Have you experienced anxiety and wondered, "Why in the world am I even feeling this way right now?"
Anxiety owes itself to stress responses in the nervous system which causes the body to react as if it is in mortal danger and worried about what could happen. This is what is commonly referred to as “the fight or flight response.” Our nervous systems are tasked with one major goal: STAY ALIVE. This is then done through an instantaneous determination from the limbic brain as to whether one should run away, fight back, or even shut down and freeze to best meet the objective. As the subconscious mind constantly scans the environment for signs of threat, the body prepares itself to take action by sending blood flow away from some parts and toward others. This may cause sensations and experiences such as a fluttering in the chest, tight stomach, sweaty palms and feet, heart palpitations, difficulty speaking and catching one’s breath, a loss of appetite, or even a panic attack. Anxiety may originate from trauma faced as a child, present circumstances and stressors, or even chemical imbalances in the body.
Root Causes of Anxiety
Childhood trauma: In many cases, anxiety is first experienced by people in their formative years. Unfortunately, due to children being more vulnerable to their emotions compared to adults, there is more likelihood and more room for emotionally taxing events to deeply affect and even scar a child. Moves, new siblings, new schools, new friends, divorce, death, bullying, and tragedy can affect a child in ways that even very attentive parents may not be able to see. Sometimes, the children themselves will not realize the extent of their own trauma or anxiety, and its impact on their lives, until they are already fully grown adults.
Current stressors: As many will attest, adult life is no picnic, either. Looking for the right marital partner, working alongside clashing coworkers and bosses at a job that can be difficult at times, keeping up with your house, managing your money, visiting your family, and raising children can all be good things, but they can also pile up very quickly, which can sometimes lead to heavy amounts of stress and anxiety being placed onto your shoulders.
Imbalances in the body: For some people, anxiety may simply stem from internal factors, chemical imbalances, or illness. Anxiety disorders have become a common point of discussion in medical and therapeutic communities, and in some situations, anxiety could possibly be inherited to some extent, although more research is necessary.
How to Handle Anxiety
Anxiety is all too common an ailment in civilization today. From social anxiety stemming from nervousness about communicating with others in public, to separation anxiety stemming from fear of abandonment by others, anxiety seems to have a stronger grip on the world than ever before. However, this is not the end of the story. You can still find help and conquer your anxiety at its very source.
Here are a few examples of ways in which you can combat your anxiety:
● Work through it: Sometimes, the best way to deal with the anxiety you face is to just swallow that feeling, assert to yourself that you can handle your situation(s) anyway, and do what you have to do in spite of your anxiety.
● Eat, sleep, and exercise: Putting together a healthy food menu, sleep schedule, and exercise plan can help you to re-organize your lifestyle and prioritize your physical health, which in turn helps you hormonally, mentally, and emotionally to better handle your anxiety. Relaxation techniques such as stretching, using stress balls, and gaining coping skills as you are dealing with anxiety are also helpful.
● Seek professional help: Anxiety can be a debilitating mental illness, and it is not a matter which you need to handle alone. Looking for therapists who can help you to relax your body, center your thoughts and feelings, and overcome your trauma of the past or stress of the present is a proactive way to keep yourself on the right track in the battle against anxiety in your life. Through methods such as Brainspotting and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), psychotherapists can help you to reprocess traumatic memories and stressful thoughts that have been cycling around in your mind, which can be very helpful in reducing anxiety in your life.
If you are suffering from the effects of anxiety, such as stress, fear, panic attacks, acute stress disorder, or physical pain, Omaha Trauma Therapy is here to help! EMDR and Brainspotting therapy techniques are our specialty. We want to provide you with a holistic approach to overcoming your trauma.