Apprehension
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In psychology, apprehension typically refers to a state of anxious anticipation, unease, or worry about a possible future event. It's not as intense as full-blown fear or panic, but it's more than just casual concern.
Key Points About Psychological Apprehension:
- Emotionally: It’s that vague, tense feeling you get when you think something bad might happen, but you're not entirely sure what or when.
- Cognitively: The mind may dwell on “what if” scenarios — often irrational or exaggerated — which feeds the anxiety.
- Physiologically: You might feel tightness in your chest, faster heart rate, muscle tension, or restlessness.
- Behaviorally: People might avoid situations that trigger the feeling, overthink decisions, or become overly cautious.
Apprehension vs. Anxiety:
Apprehension is often a symptom of anxiety but can exist on its own in low-grade forms.
In clinical terms, ongoing or severe apprehension could be part of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) or anticipatory anxiety (common in social anxiety or panic disorders).
Example:
You're waiting for an important test result. You feel jittery, your stomach's in knots, and your mind keeps spinning through worst-case scenarios. That’s apprehension in action.
See also [ Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions ]
External links
- More information is available at [ Wikipedia:Apprehension ]
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