[Post 3.1] Where does ‘anxiety’ come from, physically speaking?
Whether it is the expectations I set for myself or the fear of underperforming in front of other people, I find myself constantly in a state of anxiety. To be fair, I spend most of my time at home alone — yet the twisted feeling in my stomach seems to be constantly seeking my attention.
I have sought medical help in the past, claiming that it is a neurological response that triggered minor acid reflux and heartburn; however, I believe there are many more aspects and factors to it. Today, I want to fully embrace anxiety, and try to figure it out from start to finish.
The history of anxiety
In order to better understand where anxiety comes from, we need to first identify its crucial evolutional purpose in the history of human beings. —
For hundreds of thousands of years, humans didn’t have things like homework, tests, or social media. The main stressors humans faced were:
- Danger (animals and invaders)
- Famine (hunger and starvation)
- Pending natural disasters
As a result of these suddenly occurring and extremely dangerous events, our brains are wired to bring up our heartbeat and signal us to stay alert immediately.
- Throughout most of human history, ‘stress’ and ‘danger’ were seen by our brains as being pretty much the same thing — a matter of survival
- As much as we have evolved, our brain cannot distinguish exactly between the difference between 1)a bear trying to eat us and 2) a math exam, all it cares about is keeping you alive
“When our brain thinks we are in danger, it responds to help us stay safe. This is called our ‘fight/flight/freeze’ response. The good news is, once you are safe and calm down, everything in your brain returns to normal.”
– Amanda, Kids Helpline Counsellor
3 different sections of our brain under anxiety
1. Brain Stem
- Prioritizes some survival functions, e.g. your heart beats faster so you can breathe in more oxygen (the same thing happens under caffeine)
- Extra energy goes to your limbs so you can move faster or be stronger
2. Hypothalamus, Hippocampus, and Amygdala
- Your emotions become more intense (extreme highs and lows)
- a WARNING system to help us respond to threats quickly
3. Frontal Lobe
- Temporarily goes ‘offline — it doesn’t matter if you can conjugate French verbs or do algebra if you are in danger!
- The energy that your smart brain would normally use is sent to other prioritized brain and body systems
In short, anxiety starts in our brain, and it immediately takes top priority over our body. Our immune system, digestive system, and even reproductive system are all affected by the release of hormones and other signals. Thus, it is crucial to hold proper mental health and tell our brains to calm down when trivial anxiety arises throughout our daily lives.