When Challenges Happen: Anxiety Explored
The following is still under development = it is incomplete!
Anxiety: An Exploration
Anxiety is a very varied experience that can arise from a wide variety of causes and can lead to a spectrum of feelings and thoughts. There are also a wide variety of techniques, therapies, and approaches that can be valuable to manage and reduce anxiety.
Like most things that are driven by our subconscious, anxiety derives from a natural state of mind that is intended to support and protect us. Anxiety is like an internal alarm bell that goes off when our subconscious identifies a potential threat. But this positive role for anxiety can become self-damaging if continues for extended periods of time or if the strength of the anxiety is out of proportion to the circumstances. The result is emotional discomfort and mental confusion that represents chronic (long-term) anxiety.
Think of how you experience your own anxiety and pick the description below that most closely matches how you know that you are experiencing anxiety:
Anticipation: eg. low-level feelings, alertness, focus of mind, apprehension, trepidation.
Anticipation
Feelings: eg. unease, tenseness, body tightness, emptiness, sickness, and so on.
Anxiety Feelings
Worrying: Persistent repeating thoughts.
Anxiety Worrying
Fears: Specific fears about your life and what might happen.
Anxiety Fears
Phobia: Intense emotional reactions to specific objects, situations, or social events.
Anxiety Phobia
Trauma: Something has happened to you and you find that this can continue to influence your thoughts and feelings.
Anxiety Trauma
Stress: Your life is full of pressures and this can become overwhelming.
Anxiety Stress
None of the above.
Anxiety Other