| As you must have read in my other articles, stress in | | | | Think about any event in your life and try to remember |
| the root cause and anxiety, depression, phobias, panic | | | | how things went and you will be able to relate that |
| attacks and their derivatives are all symptoms of | | | | experience to this explanation. If you were late for an |
| stress. So, simply said, eliminate the root cause and | | | | important client meeting, you start to feel anxious that |
| you will eliminate the symptoms. What a wonderful | | | | the client may not be willing to meet you anymore, |
| idea? Actually it is similar to saying remove all the | | | | even though you've not met the client just yet? In an |
| water from the world and you will not have any floods. | | | | extreme situation, you become so very anxious that |
| It does not appear to be such a good idea any more | | | | you feel compelled to break the speed limit and drive |
| does it? Water will always be there, so how do we | | | | faster to your destination - that is an indication that you |
| work around the flooding problem? We build dams, | | | | are not thinking rationally anymore. Where did all that |
| construct barriers (ask the Dutch about how to | | | | dopamine go when you need it the most? If that's not |
| construct barriers), re-route the rivers and what not to | | | | your day, you are probably pulling over soon, because |
| prevent the flooding. | | | | those red and blue lights are flashing in your rearview |
| Stress cannot be eliminated from your life - accept it | | | | mirror and the police officer wants to book you in. |
| but understand what that means. Like the ubiquitous | | | | What happens? You are getting more late - more |
| water, stress is everywhere. We need to find ways to | | | | anxiety (did you ever have any dopamine in your |
| work-around the harmful effects of stress. So | | | | brain?) and your negative imaginations run wild. Now |
| although in this case we cannot eliminate the root | | | | you are probably thinking that your opportunity for |
| cause, we can definitely learn how to mitigate the risks | | | | making that sale is gone by now and your boss if |
| imposed upon our psychology and physiology. I will not | | | | going to get you fired. This is when anxiety gives way |
| delve into the physiological interpretation of stress in | | | | to a more severe form - panic. It just gets worse and |
| this article, however you can visit the resource link at | | | | worse. |
| the bottom of this article for further information. It is | | | | Anxiety has also been traced to be genetic in nature. |
| important to have that background however. | | | | Children growing up in families where parents and |
| Why do we feel anxious? | | | | adults are primarily complaining about everything all the |
| As mentioned earlier, anxiety is a symptom of stress. It | | | | time and are anxious about anything at all, are at risk |
| is a response of your body, triggered by your brain to | | | | of developing anxiety disorders themselves. Children |
| indicate that you there is some abnormality in your life | | | | have a fertile imagination anyway. As discussed |
| at the moment. First of all, the feeling of happiness and | | | | before, children growing up in such negative minded |
| content is controlled by two neurotransmitters in the | | | | families also get used to seeing that cart before the |
| brain, called serotonin and dopamine. While serotonin is | | | | horse and as a result of which their fertile imagination |
| called the happy hormone, dopamine is responsible for | | | | also paints negative images in their mind. It becomes |
| your rationality and helps you maintain control of | | | | almost natural for children to worry about everything, |
| yourself. When you are under stress, the level of | | | | since they see everyone in the household doing the |
| these very important neurotransmitters are lowered in | | | | same. When you are anxious, it inhibits free thought |
| your brain. That is what makes you feel "down". Often | | | | and a positive attitude towards life. This in turn inhibits |
| times, this under-the-weather mood can prevent you | | | | creativity - that's because you are not thinking |
| from thinking straight. When this happens your mind | | | | rationally. |
| opens itself up to your imagination. Since you are | | | | It is possible to arrest the proliferation of anxiety |
| feeling down, all negative thoughts start to cloud your | | | | attacks in your life and to your subsequent generations |
| imagination. Your mind starts to put the cart before the | | | | only if you take action. In the next article I will discuss |
| horse and anticipates a future event in simulation | | | | two of the more effective techniques for treating |
| mode. Your mind gets immersed in that vision and you | | | | anxiety attacks. |
| start to feel anxious. | | | | |