Let’s Talk About Anxiety

Anxiety is good for you! It is a warning sign that something in your life may not be well. The trouble is if anxiety is excessive and out of place-as it some times for some people is. Then you have a problem. Let me explain.

Anxiety feelings, like the sense of pain, are ways of our brain to warn us to attend to something that may harm us. Here is an example: As you are ready to leave work for home, a severe snow storm warning arrives over the radio. Alarm bells ring in your brain: “Do I have enough gas, no chains?” etc. These thoughts that come to your mind prompted by the anxiety / uneasiness you are now feeling to take action. This is a normal anxiety working for you. It energizes you to take action for your welfare.

Unfortunately, and for some people, and from time to time this warning part of the brain is too easily triggered. Then a sudden feeling of severe danger, without knowing where from and what kind, sizes them along with sweating, restlessness pounding heart, uneasiness. Now, they may even decide to drink a beer or two in an effort to calm them down from the unpleasant state of mind or ask a friend to give them a blue or red pill she/he may have been taking. (It is not recommended since after a while the anxiety comes back even stronger even worse, the colored pill may mess them up.)

Some people are more prone to anxiety attacks than others. Their temperament from birth is more social very sensitive to the events and people around them. Furthermore painful early childhood experiences sensitize them and make them prone for future anxiety attacks while similar painful events leave others unfazed or more ready to endure future painful experiences.

These unpleasant “anxiety attacks” for some people may come often and to a severe degree, messing up their life, work, love life or taking care of their daily tasks.

Less often, these attacks may take the form of an overwhelming sense of doom and coming death! These kinds are called panic attacks. For different sufferers these attacks made take place in specific situations and then are given specific fancy names; like social anxiety (the attack triggered by the presence of a crowd where you have to perform), or acrophobia (while in a high place), or arachnophobia (fear of spiders), and on and on. While in a state of anxiety, sometimes our brain may try to “take care of the anxiety” — by making us finicky, preoccupied with details, or doing rituals like pulling our hair, etc.

Sometimes anxiety may be a warning sign for physical trouble, like a coming heart attack or very low blood sugar, thyroid problem, or others. If the problem persists, and comes back often; then, you need help.

Do not let pride hold you back. Anxiety conditions are treatable. You need a good evaluation by an internist as well a specialist like a psychiatrist. If it is a physical cause — like diabetes, or thyroid problem — it needs to be corrected. Then counseling or psychotherapy usually is enough. If the problem persists, then certain medicines against anxiety take care of the problem. The problem is that some of these medicines can be addictive and need careful monitoring.as well they may spoil you in tolerating stress and mild challenging situations.