You’re not alone. I used to think that it was an actual thought or situation that made me feel anxious. But it turns out I’ve become afraid of anxiety itself. So how do we cope with anxiety sensitivity? Let’s have a look.
So How Do We Develop Anxiety Sensitivity?
For many of us, childhood trauma is the cataylst. Other possible reasons include:
Your mind and body have gotten into the habit of triggering false alarms
Setting off the physiological symptoms of anxiety, when they’re really not needed. Continually feeling hypervigilant can make you intolerant to anxiety itself.
For me always analysing the environment and people around me, in search of possible danger was debilitating. And when these false alarms go off again, the anxiety sensitivity kicks in.
We believe, whether subconsciously or consciously, that anxiety will cause us literal harm
The body’s natural mechanism is to keep us out of harm’s way. So when we feel anxious, our body can panic that we’re going to be physically hurt. The truth is, a panic attack won’t cause a heart attack. But our mind and body can make us think it will. There have even been studies confirming that same regions in the brain where physical pain is activated can be triggered by emotional pain, despite there not being a physical stimulus.
The fear I felt growing up was so intense that my body began to believe it was going through physical pain each time I felt afraid. Those parts of my brain were hyperactivated so much of the time, that the two became entangled. It became a habitual reaction of mine to fear fear itself.
The truth is, anxiety has an important purpose. When there is a leigitimate threat (such as a fire), it sets off our internal alarm system. Without it, we would continue to walk into the flames.
Unhealthy Ways We Deal With Anxiety Sensitivity
It makes sense that until we learn a healthy way to cope with feeling afraid, we will continue to handle it in an unhealthy way. I have been no exception.
If you too have developed anxiety sensitivity, then you may relate to some of the maladaptive coping mechanisms below:
Isolating
Life is an anxiety-inducing place. This truth cannot be avoided. But if we’re afraid of anxiety itself, we can start to avoid things that trigger it.
Overthinking
When we fear anxiety itself, we want to do whatever we can to protect ourselves from it. And for me, I’ve tried to do this through overthinking. This is one of my most challenging mechanisms to overcome. My mind has gotten into the habit that if it overthinks situations or people, then I’ll be safe. If I overanalyse every possible outcome, every hidden meaning, and every worst-case scenario, then I won’t be caught off guard or have the rug pulled out from under me.
This distorted idea that keeping “threats” at the forefront will stop me from feeling anxious, only keeps the anxiety alive.
Distracting
Just as we avoid, we distract. When we have anxiety sensitivity, panic can set in when it does appear. Triggering us to shift focus as soon as possible. Whether that’s through mindless scrolling, binge watching, or substance abuse. Shifting your focus is a healthy thing, but not if you’re doing it to stop yourself from feeling the emotion to begin with.
I remember times I would force myself to sleep because I couldn’t tolerate the anxiety. Or I would constantly fill my silences with music or Netflix because I didn’t want my mind to wander.
We Can Only Start To Reduce Our Anxiety Sensitivity, Once We Realise It’s Not To Be Feared
When we fear anxiety, it becomes the big bad troll under the bridge, and now we’re too terrified to cross. But we have to cross it. There is no way around. No alternative route. So if this is the case, it’s better for us to accept anxiety. When we learn to accept, we actually diffuse. The troll is no longer a troll, but the flow of water beneath.
I don’t want to keep bracing myself for anxiety. It’s terrifying and exhausting. I need to change my approach.
But I get it; it’s so much easier said than done, especially when we’ve been doing something for so long. It’s taking continual effort and retraining to stop old patterns in the tracks, and to remind myself I am safe with the anxiety I feel. To turn towards the fear and walk through, instead of running from it. However, the tools I practice each and every day continue to support me on this mission. Mindfulness, meditation, challenging unhelpful thinking, etc. are all ways I change the fearful narrative in my mind.
Because life is short. And what a loss, to spend the brief time we have at war within ourselves.
Do you think you have anxiety sensitivity too? What helps you? I’d love to hear your story. Reach out in the comments or just fill out a contact form!
Ways to accept anxiety can be found here Can’t Get Rid Of Your Anxiety? Try Accepting Anxiety Instead — Satya Wellness Collective
