daily lives.
Anxiety Disorders
According to the Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM-5), anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive anxiety and fear symptoms. The symptoms are persistent and pervasive, causing significant distress and impairment to your life. There are 11 anxiety disorders under the DSM-5 including...
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Persistent and excessive worry that is difficult to control and disproportionate to the likely outcome.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety about being humiliated in social situations and being negatively evaluated if the anxiety is revealed. Fear or anxiety is induced by all social situations.
Panic Disorder
Recurring unexpected episodes where intense fear is followed by symptoms including heart palpitations and shortness of breath; anxious about having panic attacks.
Specific Phobias
Intense fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation (e.g. flying, clowns, blood injection) that is disproportionate to the actual threat.
Agorophobia
Anxiety about being in situations where it is difficult to escape or seek help such as being in enclosed spaces or being home alone.