When you become an anxious person one of the first things to go out the window is your ability to tame fearful thoughts. This, of course, makes total sense. When you become sensitized by anxiety you literally make contact with the dark side of your mind and come to be over-focused on death and derangement. In your mind these two things aren't just likely outcomes of your ordeal, but imminent threats that need to be warded off. However, what's interesting is that if you want to get better you have to do the opposite of fight or escape.