We meet again! I hope this post finds you well. This week I wanted to talk about anxiety and the related causes and effects that it can and will have an impact on our families. There are many words to describe this phenomenon; strain, pressure, tension, worry, stress, nervousness, trouble, difficulty, distress, trauma, suffering, pain, grief, overstretch, overtax, burden, and upset. This list can go on and on. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want any part of that list! Yet we encounter the feeling of anxiety in our daily lives.
I myself struggle with daily depression and anxiety, so researching this topic really helped me not only understand myself better, but others' reactions as well. Left unchecked anxiety can drive a person to insanity. So why do we even have it in the first place? It all starts in the brain. With this 3-pound mass of meat, we find every part that makes you well you! It includes, but is not limited to, the frontal lobe, the limbic system, the occipital lobe, and the brain stem. (See photo below)
Our brain receives and responds to information, reacting within mill-a-seconds to whatever countless stimuli it processes. One of the many things it does is analyze and react to danger in a process called Fight, Flight, and Freeze. This term is used frequently, however, I will explain it a bit more in-depth. During this reaction to a situation, your brain will prepare your mind and body to react quickly and with an advantage to survive. It starts in your frontal lobes, which take care of your intentional thinking, reasoning, problem-solving, etc. It is shut down and moved to your Limbic System, which is basically your autopilot. Likewise, it is an automatic body reaction like how you unconsciously block your face when something is about to hit it. Then it is your brain steam which sends signals to the rest of your body like your metabolic response, heart rate, digestion, breath, blood pressure, etc. When a Fight, Flight, or Freeze response is triggered, these processes happen to allow you to either fight what is dangerous, flee from the danger, or freeze and let the danger pass. Each has an advantage in keeping you alive. Your heart rate increases; preparing your body for activity by pushing blood faster to your extremities. Next, digestion stops (or expels) to let your body focus energy needed for survival. Then comes an inhale of breath to ready the body for whichever process is decided. Lastly, your blood pressure either increases, (which allows more movement to the extremities) or decreases (to prevent bleeding out if or when you are injured).
This process is quick to start but slow to leave in case the threat is still present or returns. Which is wonderful when being attacked by a bear. However, what happens when there is no danger, but you still react this way? Although, the fight, flight, and freeze response not only happens in the reality of danger but the perception of it! Stress or anxiety are needed aspects of this process. Without them, we wouldn't feel the urgency of situations. When triggered by things like speaking on the phone, it can cause issues. It is especially so when its frequency inhibits daily life.
Understanding this concept helped to bring me a lot of peace with my own struggles. It is a wonderful response when applied properly and allows us to survive dangerous situations. This is where we speak of adaptive and maladaptive behavior. When having adaptive thinking or coping in a situation, you are focused on positive resolutions and behaviors which aid in the processing and growth of the individual. Whereas maladaptive thinking or coping with a situation, focuses on the negative, whether learned or taught, it negatively impacts the individual, inhibiting growth, causing regression, or worsening symptoms. I made this chart to help visualize the feelings and perspectives which impact us. (See Picture Below)
Love,
Ya MaMa Tree <3
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