Anxiety | Depression | Eating Disorder | Grief | Neurodiversity | Relationships | Schizophrenia/Bipolar | Self-Harm | Stress | Substance Abuse | Suicide Prevention | Trauma
Anxiety
Did you know we need anxiety to stay alive? Yes, it is an alarm system that alerts us about danger and helps us avoid things that might cause us harm. However, sometimes, that system becomes overwhelmed and begins to alert us even when there is no danger present.
Anxiety can impact our mood, sleep, appetite, relationships, stomachaches, headaches, etc.
Good news, learning about anxiety and understanding what it is, when you feel it, where you feel it, and how to manage it is the KEY to managing it. There are TOOLs to help you!
How Anxiety Shows Up in our Body
When the brain perceives a threat, it activates the body's "fight or flight" alarm system, and adrenaline is released into the blood from the adrenal glands. We experience uncomfortable feelings because the adrenaline makes the body systems speed up, diverting blood towards the big muscles, preparing us to attack (anger) or escape (anxiety).
The different ways our brain decides to deal with perceived threats are:
FIGHT: The need to fight our way out of trouble
FLIGHT: The need to escape danger
FREEZE: The need to be immobile and numb
While these are all normal responses to threats, our brain learns what works for us and tends to always use the same response. The image on the left shows the different ways adrenaline can impact the body.
Understanding this is a physical reaction can be the first step to learning coping strategies and ways to reprogram our brain to deal with situations in a different way. With time and practice, you can build new neuropathways to notice and react to situations with healthier outcomes.
Tools to Manage Anxiety
Anxiety Explained
How We Cope with Anxiety & Stress
Anxiety | Depression | Eating Disorder | Grief | Neurodiversity | Relationships | Schizophrenia/Bipolar | Self-Harm | Stress | Substance Abuse | Suicide Prevention | Trauma