A person with an anxious personality experiences an overreaction to threatening stimuli in his or her environment, resulting in the body having a greater stress response than another person might have to the same event. The anxious person is less able to tolerate the normal uncertainties about the future and the "dangers" that may arise. This may be about external events - such as terrorist attacks or planes crashing - or relationship or health issues: "What if he doesn't really love me?" or "What if I've got cancer?"
People with anxious personalities tend to have a general, although often subliminal, belief that the world is a dangerous place and that they must always be on guard to prevent or control any threat to their body and psychological well-being. Their thoughts are frequently dotted with 'what ifs' and 'maybes'.
Behavior is driven by a desire to minimize or eliminate the stimulus or the situation that is causing the stress response. For example, the person who always says YES when the boss asks him to take on more work may be considered an obliging person. It may be however, that he is anxious about criticism or disapproval if he says no.
An anxious person may not be aware the he is experiencing anxiety. He feels physical discomfort and experiences gut, bowel problems, and immune and nervous system problems, which he thinks are physical problems needing testing and treatment, rather than recognizing that it may have something to do with his cognition (thinking).
Yet every fearful or negative thought (which then becomes the threatening stimulus) causes the body to produce some adrenalin, a stress chemical that prepares the body for fight or flight in the event of the stimuli actually being dangerous. The adrenalin stores in the muscles, maintaining a sense of "readiness" should the danger ever present. The feeling of stress or being "on guard" can result in one small event triggering an intense response due to the build up of adrenalin in the body. Others may see this as an overreaction.
The sensitive person is often anxious and likely to be a worry-wart. The brain of the sensitive person is sensitized to threat and as a result the body produces adrenalin at the first suggestion of anything in the environment being possibly dangerous to the person. This may be from something external (heat, noise, unpleasant smells, bright lights, scratchy clothing, food with strange textures) or internal (feeling disapproved of, disliked or criticized).
Anxious people are prone to adrenalin floods - a strong physical/adrenalin response to raised voices, cross tones, any hint of conflict between people, even if the conflict does not involve that person. Anxious people may startle easily.
Adrenalin arouses the nervous feeling, which is interpreted as the anxious feeling, before the person has a realization of the situation. Once the brain recognizes the fear feeling (adrenalin arousal) it stays on guard for the danger and the thinking then is, 'what if' this and 'what if' that. The brain is trying to find a reason for the fear and will dwell on a person's vulnerability, which may at that time be about their health, finances, relationships, children, work, being disliked, being inadequate. It will always find something to justify the feeling.
Best wishes, Karen Gosling - 14915
People with anxious personalities tend to have a general, although often subliminal, belief that the world is a dangerous place and that they must always be on guard to prevent or control any threat to their body and psychological well-being. Their thoughts are frequently dotted with 'what ifs' and 'maybes'.
Behavior is driven by a desire to minimize or eliminate the stimulus or the situation that is causing the stress response. For example, the person who always says YES when the boss asks him to take on more work may be considered an obliging person. It may be however, that he is anxious about criticism or disapproval if he says no.
An anxious person may not be aware the he is experiencing anxiety. He feels physical discomfort and experiences gut, bowel problems, and immune and nervous system problems, which he thinks are physical problems needing testing and treatment, rather than recognizing that it may have something to do with his cognition (thinking).
Yet every fearful or negative thought (which then becomes the threatening stimulus) causes the body to produce some adrenalin, a stress chemical that prepares the body for fight or flight in the event of the stimuli actually being dangerous. The adrenalin stores in the muscles, maintaining a sense of "readiness" should the danger ever present. The feeling of stress or being "on guard" can result in one small event triggering an intense response due to the build up of adrenalin in the body. Others may see this as an overreaction.
The sensitive person is often anxious and likely to be a worry-wart. The brain of the sensitive person is sensitized to threat and as a result the body produces adrenalin at the first suggestion of anything in the environment being possibly dangerous to the person. This may be from something external (heat, noise, unpleasant smells, bright lights, scratchy clothing, food with strange textures) or internal (feeling disapproved of, disliked or criticized).
Anxious people are prone to adrenalin floods - a strong physical/adrenalin response to raised voices, cross tones, any hint of conflict between people, even if the conflict does not involve that person. Anxious people may startle easily.
Adrenalin arouses the nervous feeling, which is interpreted as the anxious feeling, before the person has a realization of the situation. Once the brain recognizes the fear feeling (adrenalin arousal) it stays on guard for the danger and the thinking then is, 'what if' this and 'what if' that. The brain is trying to find a reason for the fear and will dwell on a person's vulnerability, which may at that time be about their health, finances, relationships, children, work, being disliked, being inadequate. It will always find something to justify the feeling.
Best wishes, Karen Gosling - 14915
About the Author:
Karen Gosling has helped thousands of people in more than 30 years to understand their own and their partner's emotional style. Her 1-hour "Surviving Emotional Style" DVD and audio CD with transcript will show you how. You will find nearly everything you need to know about managing your emotional style so that your relationships aren't impacted by anger or anxiety. Go to: Surviving Emotional Style
No comments:
Post a Comment