Anxiety
Do you find yourself sweating and so nervous that you can’t leave your house or enjoy activities you used to enjoy?
Do your thoughts consume you and all you think about is worry?
Anxiety is a general term for several disorders that cause nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worrying. Simply put, anxiety is a form of trauma. Anxiety Disorder can be classified into 6 types:
- GAD- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Panic Disorder
- Phobia
- Social-Anxiety Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- PTSD
- Separation-Anxiety Disorder
Common situations where anxiety might be present:
- Public Speaking
- Performing
- Presentations
- Exam/Test Taking
- Medical Procedures
- Interacting with New People/ Social Settings
- Sex
- Flying
- Driving
Why am I experiencing anxiety?
Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers is a book written by Dr. Robert M. Sapolsky. The main plot explored how zebras have finely tuned brains that allow them to sniff out danger in the wild and to get a jump start on evading a predator. Their brains, however, are not complex enough to “remember” the event and “interpret” its “meaning”. Therefore, they do not worry about it once the danger is past, and do not get ulcers.
Humans are different. We remember a dangerous or traumatic event and may develop anticipatory anxiety about it happening again. Our nervous systems become overly sensitized to “expecting the worst,” and we may “see” the worst when there is no real threat. Our brains become like an overly sensitive motion detector. Just like how a fine rain drizzle can set off the motion detector, our bodies may react in similar ways even when there is no real intruder.
When expecting and worrying about the “worst happening,” our brains go into a state of “fight or flight.” It does not know the difference a real intruder and a “false alarm.” Thus, when we are reminded of situations that have caused us anxiety in the past, our bodies may feel like they’re out of control (i.e. having a panic or anxiety attack).
So now what?
EMDR can help work through all of these traumas/ “anxiety-attached-memories” and help your brain and your body “reboot” so that your “alarm” works properly and does not get “inaccurately set off.”