Instant anxiety: why do you appear in my life suddenly?

Why do we suddenly start to feel discomfort and worry? Why do we suddenly feel like our heart is beating at full speed? We sweat, we get dizzy, the world spins and our stomach hurts. If you have ever suffered these experiences you will know perfectly well what we are talking about. They are those moments when you wonder “why do I have anxiety?”

The first thing we must understand is that anxiety is a response to a situation that we anticipate as dangerous. That is to say, sometimes we perceive threats that are not present but we almost assume that they will arise in the future… Let’s take a simple example. We are afraid of spiders, an atrocious panic. However, at a given moment we can anticipate and believe that they can be almost anywhere: when picking up clothes, when going to the bathtub, when crossing the threshold of a door…

The problem worsens when our mind loses control and feeds back the fear itself. We fall into vicious circles where only anguish runs. If this anxiety leads to a generalized condition, we can go to the extreme of not leaving the house for fear of “something” that we do not know how to describe. They are very exhausting situations that can completely limit our quality of life.

Anxiety is part of human nature, as Soren Kierkegaard said. It is to stop being oneself to transform into an entity inhabited by worry and fear. Why do we go to these extremes?

What happens when I have anxiety?

When anxiety appears, little by little the illusion is lost, we feel that we are not enjoying anything, our mind is continually immersed in thoughts that in most cases are catastrophic or repetitive. We feel, in short, that we are no longer the same as before and that we are losing control.

Likewise, a characteristic aspect of this condition is the isolation it causes. In fact, We rarely talk about the social loss caused by suffering from generalized anxiety, for example.. A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology and carried out by Harvard University, reveals, for example, that people with anxiety focus on themselves, on their thoughts, fears and anxieties to the point of not being able to empathize with others.

It is almost impossible to connect with those around us when our mind feels saturated and our body itself gripped by tachycardia, exhaustion, nausea and difficulty concentrating.

On the other hand, something that we must understand is that the Anxiety in itself is nothing more than a symptom that something is not right in our lives., probably on an emotional or personal level (with others or with oneself). It would be something like when we have a fever. High body temperature is not a disease in itself. However, we must find out what caused it so that it does not become something more serious.

To deal with that cough we first try to calm it and then treat what caused it. Both things are necessary, the same thing happens with anxiety, First we try to reduce it and then we have to discover what is underneath it.

What happens in your brain when you suffer from anxiety

Did you know that chronic anxiety states alter brain function? Mood disorders in general and especially anxiety generate a large number of neuroendocrine, neurotransmitter and neuroanatomical alterations. Our entire brain, so to speak, is “hyperconnected” and reacting to that alarm signal that our brain amygdala has been ignited by sensing the weight of fear or a threat.

Thus, The areas that are most affected are the limbic system, the brain stem and the upper cortex.. This increase in cortisol in the blood will cause these structures to work at a different pace, causing, for example, that we cannot make decisions clearly, that it is difficult for us to concentrate, that our memory fails, etc.

Ermory University in Atlanta published an interesting study detailing these complex alterations, where For example, the effectiveness of those systems that govern both our cognition and the emotional aspect is interrupted.

Understand anxiety

All the reactions caused by anxiety scare us because we don’t know how to manage them. However, if we try to control them by rationalizing fear and healing needs, voids and anxieties, our symptoms will be relieved. They will not disappear completely, but it is a fundamental start.

Cognitive aspect

Being able to understand our discomfort will generate a feeling of tranquility. A good exercise is to ask yourself not only why I have anxiety, but also delve into other questions whose answers will help us overcome it:

When have I started to feel anxious? What images or thoughts go through my head at that moment? How do I know that this is what is causing my anxiety? What do I tell myself internally? Are these fears real? What do I do? What would I really have to change in my life to stop having anxiety?

Behavioral aspect

Treating anxiety requires two mechanisms of action. The first will focus on rationalizing those fears, naming them, managing them, awakening strengths, promoting changes and learning to manage emotions. On the other hand, it is essential to take care of our body and generate new behavioral habits.

Practices such as relaxation, deep breathing or mindfulness are ideal for channeling anxiety. In additionwe must define what steps we will take each day: walks, hours of restactivities that allow us to channel emotions and release pressures, etc.

In conclusion. We must keep in mind that anxiety has many origins and they are not always as clear as they seem. Knowing how to understand the shape of that internal creature that accompanies us daily will sometimes require consulting with a good professional., change lifestyle habits and mentalities. It is a delicate process that in the end will provide us with valuable tools.

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