ANXIETY DISORDERS are the most commonly diagnosed mental health issues. Some of what makes a percentage of our population more anxious is genetic, and evolutionarily beneficial. People with more anxiety have Great Big Radar– they are more tuned in to (and reactive to) both internal and external changes in the environment, which can keep them alive and safe. But too much of even good things is problematic.
Nearly everyone feels anxiety occasionally. Excessive anxiety is present in many mental health disorders, including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Post-Traumatic Stress. There are categories for the generally jumpy (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) to the specifically frightened (phobias). Some people with anxiety have panic attacks: discrete periods of high anxiety with physical and emotional symptoms that are very alarming. These can be brought on by something in particular, such as being in a crowded place, a social situation or at a test, or by nothing obvious at all.
The brain is great at learning what scares it. Dangerous memories can get hard-wired in the brain to provide a quick spill of chemicals that, ideally,would serve us: to get us the heck away, help us fight off our attacker, or even make us unconscious. Brain is not particularly selective about what gets filed, which can result in some strange associations we may not even know exist. If you’re in a car wreck, Brain may file away not only screeching tires and breaking glass. You might find yourself also getting panicky feelings (the emotional interpretation of all those chemicals coming to fore) when you pass white Hondas, or that particular intersection, or other things obviously connected to the incident. You might not have noticed what was on the radio, but Brain could have, and you may not understand why your heart races every time a particular song plays. Another example: I had a boss once who was a war veteran. During a staff meeting someone decided to make popcorn and started up the air-popper. Next thing we knew, our normally composed boss was diving under the conference table. Turns out those poppers make a sound very similar to rear-machine gunfire. Obviously, his logical thinking knows a popcorn machine isn’t a physical threat. But his body thought differently and it took a while for him to dial down the adrenaline.
Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom, said Kierkegaard, and the increasing complexity of life may be driving up anxiety rates. We are faced daily with an avalanche of choices, and each choice carries a responsibility and the opportunity to go wrong. Anxiety just wants to know and be able to plan for what’s next. That’s why a lot of people with the Anxious Gene can look like micromanaging control freaks, and why people become much more anxious during unpredictable events such as the onset of the COVID pandemic. Uncertainty is behind the seductive attraction of fundamentalism, a desire for a straight-forward recipe we can follow that may guarantee everything turns out OK. What anxiety wants is simple: predictability. If that’s not possible, it’ll take comfort instead.
Unfortunately, our attempts to make an unpredictable world more comfortable often backfire. Addictions start as ways to self-soothe. People use many means, like TV watching, device surfing, over-eating, shopping, and substances to numb or ignore difficult emotions. We substitute relationships that feel more manageable for those that could provide greater intimacy with its resultant greater risk of loss and heartbreak. We practice avoidance of what makes us uncomfortable through procrastination. We develop odd rules and rituals to give a sense of structure. “Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.” –Kahill Gibran.
Look at past and future Wellness Wednesday articles for tips for managing this very human condition, or click here for an assortment of stress-busting tools. Meanwhile, instead of trying to be anxiety-free when there isn’t something you can problem-solve, practice being less anxious about being anxious. It passes.
If you need extra support, the Advising center offers students free short term counseling and can help you find other resources if needed. Employees can access the same via LBCC’s Employee Assistance Program by calling Uprise Health at 1-800-395-1616.
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