What is Anxiety?

May 19, 2022
4 min read

When a normal physiological response goes haywire.

Written by Simon Spichak

Anxiety is the body’s reaction to stress, which prepares us for potential dangers by keeping us aware and alert. But when we experience anxiety that isn’t proportional to a situation, it causes fear and avoidance. With therapy and other treatments, anxiety is readily managed.

Your heart is racing, you start sweating, and feel a sense of impending danger or doom. There’s nothing that should be dangerous or stressful around you. It makes you feel like cancelling the rest of your plans, making a warm cup of tea and curling up in bed.

You’re not alone - this is anxiety. Around three in ten individuals will deal with an anxiety disorder throughout their lifetime.

What causes anxiety

Anxiety is a perfectly normal response to stressful situations. However, when something goes wrong with the way your body processes stressful situations it can affect the quality of your daily life.

Anxiety activates the body’s fight or flight system, making you hyperaware and alert of surroundings but also raising blood pressure and stress. It readies you for survival in a dangerous situation or it can help you flee and avoid danger.

Anxiety is extremely common in students, especially when it comes to thinking about the future.

What will I do if I fail the exam? What if I can’t make it to medical school? What if I can’t make friends in university? What if my degree won’t help me?

Symptoms of anxiety

Generalized anxiety disorder

This form of anxiety leads to constant worry which interferes with daily life activities. Even mustering the energy to study or work on assignments becomes a challenge. You might also worry about your family or your health so much that it distracts you from other responsibilities.

Some symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder include:

Restlessness
Feeling on edge
Fatigue
Trouble concentrating
Muscle tension
Trouble sleeping

Social anxiety disorder

Social Social anxiety involves worrying about social situations. While it is normal to be a little anxious, in social anxiety disorder there is a lot of discomfort and it may even lead you to cancel plans with your friends and avoid social situations.

People dealing with social anxiety disorder have fears that they will get humiliated, embarrassed or rejected in social situations. As a result, a person becomes reluctant to socialize and meet new people. This form of anxiety is especially common during high school and university.

Panic attacks

A panic attack is a severe response to anxiety that sometimes feels like a heart attack. The physical physical symptoms include:

Sweating
Chills
Difficulty breathing
Weakness or dizziness
Tingly or numb hands
Chest pain
Stomach pain
Nausea

Treating anxiety

If anxiety is having a negative impact on your life, you should visit a therapist.

Therapists can teach you strategies to counter the physical and psychological symptoms using breathing exercises and dialectical behavioral therapy. One strategy would involve helping you accept your anxious thoughts without engaging with them. Opposite action can help you deal with anxiety by approaching situations rather than avoiding them.

You can also speak with a doctor or psychiatrist who might want to prescribe you medications. The medications can help “open” your brain up to therapy. Combining anti-anxiety medicine with therapy can help you when therapy alone doesn’t.

Above all, remember that hundreds of millions of people around the world have also dealt with anxiety. You can find solace in knowing you are not alone and many other people in your situation have managed to get their anxiety under control.

Please note that this post is written for educational purposes, it is not therapy. If you need to talk to a professional please book a consultation with a psychotherapist through Resolvve.