happy + healthy
anxiety disorders
Why Do I Feel So Anxious?
By Reggie Parker
“Ugh! What is this constant feeling in the pit of my
stomach? For the past six months, I just feel
nervous all the time. At times my palms begin to
sweat, I feel unusually hot and begin to lose my
breath. I hate this feeling! What is this?”
The human stress response, often called the “fight or flight”
response, is an amazing system designed to keep you alive when
threatened with perceived death or a stressful situation. When all
is functioning as it should, anxiety is a normal, helpful emotion
which helps us cope with difficult, challenging or dangerous
situations. Once the unpleasant event is over, our bodies return
to normal and we feel better.
However, people suffering from an anxiety disorder find every-
day events can become triggers, such as facing an exam, normal
social interactions or having to go somewhere new. Anxiety can
become a problem when it hinders you from enjoying normal life
events such as school, work, family relationships, or your social
life.
8
When we perceive things in a negative light naturally we expect
negative outcomes. Often people with anxiety develop a feared
outcome; they have assumed these negative thoughts are factual
and act accordingly, playing the part of mind readers who think
they know what everyone else is thinking, or fortune tellers who
think they know what is going to happen next.
Avoidance
This is anxiety!
Approximately
“Thinking Traps”
Because anxiety is so unpleasant, many sufferers will shy away
from the feared or difficult event, resulting in a coping skill
known as avoidance. The problem with avoidance is the more
you avoid uncomfortable things, the harder it becomes for them
to face fears and overcome worries.
Utilizing Mindfulness
One of the things I have found to be helpful when someone is
experiencing an anxiety attack is to have them stop and tell you
three things they hear, see, and smell. This is a great distraction
technique that assists them in regaining control of their thoughts.
%
Women are
reported to be
60 %
of children and teenagers
in the U.S. experience
the negative impact of an
anxiety disorder at school
and at home.
18 |
more likely to be diagnosed
with an anxiety disorder
than men.
Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2015
Fall 2017
1:6
college students
have been diagnosed
with or treated for
anxiety.