Since the beginning of time, our human bodies have been equipped to handle danger. As our society continued to evolve, so did our source of threatening situations. We went from confronting wildlife, heights and the elements of water, to reacting to stressors such as work, school, or parenting. When you put it that way, it makes you think “Well those are different things to be stressed about compared to in the past…” Yes, yes, they are, but the same nervous system (specifically the sympathetic nervous system or Fight or Flight) that has been delivering messages to and from our voluntary and involuntary pathways before proper civilization, exists in us today!
So, for example, let’s say you are taking a casual hike through Yellowstone National Park. The scenic trail is breathtaking. To the right you see rolling green pastures with mountains just beyond the horizon. To the left, you notice a waterfall cascading down the differently colored rock…. you pause to take in the sounds of the water crashing into the stream below, the smell of the green pasture, and the feeling this brings. The sky is blue and the air is crisp. Right now, your body is regulated. Your heartbeat and breathing are at a steady pace, your eyesight is engulfing the view and nothing is too loud or too soft. Your parasympathetic nervous system (the regulator) is handing out high fives to the rest of your body.
All of a sudden, a grizzly bear enters your path and is looking right at you. Where did he come from?! He stands on his hind legs and roars! You freeze…you are no longer in a tranquil state. Your pupils dilate, your heart begins to race, you start to sweat, and all of your senses are heightened to the max! This is your body entering the fight or flight response (anxiety attack). The sympathetic nervous system is saying “you either stay here and act like your dead, fight the bear, or you get the he** out of here and FAST!” This is what a panic attack feels like.
Anxiety disorders are produced when we have overly frequent, intense, or inappropriate activation of this fight or flight reaction to various stressors in life. The messages traveling throughout our body, primarily from our brain to our stomachs are yelling “We have a problem here! Like a BIG problem! You better get back up!” Pretty soon, your body can no longer identify a big stressor from a small stressor and it goes into permanent protective mode just to stay safe.
When treating anxiety in therapy, education and understanding the purpose and function of this fight or flight response is the key to disarming it. This is the last phase in a modern / everyday anxiety inducing encounter believe it or not. First comes the trigger and ability to identify it, from there you can either avoid the stressor or confront it, and the results then reflect what has happened up until that point. Once you avoid and seek shelter, your brain is relieved and your body begins to thank you by settling down, however this is the food that feeds panic. Through therapy, you learn how to identify the triggers and regulate the feeling to “Abort! Abort!” so that when you are faced with the same stressor in the future, your fight or flight response is left malnourished and once again, your parasympathetic nervous system can hand out high fives.
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