FSCA NEWS

Anxiety and worry are two ailments that we all suffer from time to time. Just like every condition, the symptoms of and degree to which we experience each differs from person to person. Some people cope easily with their anxieties while others can become consumed by worries and let them ruin their life.

The Teen Health Centre writes that “anxiety is why humans are still around today. It is an evolutionary and biological process that tells us when we can stay where we are and when we need to either protect ourselves or move to a safer place - also known as the fight or flight response” (http://www.teenhealthcentre.com/articles/publish).

This “fight or flight response,” as reported by kidshealth.org, can cause many physical sensations such as a faster heartbeat and breathing, tense muscles, sweaty palms, a queasy stomach, and trembling hands or legs. The symptoms are caused by a rush of adrenaline and other chemicals that prepare the body to make a quick getaway from danger (www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/anxiety.html).

The physical responses are instantly triggered when we sense any sort of threat to our physical well-being. However, although it takes a few more seconds, our bodies don’t just physically react to stresses, the thinking part of our brain (the cortex) will also be triggered to “process the situation and evaluate whether the threat is real, and if so, how to handle it. If the cortex sends the all-clear signal, the fight-flight response is deactivated and the nervous system can relax” (www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/anxiety.html).

However, in many people, especially teens, the Teen Health Center reports that people can get stuck in “sympathetic mode.” Also known as the mode in which our bodies stay tense, alert and physically responsive to the surrounding stresses (www.teenhealthcentre.com/aritcles/publish). The Centre compares this situation to that of a CD with a scratch in it. “As much as the laser should (and tries) to move forward to play the next part of a song, it is stuck in the groove of the scratch and cannot seem to get out. So too do our brains become stuck in the survival mode, and our Parasympathetic Nervous System never receives the okay from our brain to start doing its work.

KidsHealth.org admits that it is perfectly natural for “new, unfamiliar, or challenging situations to prompt feelings of anxiety or nervousness” (www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/anxiety.html).

Facing an important test, a big date, or a major class presentation can trigger normal anxiety. It may seem weird since these situations don’t actually threaten a person’s safety, but in today’s world the thought of being potentially embarrassed, making a mistake, fitting in and/or being rejected can cause just as strong of physical reaction (www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/anxiety.html).

As KidsHealth.org reports, since “anxiety makes a person alert, focused, and ready to head off potential problems, a little anxiety can help us do our best in situations that involve performance. But anxiety that's too strong can interfere with doing our best.

Information from:
www.kidshealth.org
The Teen Health Centre
www.teenhealthcentre.com