Anxiety can be scary! We can feel out of control when in the midst of an anxiety attack.
To understand what happens when we feel an overwhelming surge of anxiety we need to look at the body’s autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is designed to keep us safe. It kicks us into action to keep us safe (sympathetic nervous system), as well as calms us down after the threat has ended (parasympathetic nervous system).
When we aren’t safe our body automatically enters into fight, flight, freeze mode. This reaction is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. I like to remember that it is “sympathetic” to our fear. In this state, we might act before we’ve even had a chance to process what happened. We might notice either a rush of energy into our hands, preparing us to fight, or a rush into our legs preparing us to run, or maybe a feeling of being frozen in place. This automatic trigger keeps us safe when we are in real danger.
After we are safe again our parasympathetic nervous system will trigger a sense of calm. You might feel fatigued from the surge of adrenaline you just faced. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for getting us into a state where we can rest and digest.
Here’s where anxiety comes in: Sometimes this automatic system is triggered without any real danger present. We might feel the same intense reaction in our body: rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, sweating, tense muscles. This can be confusing when it occurs for no apparent reason. This reaction is called anxiety when it happens without cause. For some people, these automatic anxious reactions increase in duration or frequency or intensity.
If you are becoming overwhelmed by these reactions and aren’t sure what to do, reach out. I am here to support you in processing your anxiety and finding tools that work for you to recreate a sense of safety.