Hey, y'all. So today I was going through some Instagram posts when I saw one of them was related to anxiety and then I realized I never bothered to write on this specific topic, so here's a blog on Anxiety!
What actually is Anxiety?
Anxiety is closely related to fear, which is the response to a real or perceived immediate threat. Fear and anxiety are normal evolved responses in both humans and animals, and physical responses are linked to the "fight-or-flight" system. The autonomic nervous system controls the fight-or-flight response in the body, and this response generally includes dilation of the pupils in the eyes, increased heart rate, and increased respiration/breathing. Anxiety responses can include increased vigilance (paying attention to one's surroundings) and muscle tension.
How happens when you have anxiety?
Anxiety triggers your flight-or-fight stress response and releases a flood of chemicals and hormones, like adrenaline, into your system. In the short term, this increases your pulse and breathing rate, so your brain can get more oxygen. This prepares you to respond appropriately to an intense situation. Your immune system may even get a brief boost.
Anxiety Attack.
An anxiety attack is a sudden episode of intense fear or anxiety and physical symptoms, based on a perceived threat rather than imminent danger.
Anxiety attacks can be explained in a more brief way like this - intense feelings of fear, doom, foreboding, and gloom, a sudden urgency to escape, run away, or get out; the fear that you may lose control of your thoughts and actions; dizziness, nausea and vomiting, and feeling like you might pass out; trembling or shakiness, weakness; difficulty breathing pounding or racing heart; hot or cold flashes; chest pain, hands, and feet may feel numb; you may be lightheaded or woozy, irrational thoughts, and a number of other physical, psychological, and emotional symptoms.
This was what I found online while looking for anxiety attacks.
Here's my very own version of what an anxiety attack feels like 🙃
It feels as if someone or something, more like a force is taking over your body. With every passing second, that invisible force, that invisible pressure, seems to be establishing its grip over you. Your mouth starts drying up and your shoulders start to fold themselves like they do when you crouch down while holding your chest. Your vision gets blurred and you feel an extremely sharp pain-like sensation in your temples (Upper part of the side of the face) Your knees start to hurt in a way that you can't help them. And the case gets even worse if you've got any kind of breathing problems. Just the mere task of inhaling and exhaling seems like a big deal and overall, existing is tough while you're in the middle of an anxiety attack. You just wish that the land below you would burst open and pull you inside, or the ceiling will fall on top of you. All of the mistakes you've done, all of the people you've lost, all of the arguments you've had start playing before you with one thought in mind :
You✨Were✨The✨Wrong✨One
Or
You✨Messed✨Everything✨Up
Or, here's an even worse one,
You✨Aren't✨Worth✨Existing
In short, a panic/anxiety attack sends a person from a 0 to a 100 in an instant. It's halfway between feeling like you'll faint and halfway feeling like you'll die.
If you were not able to relate to any of the descriptions written above, I'm glad you haven't felt anything like that and I hope you never will ❤
And if you were, I appreciate you for standing so strong. The amount of strength it takes to face the world every day when you've got a mental illness is insane, and I'm so proud of you for fighting with your inner demons and making it this far ❤
What are you supposed to be if you have anxiety?
Here's an extremely effective and easy technique to try the next time you're in the middle of an anxiety attack: It's called Grounding. In grounding, you're supposed to acknowledge 5 things you see around you. It could be a pen, a spot on the ceiling, anything in your surroundings. Acknowledge 4 things you can touch around you. It could be your hair, a pillow, or the ground under your feet. Acknowledge 3 things you hear. This could be any external sound. If you can hear your belly rumbling that counts! Focus on things you can hear outside of your body. Acknowledge 2 things you can smell. Maybe you are in your office and smell pencil, or maybe you are in your bedroom and smell a pillow. If you need to take a brief walk to find a scent you could smell soap in your bathroom, or nature outside. Acknowledge 1 thing you can taste. What does the inside of your mouth taste like—gum, coffee, or the sandwich from lunch?
Besides grounding, you can also try listening to music, splashing cold water on your face, drinking a cold glass of water, breathing in the fresh air for a while, and talking to a family member/friend.
These are a few of the many options you could use if you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed. If anxiety is something that you struggle with regularly, and you continue to have trouble refocusing or coping with these feelings, please talk to your doctor.
Here's a love letter to those of you living with anxiety or any mental illness :)
You are enough.
You are seen.
You matter in this world.
You are both the sun and the storm, a beautiful contradiction.
I love you for exactly who you are.
My deepest wish is that you learn to love yourself in the same way I love you.
You are never alone. 💛
(Copy it if you know someone who may need to see this and send it to them✨)
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