Understanding and Recgnizing Anxiety Mst peple d nt recgnize their anxiety fr what it is, and instead think there is smething mre serius ging n. Myth: Reading, thinking, and learning abut anxiety will make yu even MORE anxius. Fact: If yu d nt knw what yu are dealing with, hw d yu manage it? Having accurate infrmatin abut anxiety can reduce cnfusin, fear, and shame. Anxiety is a cmmn and nrmal experience, and it CAN be managed successfully! Learning the Facts abut Anxiety 1. Anxiety is nrmal. Everyne experiences anxiety at times. Fr example, it is nrmal t feel anxius when n a rllercaster, r befre a jb interview. 2. Anxiety is adaptive. It is a system in ur bdy that helps us t deal with real danger (fr example, anxiety allws us t jump ut f the way f a speeding car) r t perfrm at ur best (fr example, it mtivates us t prepare fr a big presentatin). When yu experience anxiety, yur bdy's "fight-flight-freeze" respnse (als called the "adrenaline respnse") is triggered. This prepares yur bdy t defend itself. 3. Anxiety is nt dangerus. Althugh anxiety may feel uncmfrtable, it is nt dangerus r harmful t yu. Remember, all the sensatins yu feel when yu are anxius are there t prtect yu frm danger, nt hurt yu! 4. Anxiety des nt last frever. When yu are anxius, yu may feel like the anxiety is ging t last frever. But, anxiety is temprary and it will eventually decrease! 5. Anxiety is mstly annymus. Mst peple (except thse clse t yu) cannt tell when yu are anxius because it des nt shw n yur face. 6. Anxiety can becme a prblem. Anxiety is a prblem when ur bdy reacts as if there is danger when there is n real danger. It's like having an verly senstive smke alarm system in yur bdy! 7. Anxiety prblems are cmmn. One-in-ten adults suffer frm anxiety prblems.
Mre n Fight-Flight-Freeze Our bdy's natural alarm system (the fight-flight-freeze respnse) can be activated when there is a real danger, such as cming acrss a bear when hiking in the wds. In this case, yu may flee (e.g., run away frm the bear), freeze (e.g., stay still until the bear passes), r fight (e.g., yell and wave yur arms t appear big and scary). But this respnse can als happen when smething simply feels dangerus, but really isn't, such as being interviewed fr a jb. Fr example, yu may feel jittery, n edge, r uncmfrtable. Yu may snap at peple (fight) r have a hard time thinking clearly (freeze). These feelings can becme verwhelming enugh that make yu want t avid ding the interview (flight). Many peple stp ding things r ging places that make them feel anxius. Can yu think sme ways yu may fight, flight, r freeze because f yur anxiety? Anxiety is like a smke alarm system: A smke alarm can help t prtect us when there is an actual fire, but when a smke alarm is t sensitive and ges ff when there isn't really a fire (e.g., burning tast in taster), it is rather annying. Like a smke alarm, anxiety is helpful and adaptive when it wrks right. But, if it ges ff when there is n real danger, it is nt nly scary, it is als very exhausting. Hwever, we DO NOT want t get rid f the alarm (r eliminate anxiety) because it prtects us frm danger. We want t reduce the sensitivity (i.e., bring the anxiety dwn t a mre manageable level) s it wrks prperly fr us!
What Happens t yur Bdy when yu are Anxius? Anxiety can cause many sensatins in yur bdy as it prepares fr danger. These sensatins are called the "alarm reactin", which takes place when the bdy's natural Alarm System (that is, the "fight-flight-freeze" respnse) has been activated. Rapid heart beat and rapid breathing - When yur bdy is preparing itself fr actin, it makes sure enugh bld and xygen is being circulated t yur majr muscle grups and essential rgans, allwing yu t run away r fight ff danger. Sweating - Sweating cls the bdy. It als makes the skin mre slippery and difficult fr an attacking animal r persn t grab hld f yu. Nausea and stmach upset - When faced with danger, the bdy shuts dwn systems/prcesses that are nt needed fr survival; that way, it can direct energy t functins that are critical fr survival. Digestin is ne f the prcesses that is nt needed at times f danger. Because f this, anxiety might lead t feelings f stmach upset, nausea, r diarrhea. Feeling dizzy r lightheaded - Because ur bld and xygen ges t majr muscle grups when we are in danger, this means that we will breathe much faster in rder t mve xygen tward thse muscles. Hwever, this can cause hyperventilatin (t much xygen frm breathing very rapidly t prepare the bdy fr actin), which can makes yu feel dizzy r lightheaded. Als, since mst f yur bld and xygen is ging t yur arms and legs (fr "fight r flight"), there is a slight decrease f bld t the brain, which can als make yu dizzy. Dn't wrry thugh: the slight decrease in bld flw t the brain is nt dangerus at all! Tight r painful chest - Yur muscles tense up as yur bdy prepares fr danger. S yur chest may feel tight r painful when yu take in large breaths while thse chest muscles are tense. Numbness and tingling sensatins - Hyperventilatin (taking in t much xygen) can als cause numbness and tingling sensatins. The tingling sensatins is als be related t the fact that the hairs n ur bdies ften stand up when faced with danger t increase ur sensitivity t tuch r mvement. Finally, fingers and tes may als feel numb/tingly as bld flws away frm places where it is nt needed (like ur fingers) and twards majr muscle grups that are needed (like ur arms). Unreality r bright visin - When respnding t danger, ur pupils dilate t let in mre light and t make sure that we can see clearly enugh. This reactin makes ur envirnment lk brighter r fuzzier, and smetimes less real. Heavy legs - As the legs prepare fr actin (fight r flight), increased muscle tensin, as well as increased bld flw t thse muscles, can cause the sensatin f heavy legs.
Mre Abut Hw Anxiety Wrks Anxiety des nt nly affect yur bdy, but it als affects yur thughts and behaviurs. Therefre, there are three parts t anxiety: physical symptms (hw ur bdy respnds), thughts (what we say t urselves), and behaviurs (what we d r ur actins). Learning t recgnize these signs f anxiety can help yu t be less afraid f it. Thughts e.g., What if I frget what I want t say during the presentatin? Behaviurs e.g. find an excuse t get ut f it Physical Symptms e.g., stmach ache, cld sweat, heart racing Recgnizing physical symptms f anxiety Yu can learn t identify the physical signs f anxiety by asking yurself: "What happens when I'm anxius? Where d I feel the anxiety in my bdy?" Fr example, when yu feel anxius, yu may get butterflies in yur stmach, sweat a lt, breathe heavily, and feel dizzy r lightheaded. REMEMBER: If yu ften experience many uncmfrtable physical symptms, but dctrs cannt find anything wrng with yu physically, yu may have prblems with anxiety. Yu are definitely nt "ging crazy"! Althugh these symptms may be uncmfrtable, they are nt harmful! Recgnizing anxius thughts Anxiety als affects hw we think. Anxius thughts typically invlve a fear f smething bad happening, als knwn as Anxius Predictins. Recgnizing ur anxius thughts as they are happening can help us t ratinalise the situatin and learn t either cntrl r tlerate the anxiety. Recgnizing anxius behaviurs Anxiety can make us feel very uncmfrtable, and it can make us believe that we are in danger, s it is n wnder that yu may feel a strng urge t escape r avid situatins/activities/peple that make yu anxius. Fr example, if yu are scared f dgs, yu wuld prbably avid ging t places where yu may encunter a dg (e.g., dg park).
T help yu identify situatins that yu avid, try t cme up with as many answers as pssible t the fllwing: If yu wake up tmrrw mrning and all yur anxiety had magically disappeared, what wuld yu d? Hw wuld yu act? Hw wuld smene clse t yu knw yu weren't anxius? Finish the fllwing sentences: My anxiety stps me frm... When I am nt anxius, I will be able t Once yu are able t understand and recgnize anxiety, yu will be better prepared t mve n t the next stage - learning hw t manage anxiety!