Debilitative Anxiety

Debilitative anxiety is being in a state of unease, worry, and/or fear which makes a person unable to perform a certain task or function in a situation. As compared to facilitative anxiety which arouses a person to perform, debilitative anxiety negatively affects a person’s behavior which is often characterized by task avoidance.

For instance, a student who is worried about the upcoming exams decides not to take the test.