The relationship between depression and anxiety are linked and do influence each other. Both conditions come from the same biological vulnerability, which explains why often both go hand in hand. It is important to seek treatment for both conditions.
ANXIETY AND PANIC?
Anxiety is scary. When we are overcome with feelings of panic, or we feel afraid of what is going to happen next. One minute we feel ok and the next we can feel like everything is out control. Our feelings of anxiety can often leave us worrying about things that have not happened or even that something life threatening is happening.
When we experience anxiety, our body senses a perceived threat to our wellbeing and signals are sent from our body and mind. This then kicks our body into its natural survival mechanism, which can also be known as our “stress response” or “fight or flight response” which is our human survival mechanism.
The flight or fight response originally came from our ancestors when they were faced with dangers in their environment for example being chased by an animal. Our body’s response was either to stay and fight or flee the situation. In either case, this is our bodies physiological and psychological response to stress as it prepares our bodies to react to danger.
Although the chances of us being chased by a saber- toothed tiger have minimalized, our body still experiences the stress response when we are faced with unexpected situations. For example, if we are jogging in the morning and a dog runs out of a garden and barks at us. Our body goes into stress response telling us there could be danger. may experience a racing heart, sweatiness, a knotted stomach, and we feel terrified. However, once we realize the dog is just being curious and is no threat, most of the time afterwards we can recover and move on with our day.
STRESS RESPONSE
A part of the brain structure called the Amygdala fires signals to our adrenal glands to start our stress hormones which are called adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones allow us to fight, run or freeze from the perceived dangers.
PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY
Its extremely helpful to be aware and recognize these symptoms if we are experiencing them. Most of the time we do not realize that its anxiety, and we become fearful that it is a health problem which then causes more anxiety which = more fear = anxiety/fear circle.
The Amygdala’s work is not even finished yet. It continues to scan for dangers until it senses that we are safe. This can then cause the mind symptoms such as:
The Prefrontal Cortex is the part of the brain that is responsible for how we think, our speech, how we separate our behaviors and how we reason with people. The Prefrontal Cortex then takes a backseat to give our Amygdala the priority which can results in symptoms such:
Its easy to see how we get caught up in the fear circle, right?
This is just a small list of some of the symptoms people can experience from the stress response. For example, if we have heart palpitations or a tight chest, we may think we’re having a heart attack. It is normal to have a thought like this because it is a scary experience that is happening to us. But do not worry, we are going to provide tools to help us combat this.
CAUSES OF ANXIETY?
There are many different causes of anxiety, and for many people, there may be multiple contributing factors. We all have different triggers for anxiety.
It is important to recognize what our triggers are. Identifying our triggers is one of the most important steps to managing our anxiety. Here are some possible triggers below:
Anxiety could also be caused by a hormone imbalance such as:
This hormonal unbalance can also increase stress. Until our hormones can balance themselves out, it is important to look after ourselves to help rebalance our body and mind. There are also things that humans can consume that can exacerbate your anxiety, stimulants such as:
Below is feedback from a poll on what causes people the most anxiety in day-to-day life. It is important to read through to see if any of these may highlight why are experiencing anxiety.
When we experience anxiety, our body senses a perceived threat to our wellbeing and signals are sent from our body and mind. This then kicks our body into its natural survival mechanism, which can also be known as our “stress response” or “fight or flight response” which is our human survival mechanism.
The flight or fight response originally came from our ancestors when they were faced with dangers in their environment for example being chased by an animal. Our body’s response was either to stay and fight or flee the situation. In either case, this is our bodies physiological and psychological response to stress as it prepares our bodies to react to danger.
Although the chances of us being chased by a saber- toothed tiger have minimalized, our body still experiences the stress response when we are faced with unexpected situations. For example, if we are jogging in the morning and a dog runs out of a garden and barks at us. Our body goes into stress response telling us there could be danger. may experience a racing heart, sweatiness, a knotted stomach, and we feel terrified. However, once we realize the dog is just being curious and is no threat, most of the time afterwards we can recover and move on with our day.
STRESS RESPONSE
A part of the brain structure called the Amygdala fires signals to our adrenal glands to start our stress hormones which are called adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones allow us to fight, run or freeze from the perceived dangers.
PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY
- Heart palpitations/tightness of chest area.
- Dizziness or feeling faint.
- Shaking and sweating.
- High blood pressure.
- Stomach cramps.
- Rapid breathing – hyperventilating.
- Tingling over different areas of the body.
- Jaw/mouth or headaches
Its extremely helpful to be aware and recognize these symptoms if we are experiencing them. Most of the time we do not realize that its anxiety, and we become fearful that it is a health problem which then causes more anxiety which = more fear = anxiety/fear circle.
The Amygdala’s work is not even finished yet. It continues to scan for dangers until it senses that we are safe. This can then cause the mind symptoms such as:
- Catastrophizing thoughts/Worst case scenarios.
- Racing thoughts/overthinking.
- Looking at life through a negative lens.
The Prefrontal Cortex is the part of the brain that is responsible for how we think, our speech, how we separate our behaviors and how we reason with people. The Prefrontal Cortex then takes a backseat to give our Amygdala the priority which can results in symptoms such:
- Inability to think straight.
- Feeling like we are losing control.
- Struggling to find any mind clarity.
Its easy to see how we get caught up in the fear circle, right?
This is just a small list of some of the symptoms people can experience from the stress response. For example, if we have heart palpitations or a tight chest, we may think we’re having a heart attack. It is normal to have a thought like this because it is a scary experience that is happening to us. But do not worry, we are going to provide tools to help us combat this.
CAUSES OF ANXIETY?
There are many different causes of anxiety, and for many people, there may be multiple contributing factors. We all have different triggers for anxiety.
It is important to recognize what our triggers are. Identifying our triggers is one of the most important steps to managing our anxiety. Here are some possible triggers below:
- Fear
- Being overwhelmed with problems that have no solutions
- Stress
- Your general wellbeing needs are not being met
- Emotional blockages
- Mineral and vitamin deficiency
Anxiety could also be caused by a hormone imbalance such as:
- Puberty, experiencing teenage hormones
- Before or after your menstrual cycle
- Pregnancy
- Postnatal
- Starting or discontinuing the contraception pill
- Menopause
This hormonal unbalance can also increase stress. Until our hormones can balance themselves out, it is important to look after ourselves to help rebalance our body and mind. There are also things that humans can consume that can exacerbate your anxiety, stimulants such as:
- Caffeine
- Sugar
- Alcohol/Drugs
- Nicotine
Below is feedback from a poll on what causes people the most anxiety in day-to-day life. It is important to read through to see if any of these may highlight why are experiencing anxiety.
- School/Work – feeling pressure to meet deadlines, worrying about passing exams or finding the right career path
- Family – Relationship difficulties, conflict/arguments or disagreements within our household, the stress of caring for a family member
- Financial issues – Worrying about paying bills, debts or borrowing money
- Health – Health worries or Illnesses, injuries or losing someone (bereavement)
- Trauma – Abuse, bullying or neglect.
- External factors – housing issues, accumulative stress building up, parties or social events can trigger feelings of anxiety
- Genetics - having a family history of anxiety or mental health condition
- Stress anxiety can also lead to behavior issues such as skipping meals, drinking alcohol, or not getting enough sleep which can increase your anxiety
THE MIND AND BODY ARE A TEAM!
The mind and body work together, communicating back and forth all the time. Our bodies can sense when its unsafe, reacting to our physical changes throughout the day, such as:
Our minds can sense when its unsafe from our senses and our thoughts such as:
When the mind and body sense that it is unsafe, it activates our stress response. The fight or flight human survival mode will kick in, in an effort to protect us. Although this is fine in small doses and at the right time, we cannot live in survival mode, as it is not good for our short or long term health. Here are some of the things we can do to reduce our anxieties:
Go to Tools and Techniques to learn some tips to help reduce your anxiety
If your anxiety is causing you distress and is occurring frequently, learn the self-help techniques. Additionally, read through the service resources in the event of needing assistance. Please reach out to a loved one or seek professional help. WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER!
- Prolonged tension in our body
- Not breathing properly – either holding our breaths or breathing too quick (hyperventilating)
- Rushing around all the time – SLOW DOWN!
- Pain
Our minds can sense when its unsafe from our senses and our thoughts such as:
- Taste or smell of something that reminds us of an unpleasant time or event
- A loud noise that reminds us of a traumatic experience
- Fearful thoughts
- Negative thought perception
- Experiencing or hearing verbal or physical violence that has occurred
- Unprocessed Trauma
When the mind and body sense that it is unsafe, it activates our stress response. The fight or flight human survival mode will kick in, in an effort to protect us. Although this is fine in small doses and at the right time, we cannot live in survival mode, as it is not good for our short or long term health. Here are some of the things we can do to reduce our anxieties:
- Learn to relax our body and calm our minds regularly
- Identifying negative thought patterns and triggers in order to change them (Go to the journaling section for some tips on this)
- Learning to love ourselves, being aware of the language we use towards ourselves and others
- Be patient and kind to ourselves
- Exercise
- Getting enough sleep (Go to Sleep hygiene for our guide to getting a good night’s sleep)
- Setting aside a specific time to worry so it does not consume our day (Have a look at the worry pad technique in tools and techniques)
Go to Tools and Techniques to learn some tips to help reduce your anxiety
If your anxiety is causing you distress and is occurring frequently, learn the self-help techniques. Additionally, read through the service resources in the event of needing assistance. Please reach out to a loved one or seek professional help. WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER!