Anxiety is not a foreign word in our vocabulary. It is a word often used to describe a state of mind. However, are we using it correctly?
Anxiety is more than just the intense worry, the panic, the fight or flight we witness. It is more than just a symptom. It is also way easier said than done to get rid of. But to begin, we must know what anxiety truly is and where it comes from. Anxiety, believe it or not, from a good place.
It is any situation that leads to uncomfortable symptoms, such as worry, fear, a racing heart, sweating, or a feeling of being overwhelmed. Now, when our mind begins to feel any, if not at all, of these symptoms, it indirectly asks our body, in a pretty aggressive manner if I say so myself, “oi, you, I don’t like this situation, what are you doing to doabout it.” Now, the body, who may I add, is also in this uncomfortable situation and is very much taken aback by why it is being asked to solve this issue. So it naturally replies, “umm, I don’t know what to do, you tell me.” Now, anxiety does not like that answer one bit. So it decides for the mind and body that if no one knows what to do, we will not do anything about it.
Like a baby whose only form of communication is to cry even when its happy, sad, cranky, tired, or hungry, anxiety’s go-to response when it doesn’t know what to do is to avoid.
So we avoid, we let the uncomfortable feelings that led to anxiety be produced be bygones. We go on our phones, scroll away for hours, go for a walk, pick a fight, distract, procrastinate, and use drugs or alcohol to numb our feelings—anything to take away from what was making us feel shitty in the first place.
Originally published on September 23, 2024.
