Anxiety Symptoms: they are not always bad.

ANXIETY SYMPTOMS: They are not always bad.

Why do we have Anxiety Symptoms?

We hear so much today about how bad stress is and how harmful our anxiety symptoms are that many people may not be aware that anxiety’s real purpose is to keep us safe.

Anxiety makes it possible for us to respond immediately, without much thought, to dangerous situations. When we encounter a threat, our body kicks into high gear and prepares us to run for our life or fight for our life.

This is called the FIGHT OR FLIGHT response and is a well organized and highly adaptive sequence of bodily reactions that sends all of our resources only to where they are most needed at the moment. This response is controlled by our autonomic nervous system, which means it happens without our conscious control and without our consent.

Let’s look as some of the things our body does during a FIGHT OR FLIGHT response and compare it with common anxiety symptoms

FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE	COMMON ANXIETY SYMPTOM
The heart pumps faster and our blood pressure increases to provide us with more blood.	Heart pounding or racing. Dizziness.
Breathing becomes more rapid and shallow to provide our body with extra oxygen.	Breathing changes, shortness of breath. This can bring on dizziness and even fainting.
Increased blood flow to our arms and legs for better fighting or faster running	Restlessness, intense urge to move/run, excessive fidgeting, particularly of arms and legs.
Circulation is shut off to our hands, feet. This prevents blood loss from common injuries.	Numbness, tingling and temperature changes in the hands and feet.
Capillaries (the tiny blood vessels under the skin) close down, further protecting us from blood loss.	Tingling and temperature changes on the surface of the skin.
Increased blood flow to our ears.	Ringing or pounding in the ears.
Increased perspiration cools us down and makes us slippery to aid in escape.	Sweating.
Chemical changes such as the release of adrenalin make our muscles stronger	Muscle tension, aggressiveness, pain and soreness.
Increased brain activity to aid awareness of the threat.	Racing thoughts, preoccupation with threats, impaired concentration and memory in daily tasks.
Pupils dilate for increased focus on danger or the destination if we are fleeing.	Vision changes. blurred vision, tunnel vision.
Emptying of our stomach and intestines so that resources are not wasted on digestive functions.	Stomach pains. Digestive and intestinal trouble.
Suppressed immune system, so that resources only go towards fending off immediate danger.	Frequent illness and fatigue.

The symptoms of anxiety and what you experience during times of stress are always the result of a full or partial fight or flight response. Whether it is an intense reaction or just one or two anxiety symptoms, they always come from a place that is designed to protect you.

It is easy to see why this system of responses is very helpful when we encounter a physical threat. It is also obvious that ongoing anxiety symptoms can cause some serious problems for you.

An important fact to keep in mind is that our fight or flight response happens automatically. The reason for this is obvious. Danger calls for immediate action and if we had to take the time to consciously turn all these systems our reaction would be too slow to do us much good.

That is why we may have a hard time controlling our anxiety and why it still occurs even though we don‘t want it. It has to be automatic or it would be too slow during times of emergency.

Another fact to remember is that, in the past, there was usually a natural resolution to anxiety. The physical exertion of fighting or fleeing used up all the extra energy, and allowed us to return to a normal more relaxed state.

This can be a problem today, because in our present lives the threats are often emotional, so fighting or fleeing is not appropriate. The anxiety chemicals, therefore, are not used up and may remain in our system, causing continues stress for some time.

Modern life can confusing to the part of our brain that is responsible for our anxiety reactions. It can misunderstand a threat and launch our bodies into a full flight or fight response, even though this may be the last thing we want.

We can also have times when our anxiety just won’t shut off. Our body continues producing stress hormones and we end up with ongoing anxiety that keep us on edge, irritated and feeling ill much of the time.

The worries that keep coming back and keep us thinking negative thoughts are part of this stress response. An anxious brain wants to focus on threats so that we remain ready to defend ourself against them.

This creates more of a problem because we become preoccupied with threats, that is how we begin to see the world--as a dangerous, unpleasant place. Our body then responds with more anxiety and we have a cycle in which stress is creating more stress.

WHAT TO DO

First, accept that anxiety is a natural part of human life. Do not put yourself down for what you are experiencing. It is not necessary and just increases you anxiety anyway.

Because anxiety symptoms happen automatically, you cannot expect to just turn them off when they happen. Make conscious choices to eliminate the source. If certain responsibilities, times, events or activities cause anxiety, give yourself permission to make changes.

Second, determine if your anxiety symptoms are interfering with your life and your daily routine. If so an anxiety disorder may be present and you MUST see a doctor. Doctors see and treat people with anxiety every day so it is no cause for shame.

Third, eliminate helplessness, which is a common trigger for anxiety. If you find yourself in “no win” a situation, make it a priority to create a solution or a way out.

If you have several things that must be done RIGHT NOW, you are setting yourself up for anxiety. Choose one area give it your attention, then move on to the next. Enlist, draft or hire the help that you want.

Forth, self care, self care, self care. Taking care of yourself is the best way to eliminate the stress of modern, daily life. Exercise, laughter, proper sleep, leisure time, a healthy diet, social activities, satisfying Anxiety symptoms can be reduced with self care? relationships and spirituality provide natural stress relief.

Because you cannot be at your best if you are in a frequent state of anxiety, seeing to your own needs will benefit your entire family.