Achievement Anxiety

Achievement anxiety is a fear of failure. It occurs when the unconscious mind associates the idea of success, achievement or moving forward in life with negative emotions. Achievement anxiety is usually debilitating and normally interferes with maximal performance. In children and young adults, achievement anxiety can hinder school performance. Students with achievement anxiety are overly self-conscious in performance and can have difficulties learning, using and transferring knowledge, and demonstrating their knowledge on tests.

Causes

• The most common cause of achievement anxiety is an intense negative experience in one's past. Other common causes include exposure to overly protective or overly critical caregivers, watching older siblings or friends perform exceedingly well on tests, pressures at school or at work, and major life-changing or traumatic events such as the loss of a job, change of schools, the death of a family member, abuse, a hard breakup, divorce or withdrawal from addictive substances.

Symptoms

• Physical symptoms of anxiety achievement include nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, clammy hands, sweating, heavy head, heart palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, trembling, being easily startled, restlessness, muscle tension, insomnia, irritability and ongoing worry in response to thoughts of success and achievement. Behavioral symptoms include academic procrastination, tardiness, laziness, apathy, lack of interest in friends and hobbies, frequent refusals to eat, rudeness, violent behavior, temper tantrums and anger outbursts.

Complications

• Achievement anxiety can lead to drug abuse and eating disorders, especially in young adults. Drugs and obsessive control induce a sense of apathy toward expectations and pressures and temporarily relieve the symptoms of fear. Other complications include physical and emotional exhaustion and psychological stress. Severe achievement anxiety that goes untreated can lead to increased blood pressure, intestinal diseases, autoimmune diseases and mental illnesses such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.

Treatment

• Serious cases of achievement anxiety require the assistance of a health professional. A psychiatrist, psychologist or academic counselor who specializes in achievement anxiety can determine the severity of the condition and the best treatment. Cognitive-behavioral theory can alleviate the symptoms. If achievement anxiety has its cause in early childhood, more traditional psycho-therapeutic methods may be more effective in identifying the source and replacing negative associations with positive ones. As of June 2010, there is no drug available that targets achievement anxiety specifically. However, the drugs used to treat other anxiety disorders can be used to alleviate symptoms.

Prevention

• Parents and teachers can help prevent achievement anxiety by creating a climate that is comfortable, accepting and noncompetitive. Academic counselors can help students develop good study habits and strategies, manage their time and build a strategy for dealing with outside pressures. Understanding the causes and symptoms of achievement anxiety can help sufferers avoid achievement anxiety in the future.