Surviving John

We’ve all experienced symptoms of anxiety. I’m sure you’ve experienced a time when you were stressed or anxious. Perhaps it was during a first date or when you did something embarrassing in public. This is the body’s natural way of coping with a threat.

To clarify things. Getting symptoms of anxiety is natural every once and a while and does not mean that it’s related to an anxiety disorder. People who have anxiety disorders, experience anxiety at a much higher level and might experience bouts of anxiety attacks frequently.

A anxiety or panic attack associated with anxiety disorders although much more severe is similar to a normal everyday anxiety. In fact, anxiety disorder symptoms stem from the same biological vulnerability that we all have. Usually this is referred to as the fight or flight response, or simply the stress response.

The sensations and symptoms of anxiety that we feel during times of stress might sometimes make a situation worse. At times however, it can actually be of help. Also, anxiety is experienced differently with each person. Some may find that it’s a hindrance while other individuals may find that it can actually help.

Imagine that your driving theory test is coming soon. Obviously you want to pass first time so you make sure you study hard. This anxiousness might push you harder to study. In this case the stress response has a positive effect.

This time imagine that you have your 3rd driving practical test tomorrow. You don’t want to fail again so you feel extremely nervous and worried. You think about the disappointment and embarrassment of failing again. On the day you find that you’re jittery, anxious and on the verge of an anxiety panic attack. In this case the symptoms of anxiety really have a negative effect on your performance.

The stress response is designed to help us fight off physical threats and real dangers. When the response is triggered we experience changes in our body and mind, such as heightened awareness, increased adrenaline and more strength. You can see how this can be of use in situations of danger however it also triggers when we are emotionally threatened too.

Sufferers of anxiety disorders find that their stress response is far more sensitive. In addition, people who suffer from anxiety disorders may have specific triggers for an attack due to negative conditioning.

Consider a person with a phobia disorder. That particular phobia might not seem like a threat to you or I but to the sufferer it’s a real threat. It’s actually normal to make negative associations with certain experiences. For an anxiety disorder sufferer, simply thinking about a negative experience might cause symptoms of anxiety.

Fortunately negative associations can be broken. We can break free from negative conditioning through positive conditioning of the mind. Anyone can learn how to prevent panic symptoms and live happier and healthier.