The Pervasiveness of Stress

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One of the most common reasons people seek out therapy is for help managing their anxiety symptoms. This makes sense given how many potential sources of stress there are: financial insecurity, career troubles, childhood trauma, relationship issues, health concerns, and social isolation to name just a few. These experiences often leave us feeling tense, short of breath, or sick to their stomach. 

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As uncomfortable as it is, our anxious response is here for an important reason. In small, manageable doses, anxiety is protective. It's our internal warning system that alerts us to danger and motivates us to take action to reduce potential threats. That said, to be caught in a prolonged state of stress without any resolution is deeply disruptive. It leaves us feeling perpetually wired, but utterly exhausted. Overtime, this distressed state negatively impacts our day-to-day functioning, relationships, and overall sense of well-being. Before we go further, let’s first differentiate between anxiety that’s appropriate to everyday stress with chronic anxiety that feels all encompassing. 

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Situational Anxiety vs. Generalized Anxiety​​​​

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​​​Situational anxiety is a normal part of life. This might look like stressing over an upcoming job interview, social event, medical appointment, or a difficult conversation. Thinking about these situations may cause us to feel a degree of unease, but typically once these circumstances have passed, the associated anxiety also goes away. 

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When our anxiety becomes persistent and seeps into all areas of our life, it’s what psychologists might call generalized anxiety. In these cases, it’s as if the threat detector in our brain never stops ringing. The danger we perceive feels omnipresent and without a specific trigger. One source of stress may pass, but it is immediately replaced by something else. This is an incredibly exhausting state to reside in, both physically and psychologically.

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The Biological Underpinnings​

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There are biological and evolutionary reasons that help explain our anxiety. Nature designed us to be sensitive to potential danger because responding to threats kept our species alive. Our ancestors survived in environments where they had to contend with the dangers of the wild. In prehistoric times, a thousand false alarms was more advantageous than failing to detect a real and deadly threat. In terms of survival, it was more advantageous to think that the rustle in the bushes was caused by a lion rather your friend coming to visit. 

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Understanding the evolutionary roots of our anxiety symptoms can help cultivate a little more compassion towards ourselves. The human brain was molded over time to be alert to potential threats and the evolution of our species is not something we had personal control over.  Speaking of our evolutionary roots, some people argue that much of the anxiety, stress, and disconnection that we feel today can be attributed to the fact that the modern world is at odds with the world that human beings have evolved for. 

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Common Symptoms of Anxiety

 

Depending on the person, anxiety can be expressed in a variety of ways, but some common symptoms include:

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• Shallow breathing

• Elevated heart rate

• Muscle tension

• Sleep disturbances

• Changes in appetite

• Irritability

• Controlling

• Difficulty concentrating

• Rumination over past mistakes

• Obsessing about worst case scenarios

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Where to Start

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On the path of working with anxiety, we begin by accepting the reality of what we’re experiencing. Sometimes we berate ourselves for feeling overwhelmed about issues that don’t seem to bother others. We might think that we’re defective, incapable, or overly sensitive. Although the sensations of anxiety can be very uncomfortable, there is nothing fundamentally wrong with you for feeling this way.

 

People feel anxious for good reasons. Our perception of safety and security has been shaped by the challenging moments of our past. We can view our anxious response as a loving attempt by our nervous system to prevent us from experiencing a similar fear, loss, or pain. 

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Therapy for Anxiety

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Anxiety is anticipatory. It is the result of a mind trapped in a future that hasn’t yet happened, or may not ever happen. During our time together, we can work with your anxiety by looking for ways in which you’re safe in the present moment. Anxiety has a way of narrowing our focus, preventing us from noticing the ways in which life is good, supportive, and safe. This is not about ignoring stressors and pretending they don’t exist, but expanding our view so that we have a fuller picture of what's occurring. 

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Many people seek therapy for anxiety when the impact it has on their relationships, work, and sense of well-being becomes too big to ignore. Since anxiety is energy seeking to mobilize, treating it might include looking at ways to take action. If our dinner is burning and the smoke alarm goes off, we turn off the heat and take the pot off the stove. We might open a window or turn on a fan. These are tangible steps to take care of the situation. Feeling anxious about an issue without taking action is like being aware of the burning dinner and the ringing alarm without taking steps to change the situation. Sometimes in a panicked state, we become really busy and do everything except take the metaphorical pot off the stove. 

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It often feels like we’re by ourselves when we’re gripped by anxiety, but connecting with supportive people reminds us that we don’t have to struggle alone. If you’re looking for someone to walk beside you on this path, I’d be happy to have a consultation call with you to see if we’d be the right fit.

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