Why Do I Feel Anxious?! A Brief History of Anxiety

Has your anxiety ever came over like you a flash flood?

One moment, you’re feeling fine – going about your day, noticing the nice weather, planning what you’ll have for dinner.

Next – you think about your job, or an important project, or an event you have to go to.

In the moments after that thought, the waters of stress come flooding in and carry you away downstream.  You might wonder, “Why do I feel like this?!  Where did this come from?! How do I stop it?!”

But here’s something annoying: anxiety is actually your brain’s attempt to protect you.

It sounds like BS, I know.  But here’s the deal:

Our brains have developed over a long period of time with one main goal at the forefront: to keep up safe from danger. It does this through a part of the brain called the limbic system. The limbic system is the brain’s first line of defense that prepares the body to ward off danger. It’s set off by a small structure about the size of an almond called the amygdala.  The amygdala’s job is to detect threats.  

Here’s how it goes down:

1. The amygdala detects a threat.

2. It then rings the alarm bells to the rest of the limbic system to let the body know it’s time to defend itself.

3. The body prepares itself to either battle the danger or run from it – AKA it goes into fight or flight.

4.  The body starts doing things like:

5. Increases heart rate

   • Starts sweating

   • Increases breathing

   • Tenses muscles

   • Creates tension in the chest

And if all goes well, the end result is that the body is safe from danger.

See, the fight or flight response was REALLY important to keeping our ancestors alive because there were a lot of threats to them.  The fight or flight response saved precious moments that would be spent thinking of what to do about the danger to simply reacting to it without a second thought. The eyes/ears/nose would detect the danger, the amygdala would assess the threat, then the limbic system would send responses to the rest of the body to prepare itself, all within a moment.

See a ferocious lion in the distance?  ACTIVATE TEAM AMYGDALA.

In current times, most of us aren’t under frequent threat of animals that could kill you in one bite.

But that doesn’t mean our brains aren’t still trying to protect us.  It means that what we perceive as “threats” have changed.  The amygdala protects us from anything we percieve as threats.

For example: Your job is important for keeping your home or paying your bills. One important presentation could cost you that job, so it is a threat. One mistake could potentially also cost you your social standing: your friends, colleagues, family, so any potential mistake becomes a threat. 

The anxiety that you feel is not your brain malfunctioning. It isn’t trying to ruin your day, or carry down a river of worry. Your anxiety is trying to protect you from the dangers you percieve in your daily life. Anxiety is a normal feeling that everyone has because our brains are hard-wired to be on alert from danger.  It’s your brains version of doing the most, or being extra.

But there has to be a balance. When your anxiety reaches the point that it is difficult to function because it sees threats everywhere and as nearly constant, it is time to look for help. Just as much as your brain is not broken because you feel anxious, your brain can get back into the rhythm of flowing smoothly, with a little help.  

Need help decreasing your anxiety?  Click here to schedule a free 15-minute virtual consultation!

Our Whole Living Counseling is a mental health practice in Wyomissing PA that specializes in anxiety, trauma, couples counseling, and grief.  We provide therapy services for kids, teens, adults, & couples.