Fear and Anticipation

Much of our problem as anxiety sufferers lies not only in the "now" moments of anxiety attacks and symptoms but also in the "maybe" of these same things. To a large degree I think it’s the maybe that causes most of our angst and worry since it stimulates and prolongs the very emotions and feelings we hate so much.

In his 1872 work called The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals the naturalist Charles Darwin wrote that "if we expect to suffer, we are anxious; if we have no hope of relief, we despair". This insightful line I think rings true for so much of what we deal with on a daily basis. Unfortunately once we experience severe anxiety we become so frightened by it that it shocks our nervous system and leaves us on high alert.

This high level of readiness quickly picks up momentum and evolves into constant worry. We start to think "when is the next time that I will have a palpitation"? Or a stint of dizziness, etc? You start to play the involuntary game of fear anticipation. And although this sounds very simple, it is actually complex and rooted in our brains. It is also the very thing that keeps us anxious.

Of all the emotions we feel, fear is by far the most basic and profound. Fear has a way of tuning you into danger, or the perception of danger, and heightening every sense you have. This level of heightened awareness can sometimes be painful and terrifying. And although this can all be very disturbing, I want to point out that understanding it can also be beneficial.

This is because removing the mystery behind fear can be a liberating act. You should accept fear for what it is, an emotion, however strong we might feel it, it is only that. Defined as a feeling of impending danger or pain, whether the danger is real or perceived, I think that understanding fear in this way takes away it’s sometimes impressive stature in our minds. As I’ve said before fear is not always bad and looms so large for all living things because it could save your life. But in our case it can not only disrupt life but also shorten it (long term effects of stress are bad for your health).

See fear in the terms of biology, survival, emotion, harmlessness and you will begin to lighten the heavy burden of your anxiety sooner than you ever thought possible. Granted this is not easy and fear is powerful, but do what you can to see it this way. Because when you do you will go from stark raven scared to uncomfortably uneasy, which is altogether a different sport from the "regular" anxiety you are used to.

Trying to over analyze everything we feel I think is ultimately detrimental when it comes to our anxiety. What we should accept is that no matter what has made us this way, we are this way. Now let’s focus on bringing our anxiety under control by seeing fear for what it is and not what we think it can become. Do this and the anticipation will lower so that when the fear and anxiety do come you can be a little bit more calm about it than you were the day before. Take back your emotions and your life one day at a time by not anticipating what is currently uncontrollable (or at least hard to control). Be where you are, not where you were, or where you think you might go. Let go.