Everybody gets anxious from time to time, sometimes even for no good reason. But too much of that stuff is debilitating.
I suspect I'm somewhere on the borderline of anxiety being a problem. As a perfectionist who bears some weighty responsibilities, anxiety comes with the territory -- the fear of having forgotten or fucked up something, or of financial matters coming to a head.
But sometimes the anxiety hits for no reason. I think it might be triggered by a thought or a memory or a word, but I cannot pinpoint it. I suppose that it is an effect of my innate control-freakery, combined with some brain chemical that gets triggered.
The effect is stultifying. Mentally I'm drained of energy, physically I feel weakened. And that feeling in the stomach makes it difficult to concentrate on fighting this near-paralysis. I can function normally during these anxiety attacks, or at least give the appearance of doing so. But it's hard work, no matter how much I tell myself that it's all in my head, that worrying doesn't solve anything, that I must leave be what isn't in my control. I'd rather be in a cocoon.
And then it all disappears, sometimes (rarely) after a few hours, sometimes after a few days. It depends on circumstances. I'm glad that these episodes are transient, and that I don't suffer more serious symptoms, such as panic attacks. My anxiety seems to be a mild manifestation rather than a disorder, so I don't think it requires treatment (at least not yet).
I'm quite certain I'm not the only one here with anxiety problems. What do others experience? What do they do to address the problem?
I suspect I'm somewhere on the borderline of anxiety being a problem. As a perfectionist who bears some weighty responsibilities, anxiety comes with the territory -- the fear of having forgotten or fucked up something, or of financial matters coming to a head.
But sometimes the anxiety hits for no reason. I think it might be triggered by a thought or a memory or a word, but I cannot pinpoint it. I suppose that it is an effect of my innate control-freakery, combined with some brain chemical that gets triggered.
The effect is stultifying. Mentally I'm drained of energy, physically I feel weakened. And that feeling in the stomach makes it difficult to concentrate on fighting this near-paralysis. I can function normally during these anxiety attacks, or at least give the appearance of doing so. But it's hard work, no matter how much I tell myself that it's all in my head, that worrying doesn't solve anything, that I must leave be what isn't in my control. I'd rather be in a cocoon.
And then it all disappears, sometimes (rarely) after a few hours, sometimes after a few days. It depends on circumstances. I'm glad that these episodes are transient, and that I don't suffer more serious symptoms, such as panic attacks. My anxiety seems to be a mild manifestation rather than a disorder, so I don't think it requires treatment (at least not yet).
I'm quite certain I'm not the only one here with anxiety problems. What do others experience? What do they do to address the problem?
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