Chat Room
08-21-2015, 09:51 AM
Once again, Stacey has posted an excellent article on her her blog. The following extract is the first paragraph and the full article can be read at the link to her blog.
Anxiety (or anxiousness) is a normal state of our lives. As Stacey points out, it can be a lifesaver - what do we do when we see someone in our rear view mirror who's obviously 'under the influence' and approaching much to fast and erratically?
But all too often, it's not the here and now that rouses our anxiety, it's the memories of situations that may not be all that similar. For example, when we find ourselves stressed because we're short of spending money - a normal circumstance to everyone, at least once in a while - what brings on the anxiety is the memory of a father who spent too much on his intoxicant of choice and then to relieve his stress, beats the hell out of anyone in reach. We're not acting on the normal stress of today's situation, we're reacting to the memories of our past.
My examples are my own, not taken from Stacey's article ... which I think you'll find interesting...
Stacey Freedenthal Wrote:Anxiety is fear. It is a message from our brain that something is wrong and we are in danger. Often, the danger is not truly present, at least not to the degree that our mind is telling us it is. But the body does not know this. The body reacts as if the danger is genuine, immediate, a profound threat to our physical integrity, even our life.
Anxiety (or anxiousness) is a normal state of our lives. As Stacey points out, it can be a lifesaver - what do we do when we see someone in our rear view mirror who's obviously 'under the influence' and approaching much to fast and erratically?
But all too often, it's not the here and now that rouses our anxiety, it's the memories of situations that may not be all that similar. For example, when we find ourselves stressed because we're short of spending money - a normal circumstance to everyone, at least once in a while - what brings on the anxiety is the memory of a father who spent too much on his intoxicant of choice and then to relieve his stress, beats the hell out of anyone in reach. We're not acting on the normal stress of today's situation, we're reacting to the memories of our past.
My examples are my own, not taken from Stacey's article ... which I think you'll find interesting...
We live by each other and for each other. Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.
-- Helen Keller