Anxiety is sometimes necessary. Anxiety is an automatic reaction from the body to let us know that there is danger. The nervous system in our bodies reacts automatically when it perceives a threat. So anxiety can be good when it is appropriate. When the nervous system reacts, it allows us to deal with that threat by getting our body ready to fight the danger or run from it. We automatically get an adrenaline rush to give us extra energy. The adrenaline rush is happening because the heart is pumping the blood around the body much faster to give us that extra energy we may need. And the breath changes to provide more oxygen to the lungs and bloodstream, allowing the heart, brain, and muscles to be fueled. Fuel to these vital organs is needed to help us deal with the danger.

So Why Does Anxiety Make Us Feel Horrible?

If we had to run from danger or had to fight, we would use that excess energy by fighting or running. Then, when we are safe, the nervous system is supposed to tell the body to relax because we are safe. The heart should slow down, the blood pressure should lower, and breathing should slow down.

However, sometimes our nervous system doesn’t work properly. When the nervous system does not work as it should, then it means it can stay in a state of thinking you are still in danger. In this state of danger, like I explained above, the heart is pumping blood around the body faster. You feel your heart pumping really fast, and it doesn’t feel nice. The breath does not go back to normal, and this can make us feel strange.

Another thing is that our nervous system is unable to identify a perceived threat; it can’t identify what the threat actually is, only that there is one. It doesn’t even identify if it is real or not. What I mean by that is, if we have a thought of worry or fear, even if it is not real, our body thinks it is a real threat. This is when the body reacts automatically to protect us. But, the more you worry about your body not feeling good, the more you are giving the message to your nervous system that there is something wrong, which adds to the anxiety feelings and symptoms gain traction. So you end up staying in this state of panic, fear, and worry. And so you are stuck in a cycle of fear, unrest, and anxiety.

The Symptoms of Anxiety

The symptoms can feel very unpleasant. Those symptoms can be physical and mental. All of which makes anyone who suffers with anxiety often feel physically and mentally exhausted.

The physical symptoms of anxiety can be that our body feels shaky, weak, sweaty, we can have an accelerated heart rate, rapid breathing, dizziness, have panic attacks, chest pain, feel faint, and we might not be able to get to sleep very easily, and when we do sleep, we are very restless and wake up frequently.

The mental and emotional symptoms of anxiety can include feeling embarrassed, feeling stupid and useless; feeling shame around suffering with anxiety, feeling restless, on edge and tense, difficulty concentrating even on simple tasks, having excessive worry, living in fear, and feeling uneasy.