Anxiety: False Alarm or Real Threat
Let’s talk about learning to feel normal after experiencing anxiety. Learning to distinguish appropriate alarm from anxiety is an important step in anxiety management. A similar concept is the difference between a false alarm and a real threat.
Anxiety: The Body's Alarm System
Because anxiety is the body’s alarm system, you may occasionally receive a false alarm. This false alarm could be appropriate anxiety, like a feeling you get when you have to suddenly press the brakes. Or the feeling when you’re called on in class. Or the feeling when you nervously ask someone an important question.
Click to Read More Anxiety Posts
Anxiety and The Nervous System
The central nervous system responds to changes in your body's hormones. This includes stress (cortisol) and adrenaline (epinephrine). The reaction to stress is a flood of cortisol and adrenaline. This causes the "fight-or-flight" responses. (Freeze and fawn are other responses closely linked to trauma).
Stress begins in the brain as it interprets signals from your senses. The brain sends signals to adrenal glands to release hormones. These signals activate the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system is like pressing on a gas pedal. As adrenaline circulates, heart rate increases, skin conductance changes (sweat), blood pressure raises, and breathing becomes rapid. Extra oxygen goes to the brain which increases sensitivity to your senses. Adrenaline triggers glucose (sugar) to flood the blood stream which increases energy to all parts of the body. All of this is so automatic that it can happen before the brain has fully processed visual information.
Relaxation, physical activity, and engaging with social supports can help to trigger the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is like the brakes system. You can engage this calming system most easily with breathing, distraction, visualization, and other relaxation techniques.
Want to work together? Get started!
F.E.A.R.
Anxiety Management
Resources
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response
Ready to conquer your mood?
Let's get started.