What is anxiety?
Anxiety is normal. We all experience it at one stage or another in our lives. Sometimes however, it takes over our lives a bit much and makes it difficult to enjoy regular day-to-day activities. This is when we need some extra help. Both genetics and environment play a role in our experiences of anxiety. For some, managing anxiety is a life-long challenge, particularly if anxiety runs in the family and has been passed down the generations. While anxiety can not be "cured", it can be managed so that life can be much more enjoyable.
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Why humans experience anxiety
According to this video, humans are the only creature known (to humans) that think about and plan for the future. This thinking about the future can leave us thinking lots of "what if...?" questions. These can lead to worrying about what might happen in the future and result in anxiety.
How do animals stay chilled even after a close call from being attacked? This video suggests that they use "mindfulness" techniques. You can find out more about them in the "Take a moment" section of this website. |
My brain is a two-story house: How anxiety impacts the ability to think and reason
When we go into survival mode (fight, flight freeze) we can suddenly find it hard to think straight, hear what people are saying to us or problem solve to think our way out of feeling bad. To understand what this is all about you might like to read "Introducing the brain house: the upstairs and downstairs" which describes the brain as a house. This also includes some activity ideas for children. In this article the thinking brain or upstairs is the neocortex, the emotional/feeling brain or downstairs, the limbic system, and the pathways which connect these being described as the stairs. The article discusses what happens when the limbic or feeling brain, takes over in flight, flight, freeze, and how this effects our thinking brain. |
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Emotions and the brain
How we experience feelings are a result of chemicals being released in the brain. For example adrenaline or cortisol are released if facing a potential threat, whereas dopamine, oxytocin or serotonin are released in a situation where something positive is perceived. Our emotions hijack our brain, however as this video highlights, knowing this can help us to find ways to regulate and take control of our brain to feel better. |
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The fight, flight, freeze response
Self protection for humans occurs as a result of our fight, flight, freeze (FFF) response. This is driven by our brain which triggers an alarm that results in changes such as past heart rate, dry mouth and 'butterflies'. Knowing the signs and symptoms of anxiety helps us to know when we need to use a strategy to calm our limbic system (the fight, flight, freeze system) to feel calmer.
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Hormones and anxiety (PG)
Hormones also affect our stress responses, which means that puberty and menstrual cycles also impacting on experiences of anxiety. The endocrine system video teaches about the different glands and hormones our bodies produce, including the release of adrenaline in the flight, flight, freeze response. If you are interested in reading a research article specific to anxiety and stress and the brain during the teen years you might like to read, "The teenage brain: The stress response and the adolescent brain". |
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