Abnormal Psychology

248 CHAPTER 7

different anxiety disorders. In the process we’ll fi rst examine Earl Campbell—his

life, the nature of his anxiety symptoms, the disorders most relevant to his symp-

toms, and how he responded to and handled his anxieties. Once we have examined

the disorders most applicable to Campbell’s symptoms, we then turn to Howard

Hughes—the nature of his constellation of anxiety symptoms, the disorders most

relevant to these symptoms, and how he responded to and handled his anxieties.

Common Features of Anxiety Disorders

Earl Campbell played high school football and, after graduating, became a star run-

ning back on the University of Texas–Austin football team. From there, he went on

to play for the Houston Oilers in the NFL. At age 24, he married Reuna, a woman

from his hometown whom he had been dating for 10 years. Five years later, they

had their fi rst child, and 2 years after that, at the age of 31, Campbell retired from

football.

Campbell went on to work for the University of Texas–Austin as a goodwill

ambassador, representing the school at various functions, and helping student-

athletes commit to their studies. One day, when Campbell was driving from Austin

to Dallas, he stopped at a traffi c light and had an unusual experience:

Out of the blue, my heart started racing. I felt my chest. Then I broke into a cold

sweat, began hyperventilating, and became convinced I was having a heart attack.

The people in the car next to mine seemed totally unaware that anything was wrong.

My heart just kept racing. I couldn’t stop it. I was going to die. How could I stop it?

It was getting worse. I was dying! The driver behind me started blowing his horn. The

light had turned green. I needed help. I couldn’t get out of the car. “God help me!”

I prayed. Then it stopped—just like that, my heart stopped racing. I put my hand to

my heart again. It felt normal. My hands and arms were covered with a cold clammy

sweat. I wiped the perspiration from my face and look[ed] at myself in the rearview

mirror. For the fi rst time in my life, I caught sight of a frightened Earl Campbell and

I didn’t like it...

(Campbell & Ruane, 1999, pp. 83–84)

Not only did Campbell have frightening bodily sensations, he also developed wor-

ries about “the little details that most people don’t even think about. They weigh on

me and tie up my mind. I am continually inundated with intrusive thoughts related

to everything I say or do. Do I look okay? Am I walking right? Did I do this right?

That right? Why is everyone looking at me? Is it because I’m Earl Campbell, or is it

because there’s something wrong with me?” (Campbell & Ruane, 1999, p. 199).

Campbell’s experiences involve anxiety. In this section, we consider in detail

what anxiety is and its relation to the fi ght-or-fl ight response. We then examine the

common cooccurrence of anxiety disorders and depression.

What Is Anxiety?

Like the term depression, the words anxiety and anxious are used in everyday

speech. But what do mental health professionals and researchers mean when using

these terms? Anxiety refers to a sense of agitation or nervousness, which is often

focused on an upcoming potential danger.

We all feel afraid and anxious from time to time. These feelings can be adap-

tive, signaling the presence of a dangerous stimulus and leading us to be more

alert, which heightens our senses. For instance, if you are walking alone down a

dark, quiet street late at night, you might be able to hear particularly well or be

more sensitive to another person’s presence behind you. Such heightened senses

can be adaptive on a dark street. Should you hear or sense someone, you may

choose to head quickly for a well-lit and busier street. Similarly, a moderate level of

anxiety before a test or presentation can enhance your performance (Deshpande &

Kawane, 1982)—and, in fact, the absence of anxiety can lead to a lackluster

In his 30s, former NFL player Earl Campbell

suddenly developed symptoms of anxiety—

racing heart and trouble breathing—which

frightened him, as they would most people.

AP Photo

Anxiety

A sense of agitation or nervousness, which

is often focused on an upcoming possible

danger.