Anxiety is one of the cornerstones of many survivors' reality. More then simple fear, which is an emotion (brief and sudden), anxiety, while not necessarily a stronger feeling, can be long lasting and pervasive.
Anxiety is normal...
Everybody knows what it's like to feel anxious -- the butterflies in your stomach before a first date, the tension you may feel at work when a big event is about to take place... Anxiety rouses us to action. It gears us to face a threatening situation. It makes us study harder for that exam, and keeps us on our toes when we're making a speech. In general, it helps us cope. That is, as long as it remains within a reasonable range.
Anxiety can become a
problem
When someone has been through a traumatic experience, anxiety is a very common consequence and it can sometimes be very high. It can keep you from living and disrupt your daily life in many ways. There are several types of anxiety disorders that survivors sometimes are diagnosed with, each with its own distinct diagnostical features. But what is important to remember is that when you have been through violence, anxiety is a normal reaction to that abnormal situation.
What Causes Anxiety to
become
a problem
As survivors, we felt anxiety that was adapted, sometimes for many years at the time. Anxiety kept us as safe as possible by keeping us on our toes, by steering us to protect ourselves or flee when necessary. In a very real way, anxiety has been part of what enabled us to get through.
Anxiety often becomes a problem when the "anxiety mode" doesn't stop after violence does. And that is extremely common. It is like our bodies have relied on anxiety so much over the course of days, months and sometimes even years, that we continue to "sound the alarm" constantly. It's become a way of being instead of a coping mechanism.
For example, strong anxiety is adapted in the cases where the potential for violence is present or when escaping a fire or living in times of war for instance. It becomes a problem for the person when the violence or fire, or war is over and we still feel high levels of anxiety for everyday situations. It is very common for survivors of traumatic events to retain their "anxiety" reaction at least for a certain period of time. It is an important part of the intrusion symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It can take time to convince our bodies and inner selves that the danger has indeed passed and that we are now safe and sound, on the other side of turmoil.
Test your anxiety level
Here are two anxiety tests which may help you assess your own anxiety levels. As for any other tests, remember that they DO NOT give a diagnosis that has any real validity. Remember that these sites don't take what you have been through into account and that the "diagnosis" they suggest only take into account the symptoms (which is the greatest source of misdiagnosis in the mental health field). These tests can nonetheless be useful to help us understand ourselves and how we feel a little better.
Some common manifestations of anxiety
Post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is a set of normal
reactions that humans have to traumatic events. As such, it has its own
page that we hope you will visit.
Panic Attacks
Panic attacks are events in which anxiety becomes extremely high. Panic attacks can be so intense that they sometimes can be mistaken for heart attacks. Here are some symptoms you may experience during a panic attack.
Racing heart
Stomach cramps
Faint feelings
Sweatiness
Shaking
Poor concentration
Dizziness
Feeling unreal
Blurred vision
Weak feeling
Nausea
Tingling in limbs
Hot/cold flash
Light-headedness
Tightness in the throat, chest
As you may notice, a lot of those symptoms are somewhat similar to what many survivors call "being triggered".
Panic attacks usually resolve on their own but it can help to learn relaxation and grounding techniques, they may help you calm down faster in times of intense anxiety.
Social Anxiety and Agoraphobia
Social phobia is the fear of social situations that involve interaction with other people. Put another way, social phobia is the fear of being judged and evaluated by other people. The feelings that accompany social anxiety include anxiety, intense fear, nervousness, automatic negative thinking cycles, racing heart, blushing, dry throat and mouth, trembling, and muscle twitches
Suggested Reading
The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook
by Edmund J. Bourne, Ph.D.
$13.57 from amazon.com
Healing Fear: New Approaches to Overcoming Anxiety
by Edmund J. Bourne, Ph.D.
