Anxiety - I'm questioning the Fight or Flight explanation

[u4ea]

I feel like the fight or flight explanation commonly used for anxiety is wrong.

I’ve made comments in the past, expressing how I feel anxiety is organic in nature – similar to a disease or psychiatric disorder. There were many who vehemently opposed – “No, it’s just your fight or flight response”, “it’s all in your head, fight it.”

While I believe it’s “all in our head”, to simply offer the advice “toughen up and will it away” is an understatement of the century! Everyone would throw around the “fight or flight” explanation, yet never could actually back up the science, logic behind their explanation – at least in a satisfactory way (in my opinion).

I’m not a psychiatrist – nor would I want to be, but here is was I was just thinking about.

The fight or flight response is embedded in our DNA from primitive times where we (Neanderthals?) faced life or death situations/encounters on nearly a daily basis; fight the threat if we had a chance of being the victor; or flee, if instinctively we knew we faced imminent injury or death.

When situations trigger the fight or flight response in our brains – adrenaline and endorphins are released; we seem to temporarily have an increase of running speed, endurance, etc. Almost like going from a coach potato to professional athlete in seconds; normal reason and logic seem to drain out of our ears and you’re driven by primal instinct?

Does anyone disagree thus far?

Whenever I’ve experienced the “fight or flight” response in my life; it’s been quite exhilarating! The surge of adrenalin and other neurotransmitters pumping through your body, heart pumping, over acuteness of the senses; and on the “come down” you feel almost like you’re having a caffeine crash.

But my experiences with this response and anxiety are……………different.

Sweating, light headedness, depersonalization and shortness of breath – just to name a few; seem nothing like a “fight or flight” response. While I know they are an organic, neurotransmitter based brain response to stressful situations; while they both could very well be related, anxiety and panic feel like a “malfunctioning” response of the brain.

For instance, if you were really in a life or death, fight or flight situation; freezing up with chest pains, shortness of breath and dizziness would get you nowhere fast – only dead.

Anxiety and panic can’t be just a normal – though heightened, fight or flight response - IMO. There has to be more to it; changes (malfunctions) in brain chemistry/neurotransmitter firing or blocking, alcohol or substance abuse maybe altering or changing normal brain chemistry and coupled with stress? A genetic predisposition, just like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc…

I just feel like it’s much deeper and complex than many think?

[kim654]

I couldn't agree with you more!!!!! X

[Dan Medz]

I concur with this line of thinking. If I had a "flight or fight" response as defined as what I experience during a panic attack I would both lose the fight every time and fall over in a hobbled mess if I went with the flight option. None of these symptoms could ever be used to do anything helpful in any situation.

I think more along the lines of neurological disorder or chemical imbalance with possible hereditary implications. Always seemed strange to me that panic attacks were in my family on my mother's side for up to four generations (and that's all we know about).. Hmm

[Dan Medz]

I'm interested.. Does anyone else have family members, close or down the line with similar issues??

[u4ea]

Thanks everyone - I knew there were more people who felt this exact same way.

Dan, you also summed it up perfectly in 2 small paragraphs!

[acetone]

Makes sense.

[alankay]

Most docs think there is a genetic component to anxiety. Period. Alankay

[tailspin]

Wow!! I so agree with this. THANK YOU for putting into words what I have thought all along but wasn't able to articulate correctly. You should write a book!!! (Especially since half the people who do right these books about "Beating Anxiety" have never had a panic attack in their lives, let alone lived for YEARS with this condition.) I wrote in another post a while back that one of my pet peeves is when people tell me that anxiety is "harmless", as if we should just be able to laugh it off. WTF???????? I am so tired of people not taking this condition seriously (especially medical doctors). Thanks for giving it the gravitas it deserves and explaining this so succinctly!

[u4ea]

I'm interested.. Does anyone else have family members, close or down the line with similar issues??

My Aunt (moms sister) had severe bouts of anxiety, wouldn't drive on highways and I believe was agoraphobic at some point. Her daughter has been on meds (bipolar?) and we have even confided in one another about our anxiety issues.

Definitely a genetic component.

[u4ea]

Wow!! I so agree with this. THANK YOU for putting into words what I have thought all along but wasn't able to articulate correctly. You should write a book!!! (Especially since half the people who do right these books about "Beating Anxiety" have never had a panic attack in their lives, let alone lived for YEARS with this condition.) I wrote in another post a while back that one of my pet peeves is when people tell me that anxiety is "harmless", as if we should just be able to laugh it off. WTF???????? I am so tired of people not taking this condition seriously (especially medical doctors). Thanks for giving it the gravitas it deserves and explaining this so succinctly!

Thanks tailspin - I absolutely agree with what you're saying regarding people, who never had true anxiety, downplay it like it's something ridiculous! Everyone seems to think anxiety is nothing more than those "new job jitters", or "butterflies in your stomach" before getting on a plane! Like you're being a baby or you're "soft" lol...

They have no idea what full blown anxiety is - I'm very good at keeping how I'm feeling, inside; and from reading on this site, some people are much more severe; but still, looking "normal" on the outside, doesn't take away the fact that I feel tormented inside - taking away from what should be a normal, productive existence.

I'm the most upset when I think back on how much potential anxiety has cheated me from achieving....

Thanks for reading : )

[u4ea]

Most docs think there is a genetic component to anxiety. Period. Alankay

I'm sure they do - I tend to stay away, so I wouldn't really know; but I know that much of what I've read and researched, including some very reputable sources - all seem to fall back on fight or flight belief. Everywhere just seems to simplify it way too much.

Oh well : )

[mandipants84]

I'm interested.. Does anyone else have family members, close or down the line with similar issues??

Every woman ok my mothers side has severe anxiety. All on meds and still not together totally. It seems to get worse every generation. My cousin and I both have panic disorder and my mother and get mother generalized anxiety

[DodgingRain]

I think your right too in that it isn't a flight or fight response at all and I do think it's genetic too. I have direct family members with it as well, see it in my mother, sister, and daughter to varying degrees. Possibly in others on my mom's side as well, they are more or less non-functional in society but I don't have contact with them so I can't really say if it's just severe anxiety or additional issues.

[MrsJ88]

My grandma who is in her 60's has anxiety and has had since my age (24) and I'm almost positive that my dad has it also, he just won't admit it.

[Dan Medz]

Yeah we guys try to hide it more maybe. Having seemingly irrational panic attacks not exactly being an attractive quality and all. Unfortunately it always becomes known eventually so might as well be honest about it. I only ever had one relationship where the girl understood and that was only because she suffered in the same way. It does look like on the outset that more women than men have anxiety genetically but I'm sure this isn't true and like you say just a matter of who admits it more skewing the stats.

[u4ea]

Yeah we guys try to hide it more maybe. Having seemingly irrational panic attacks not exactly being an attractive quality and all. Unfortunately it always becomes known eventually so might as well be honest about it. I only ever had one relationship where the girl understood and that was only because she suffered in the same way. It does look like on the outset that more women than men have anxiety genetically but I'm sure this isn't true and like you say just a matter of who admits it more skewing the stats.

Funny you should type this, I was thinking the same thing. Looking over posts and posters, it is quite obvious that there are a disproportionately larger number of female posters; though like you said, males are probably less likely to admit anxiety/panic disorder - seeing it as a weakness; which is why it's often hard to tell if I'm panicking, I do a good job holding it in, I think most woman would see a male freaking out as a real turnoff...

I'm pretty sure most woman aren't interested in guys who are mental messes lol....

[jessed03]

I think most scientists worth their salary agree its around 50% genetic, 50% environmental. You may have been born with certain dormant genes, before an environmental event/events caused them to turn on. Maybe it was stressful traumas, maybe just an accumulation of tension due to influences during your upbringing.

I guess the genes reasoning doesn't get thrown out there much as its pretty limiting as a mindset. If you're told you have bad genes, what are you meant to do about it, punch your dad? It kinda gives tired people an excuse to give up the fight and quit.

I do believe anxiety is always trying to tell you something though. Whether its telling you to freshen your mindset (self-talk, beliefs), live better in future (better diet, more relaxation and exercise, better overall health, boosting deficiencies etc), deal with emotions better (release repressed feelings, express feelings outwards and not inwards, healing self esteem, cultivating inner child, forgiveness), deal with traumas (childhood, parent, validation/acceptance issues etc) all the way upto discovering self-actualization (your purpose, fulfillment, having a place in this world to ease the anxiety that comes from knowing about certain death)

Problem is, it has no voice, so it's very difficult to know what it is thats sending out overload signals.

We arent dealing with fight or flight the way our ancestors did. 98% of the time there is no predator anymore. No saber tooth tiger to fight off, no rival tribe on the horizon. Our fight or flight is often triggered by a far, far more complex and existential problem. We're using brains and minds without ANY instruction or guidance at all, and truthfully, most of us are like kids driving sports cars. We feel at the wheel, but at the same time, rather out of control. The mind often rules us, rather than the other way round. We navigate through problems, emotions, obstacles, love, pain, fear etc, without ever knowing if what we're doing is right. Handing over yourself to the mind machine that you had no control in building is very scary.

We also have so many written and unwritten rules dictated to us by society and the media. There are so many conditions you must meet to be a full member of society. Often, due to our parents failings or bad luck, we grow up missing out on a few, and this spirals into frustration, repressed wants and emotions and a need to hide aspects of ourselves. We go along with the almighty tribe which is society, but with certain unease. This unease usually grows and develops into full anxiety as clashes in yourself grow as you're pulled along with the current, and the pressure to keep up continues. For some us, this process begins at birth, and we never realize anything different, for some it happens after job loss, or other major life event.

This crazy, contradictory society is often a cause for a lot of anxiety problems. We still have tribe mentality. To be banished means death. And it still often does (or at least to be shunned). It can mean death of survival and reproduction value, which is ingrained in us all as maximum importance.

There are so many more of these examples of how the fight or flight has evolved in us. The real kicker, is its extremely hard to tell whats real, and whats not, and its like our body hits pause, leaving us in this state of paralysis I like to call anxiety, until it finds out.

It is long removed from the old days when it was black and white. I have found though, when using collectivism to tackle anxiety, usually, by complete fluke, you manage to heal your issue, and feel much better :)

[Dan Medz]

Very insightful post Jessed. I think you've hit the balance of complexity about right. With me there is definitely an underlying thick layer of despair from the lack of these societal expectations that silently yet ferociously fuels the fires of anxiety. They may even be the ultimate source. But some of these basic wants and needs that most people can fulfil may not be possible for me and if that is the case the only way I can affect change is to fundamentally alter the way I perceive reality and the world. How the hell do you do that?

[tailspin]

Great posts and really interesting discussion. This really stood out for me though!



If you're told you have bad genes, what are you meant to do about it, punch your dad? It kinda gives tired people an excuse to give up the fight and quit.

That is the million dollar question!! I totally believe in the genetic pre-disposition for anxiety, but......then what???? How does one move forward??? I haven't given up, I'm just at a loss as to what to do next. Psychiatric meds, therapy, CBT, exercise, meditation, healthy diet, lifestyle changes etc only do so much. They don't re-wire our brains, and it seems that is what's needed??

Also, I was wondering what you meant here:



I have found though, when using collectivism to tackle anxiety, usually, by complete fluke, you manage to heal your issue, and feel much better :)

Thanks for a great post!

[tailspin]

Very insightful post Jessed. I think you've hit the balance of complexity about right. With me there is definitely an underlying thick layer of despair from the lack of these societal expectations that silently yet ferociously fuels the fires of anxiety. They may even be the ultimate source. But some of these basic wants and needs that most people can fulfil may not be possible for me and if that is the case the only way I can affect change is to fundamentally alter the way I perceive reality and the world. How the hell do you do that?

In terms of society's expectations, in many ways I meet them, and yet, I STILL feel really bad inside. Not that I'm saying it doesn't suck if you don't meet society's expecations, and I can totally see how not meeting them could add to the anxiety. I'm just making the point that even when you do meet the expectations (in a number of ways at least), you can STILL feel like shit. Presumably because my brain just isn't wired right??

Either way, one is left with the question you pose here:




if that is the case the only way I can affect change is to fundamentally alter the way I perceive reality and the world. How the hell do you do that?

That's what I'm left asking too......

[frankzito]

Yeah we guys try to hide it more maybe. Having seemingly irrational panic attacks not exactly being an attractive quality and all. Unfortunately it always becomes known eventually so might as well be honest about it. I only ever had one relationship where the girl understood and that was only because she suffered in the same way. It does look like on the outset that more women than men have anxiety genetically but I'm sure this isn't true and like you say just a matter of who admits it more skewing the stats.

Yeah, most friends have disappeared since having anxiety. It's a drag

[jessed03]

Great posts and really interesting discussion. This really stood out for me though!



That is the million dollar question!! I totally believe in the genetic pre-disposition for anxiety, but......then what???? How does one move forward??? Psychiatric meds, therapy, CBT, exercise, meditation, healthy diet, lifestyle changes only do so much. They don't re-wire our brains, and it seems that is what's needed??

Also, I was wondering what you meant here:

I think you're right about it being a million dollar question. What's so tough, is that nobody has really discovered beyond doubt, what causes anxiety, and what parts of the brain, as well as what genes actually play a part in it. At a guess I'd say even now, we're only about 80% of the way there. It's still quite a fuzzy picture.

What I did find interesting in one of the latest studies, was the idea that certain gene changes are reversible. Studies have shown, and led scientists to believe, that the gene responsible for things like stress and predispositions to anxiety, that was switched on at some point during trauma, could in fact be switched off. Now, that's where it becomes a little blurry, as finding out what switched them off isn't yet known. Whether it was fluke, living changes, who knows. They did a big show about it on the bbc, I doubt you got it in california, whereby its brought the idea of us being slaves to genetics into a bit of disrepute.

I think the brain really can be re wired to a large extent, given the chance to enter suggestive brain waives. Many participants at a university in glasgow took part in a stress survey, where digital scans of their brains were taken before and after undergoing an intensive course of meditation and cbt for 8 weeks. Even in that 8 weeks, the area of the brain responsible for negativity, stress, and pessimism HALVED in size, permanently (as long as steps were taken to ensure new patterns weren't just dropped). That's quite a remarkable change, and something we've never really had a chance to test until quite recently.

I think what always interests me about anxiety, is there are always maintaining factors. ALWAYS. some are as simple as drinking coffee too often, others are obviously more complex. As humans, and I gotta say this about myself as well, as I've caused my own downfall many times, is we suffer badly from self deception. We have issues that we aren't aware of, because we cover them up. Either through repression, or cognitive connection. We literally erase the path of false or deceptive paths in our minds, making it almost impossible to see we travelled them. The only real ways of discovering this are great self awareness at all times, writing down almost every thought at every moment, in every situation, and digging from there, going to a point whereby you almost force the negativity to come out of you, almost like vomiting, due to poking in fragile places, or... You can use biofeedback. I know, not easy right, but its the best method. To use some kind of sensitive body monitoring machine, that will record SUBTLE stress levels, THE ONES YOU DON'T REALIZE YOU'RE FEELING, you'll usually be able to see the small wound of a past trauma behind it, or the dysfunctional pattern, that has been erasing itself in your mind, covering its tracks.

All of this is very hard though, I'm more passing on stuff I've read, discovered or tried out, rather than trying to cure anything. Unfortunately I wouldn't get anywhere close to your problem if its a stubborn case to even be able to see it :) Took me around 8 years to get close to my mind enough to see it clearly. I think that's why mind altering drugs like LSD have always been discreetly popular in psychology. Something that gets the mind to open up quicker, face repression easier, and leave tracks a little more, must make the job a lot easier for the therapist!

[u4ea]

Wow - great responses! I'll probably respond when I'm in a better mindset


Quote Originally Posted by jessed03 View Post

If you're told you have bad genes, what are you meant to do about it, punch your dad? It kinda gives tired people an excuse to give up the fight and quit.

After reading jessed and tailspins response, I got thinkin'

While you're 100% correct - I just don't get the relevance; medical science has proven (claimed) that hypertension, cancer(s), Alzheimer's, etc. are all hereditary - i.e. if it runs in your family, you're also at a higher risk – a genetic predisposition.

The brain is the “final frontier” in medicine – still lot’s of unknowns – lot’s of grey areas.

It's not about "giving up" and "quitting the fight." Just as if I had a hereditary predisposition to any of the above mentioned afflictions; I wouldn't blame my family, punch my dad nor give up; but it is what it is....

While anxiety and panic may not be a terminal illness - it doesn't mean I can just will it away and live a totally normal life; once you see the dark underbelly of anxiety and panic, you can't pretend it doesn't exist. I've gone through periods of anxiety and a decade of total normalcy - so normal in fact, that I almost forgot what it was like to have anxiety.

But anxiety is inscribed in my DNA, and I can't forget that - it won't let me forget.

Stress, alcohol in excess -> and the anxiety came bearing down on me like a freight train...

I'm not looking for an excuse, I only look at the reality.

I find it interesting that you bring up LSD. I’ve been researching psilocybin/psilocin (active chemical in hallucinogenic mushrooms) and their use for treating anxiety (end of life/death) in the terminally ill (Johns Hopkins University); after all, I am an amateur mycologist : P

[jessed03]

While you're 100% correct - I just don't get the relevance; medical science has proven (claimed) that hypertension, cancer(s), Alzheimer's, etc. are all hereditary - i.e. if it runs in your family, you're also at a higher risk – a genetic predisposition.

This comment wasn't aimed at you, or anyone here btw, I think everyone here has the emotional intelligence to detach personal feelings from information they may find out about themselves. I have met a lot of people in therapy groups etc, who have been so disheartened that they can barely be bothered to go to therapy. I think to give a patient the impression it's in their hands, makes them feel far less powerless than saying there's something faulty that we can't help you with. Keeping in mind many people who have anxiety also have depression too. I guess I can understand why genetic mentions only ever get a line or two at most in books.

I'm sure everybody here wouldn't be so emotional at finding out genetic, shall we call them flaws?

It's interesting you say that about mushrooms. Anecdotal stories make it sound quite promising, at least for some maybe. I wanted to try them to help with meditation, but never ended up getting round to them.

All seriousness aside, I don't know about you guys, but I could probably talk to a big fluffy rabbit holding candy a lot easier than I could a stuffy old psych holding a Prozac pen ;-)

[Cobra]

Here's what you're missing. It's not just fight or flight. It's fight, flight or freeze. When an animal is overtaken in the wild and its situation is hopeless, the brain reacts by freezing the body. Haven't you seen documentaries where the baby gazelle is caught by the leopard and just goes limp. It is the third survival strategy. The brain disassociates from the situation, goes into a sort of altered state, body goes limp and numb. It does this to fool the predator into thinking it is dead or injured, the object being to make the prey numb to any more trauma and then, when the predator is distracted, giving the prey another opportunity to escape. That's why the adrenaline makes us feel weak, numb, unreal, and disassociated from reality. You see, we don't just have hyperactive amygdalas, triggering adrenaline rushes every time were upset, we have catastrophic hypochondria tendencies. Every time we feel a strange body sensation, we think, oh god, I'm dying!!! And the adrenaline starts pumping, making it all worse. Before you can fight this thing, you have to understand what it is. It is hypochondria, an over active amygdalas, and your symptoms are the fight, flight or freeze reaction. Unless you accept that, you are not getting off this merry go round. Even when you do accept it, there is a tendency to doubt it and jump back on the ride, because-- hello!-- hypochondria!!! You can do it, but you have to be informed, strong willed and really really brave.

[tailspin]

Really complicated stuff. I'm not sure I'm totally following everything now but it sounds like jessed is saying that it tends to help people more if they believe that they have the power to effect positive change in terms of their anxiety and depression, rather than if they believe they are saddled for life with a genetic pre-disposition and there's nothing they can do about it? And also that there is always a reason behind our anxiety, something triggering it and/or maintaining it, even though we don't always know what that is. And u4ea is saying that if anxiety is in a person's DNA then they need to accept that (and presumably then find ways to manage it??) And that the fight or flight analogy is bogus? Is that about right?

At any rate, I agree with both points of view. Apart from anything else there are so many variables. Plenty of people make a complete recovery from anxiety and depression. And some people don't. And others learn to manage it. In my own case I do feel as though my anxiety disorder is a part of me now. I'm probably older than most people here. I'm 49 and my issues have been going on a long time, from early childhood in fact, but not due to any trauma. Thankfully I've had extended periods inbetween where I've been fine and able to function normally, albeit with some crutches, eg, alcohol. Over the years I have had therapy until it's coming out of my ears and I've tried tons of meds and tried pretty much everything else and, man, this thing is stubborn........And it isn't situational. It's inside me......I know the brain has this quality of plasticity and is able to change, but I also believe that the longer you think and behave a certain way, the harder it is to etch new neural pathways. So, it's really important to try and catch this thing when you're still young!!! That said, I do continue to hope that I can find more effective ways of living with my Anxiety Disorder and depression.

PS: Good old BBC!! I'm from the UK originally. I moved to CA about 13 years ago when I married an American. We do get some BBC stuff over here. I'll see if I can google that documentary jessed mentions. Would be great to turn this particular gene off!!! :)

[jessed03]

Really complicated stuff. I'm not sure I'm totally following everything now but it sounds like jessed is saying that it tends to help people more if they believe that they have the power to effect positive change in terms of their anxiety and depression, rather than if they believe they are saddled for life with a genetic pre-disposition and there's nothing they can do about it? And also that there is always a reason behind our anxiety, something triggering it and/or maintaining it, even though we don't always know what that is. And u4ea is saying that if anxiety is in a person's DNA then they need to accept that (and presumably then find ways to manage it??) And that the fight or flight analogy is bogus? Is that about right?

At any rate, I agree with both points of view. Apart from anything else there are so many variables. Plenty of people make a complete recovery from anxiety and depression. And some people don't. And others learn to manage it. In my own case I do feel as though my anxiety disorder is a part of me now. I'm probably older than most people here. I'm 49 and my issues have been going on a long time, from early childhood in fact, but not due to any trauma. Thankfully I've had extended periods inbetween where I've been fine and able to function normally, albeit with some crutches, eg, alcohol. Over the years I have had therapy until it's coming out of my ears and I've tried tons of meds and tried pretty much everything else and, man, this thing is stubborn........And it isn't situational. It's inside me......I know the brain has this quality of plasticity and is able to change, but I also believe that the longer you think and behave a certain way, the harder it is to etch new neural pathways. So, it's really important to try and catch this thing when you're still young!!! That said, I do continue to hope that I can find more effective ways of living with my Anxiety Disorder and depression.

PS: Good old BBC!! I'm from the UK originally. I moved to CA about 13 years ago when I married an American. We do get some BBC stuff over here. I'll see if I can google that documentary jessed mentions. Would be great to turn this particular gene off!!! :)

It's always been a subject that interested me, as I was a terribly anxious kid. Never spoke a WORD in nursery, would run home from anywhere I went as a young teen, terrified I'd get kidnapped, doing normal kid stuff, I was convinced my parents were gonna just drop dead, or I'd come home to find them dead etc... My early life wasn't really stressful, my parents were together, I wasn't neglected, or ill, I wasn't poor. It does seem, that I had this gene in my body that from birth. But, it's virtually impossible for me to know whether its genetics, or upbringing that caused me to be a nervous kid. My mother was quite a tense person, so maybe as a baby I picked up a lot of her emotion. It's pretty impossible for me to ever know I think.

The question I've always asked since then, is how DO I flick this switch back on a gene that a large proportion of scientists believe is reversible. And actually, I don't really have an answer, as a darn long journey of self discovery and deep change, has probably unwillingly resolved inner conflicts that I didn't know I suffered from. However I still do the biofeedback thing sometimes, and it amazes me how certain things I believe don't bother me, actually do, a tonne, I just was bothered by them for so long that I never realised any difference. I kinda do now, believe in a bit of a Freudian perspective. Certain events at young ages, probably created complexes or belief structures that have been present in the subconscious. That's why I think my treatment slowed for so long. I worked out the conscious. I like you, had therapy until I lost my voice, but I don't think any of that reached my messed up sub-conscious. I still feel i have a way to go in improving that, but I'm finding out new stuff about myself every week or so, and actually, it kinda amazes me and makes a lot of sense why I was screwed up for so long. The physical world and conscious long since changed in my life, but I don't feel my subconscious did, and so I was still left with niggling problems and inefficiencies. I'm going through a journey.

By the way, the documentary was by Horizon, called what is personality, something like that. It's not strictly about anxiety, but rather pessimism, nervousness, negativity, stress etc... You can tell it was made for a wide audience and watered down a little, but it does have some interesting bits in it, as well as new types of research being done. Definitely worth a watch, it's a 6 part series, the last part is more about stress.

I also think cobra made a good post. The FREEZE part really does get overlooked. I experienced that more than fight or flight. Reached a real plateau life wise, wasn't fulfilling any potential. I had rabbit in headline syndrome for a fair while until I started doing some of the stuff we've all mentioned in this thread. It did seem to help it somewhat.

[u4ea]

Cheers...........to the questions that don't have any answers.

496

[tailspin]

By the way, the documentary was by Horizon, called what is personality, something like that. It's not strictly about anxiety, but rather pessimism, nervousness, negativity, stress etc... You can tell it was made for a wide audience and watered down a little, but it does have some interesting bits in it, as well as new types of research being done. Definitely worth a watch, it's a 6 part series, the last part is more about stress.



Thanks, jessed. I'll look into this!

[tailspin]

Cheers...........to the questions that don't have any answers.

496

Good toast!! :-) :)

[jessed03]

Cheers...........to the questions that don't have any answers.

496

Yes sir! I'll drink to that!

[farrah01]

I couldn't agree more! My mom also has anxiety issues. She seems to keep it together more than I do, or she is just good at hiding it, as I am.. Lol but when we talk about it, we share a lot of the same fears, thought process ect. We both see to suffer from health anxiety for the most part. But I have also had panic/anxiety attacks out of nowhere! In my sleep, out with friends, on vacation, when my health was not even something I was thinking about....