Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety. A dreaded word. Everyone experiences anxiety of various degrees at different points in their life. Where does anxiety come from and what purpose does it serve? Anxiety is a direct result of one’s flight or fight response. The flight or fight response is a physiological reaction in our bodies that occurs in response to a perceived threat. This is a gift from our ancestors! This is why we have been able to survive generations of roughing it out in the wild. This reaction came in handy when you might run into a bear or needed to defend your cave. Those were valid threats warranting this reaction within our bodies. This feeling is meant to serve you and help you protect yourself. However, if your flight or fight response is triggered by contemplating attending a social event or the task of writing an important paper, it is likely that your anxiety detector is malfunctioning, and you may have an anxiety disorder.

For individuals with anxiety, the flight or fight response is often activated, even though no real danger is present. It is the perception of danger that activates anxiety, regardless of the presence of actual danger. As a result, those with anxiety may actively avoid situations that they perceive as dangerous. Why avoid? Well, the physical sensations that arise during the experience of anxiety are extremely uncomfortable.

What does anxiety physically feel like? The physical symptoms of anxiety can differ from person to person. Most individuals report tightness in chest, stomach discomfort, dizziness, muscle tension, restlessness, perspiration, headaches, and heart palpitations. As someone who has previously dealt with generalized anxiety disorder, I have learned to utilize these physical cues as little alarms that let me know my anxiety detector may need a tune up. Personally, my breathing becomes abnormal, and I become very restless. Once I become aware of this, it is important I do not ignore these symptoms, because my body will continue to set off louder alarms until I pay attention!

If you have an anxiety disorder, it affects your ability to function. You will have a difficult time experiencing the combination of physical and emotional reactions that accompany your anxiety and you will begin to actively avoid the anxiety producing elements in your life. You may experience physiological sensations and the emotional responses of apprehension, fear, shame, confusion, avoidance, selective attention, impairment of concentration, and hypervigilance. You may selectively attend to certain aspects of your environment, you may have a distorted sense of self-evaluation, and you might be unable to control your own critical statements and thoughts. If this sounds familiar, you need to know that this is not how the average person functions, nor is it a healthy way to function. There are many tools you can use and changes you can make to manage your anxiety. Before my anxiety was diagnosed, I always wondered, “How is everyone else walking around living like this?”. The truth was, they weren’t!

If you would like to speak to a professional counselor or psychologist about this and are in the Chicago area, please feel free to contact Olive Branch Counseling Associates, Inc. at 708-633-8000. We are located at 6819 West 167^th Street in Tinley Park, Illinois 60477.

Hillary R.,

Masters Level Intern, 2023

Sources –

Kress, V.E., & Paylo, M.J. (2019). Treating Those with Mental Disorders: A Comprehensive                                

Approach to Case Conceptualization and Treatment. New York, NY: Pearson.