Anxiety.

Before I begin this blog post, I'd like you to know this is a personal post to write about for me. If you are reading this and you know someone who suffers from anxiety/panic attacks, I hope this blog gives you a better understanding of it. If you are someone who suffers from anxiety and panic attacks, know that you are not alone.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is an awful/emotion to feel. It's a feeling that you cannot control. It can be triggered, and sometimes panic attacks creep up on you. The American Psychological Association (APA) defines it as "an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure." The APA also describes an anxiety disorder as "having recurring intrusive thoughts and concerns." Many people avoid situations out of worry and fear, I am one of these people. Everyone has different levels of anxiety, and it affects them in different ways. For example, when we're stressed out anxiety levels are higher, and throughout time our nervous system becomes more sensitive to it. Others who are calm will have a lower anxiety threshold. Many people don't know if a person experiences an extremely high level of anxiety that can cause panic attacks. A panic attack in simpler words is a brief episode of intense anxiety; this is how anxiety and panic attacks differ. Anxiety is triggered by something, while panic attacks happen without anything that triggers them. Lastly, panic attacks happen suddenly, while anxiety becomes more intense over minutes or hours. 

What happens to your brain during  a anxiety attack? 

When one is feeling anxious, our body becomes on alert; and it prompts our brain to prepare itself for flight and fight mood. Your brain floods your body with two chemicals cortisol and adrenaline. That affects your nervous system. Those hormones alerts/tells your body something is going to happen. With an anxious brain, you may not be able to calm down because more stress hormones are released to the brain until you become overwhelmed. It comes to the point you can't control your body.  

Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety Attack

• Rapid heart rate
• Chest Pain
• Fear
• Irritability
• Feeling on edge
• Muscle tension
• Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
• Feeling weak
• Breathing rapidly
• Trembling

My Story with Anxiety

I suffer from anxiety. First time I am ever embracing it. When I was younger I never knew why I felt this way. As an adult, I now understand I was suffering from anxiety and some panic attacks. During my school years, they labeled me as a shy kid. My entire life I believed I was a shy kid, but I wasn't. It turned out to be anxiety. I was always scared to talk in class or with my classmates. From looking back on my childhood, I would never want to ask for help at school, talk to family members, talk in public, etc. I was scared to ask for a refill of soda, order my food, and ask for a takeout box. I remember in elementary school I would cry that I hurt myself, I didn't feel good to go to the nurse's office to be sent home or to get out of class. I remember when my teacher stopped letting me go to the nurse's offices it triggered my anxiety. I would ask to go to the restroom and cry in the bathroom stall. One day we had to present something but that entire week, I was becoming anxious. That day of presentations, I had started to feel like the room was getting smaller, started to feel hot, my heart racing, and I felt dizzy. They took me to the nurse because I started crying, and in 20 minutes of resting my nerves calmed down. That was the first time I experienced a panic attack. I did not know what I was going through, all I felt was disconnected from my body. As a child, I had social anxiety, but as an adult my social anxiety has improved. It's not as high, but sometimes it creeps out of nowhere. Dealing with this anxiety disorder has created a phobia for me. I am not ready to share this phobia, but it is a daily essential. I am working on it, but this phobia triggers my anxiety. My anxiety may be a low level one day, but when this phobia is even a thought or topic of conversation my anxiety goes to a high level. I feel like it's going to be the end of the world when I have to do it or when they talk about it in front of me. I have mild anxiety in my daily life, but that phobia can change it to serve anxiety. I've only experienced  couple of panic attacks in my younger years, but hardly any as an adult. My anxiety increases when I socialize but not the point of panic attacks as a child. My therapist and I are trying to control my anxiety for it won't lead to a panic attack. I have been blessed not to experience them as an adult. Not many know that I am dealing with my phobia and anxiety. I have some people in my life that understand, and then some say they "understand" but feels like they don't. Those that "understand" struggle to understand how it affects me physically, my life, or some decisions that I choose to make. There are times I ask myself "why can't I just be normal?". People don't understand that people who suffer from anxiety and panic attacks DON'T WANT TO FEEL THIS WAY. We want to go through our daily life without overthinking, and living in fear when anxiety or panic attacks are going to happen. After an anxiety attack or when my phobia gets the best of me, I feel so upset and angry at myself. The reason is I get upset is not having control of it and not knowing how to make it stop. 

How to Help Someone With Anxiety

1. Don't be forceful. Be patient, and accepting.
2. Let them do things at their own pace. 
3. Remain calm when the panicker is experiencing an anxiety attack.
4. Be supportive and reassuring. 
5. Hear them out when they want to talk about their triggers or feelings.
6. Don't show any disappointment or annoyance. Remember they don't choose to be this way.

I hope you guys enjoyed this blog. The purpose of this blog is to let others know they are not alone. Don't let anyone force you to do something you are uncomfortable with or not ready to do. Your health is more important than trying to make someone else happy. Share your experience with me by comments. Don't forget to check out my other social media. 

--Ginny