Anxiety
Does anxiety make you dread the alarm clock?
December 12, 2010
A teacher of mine once said, "Life is fired at you point blank." When we are in good spirits, mentally calm and physically healthy, we are able to deal with life's ups and downs. When we are unbalanced, the anticipation of "one more thing" is overwhelming. What if there was a way to become "bulletproof?" What if you had the strength and resolve to face life head-on and not flinch? Can you imagine waking up each morning and looking forward to the day? Is that even possible? I wouldn't be giving this talk if it weren't, but before I explain how, you need to understand the basic physiology of anxiety.
How the physiology of anxiety traps you
I didn't make a mistake. I mean physiology and not psychology. We live in a world dominated by characters like Dr. Phil and Oprah Winfrey. They constantly remind us that with a positive mental attitude you can overcome any obstacle. It's simply mind over matter. However, what these personalities fail to recognize is the mind to matter highway is a two-way street. Your physical state influences your mind. This is how anxiety takes over your life. You become trapped in a constant state of fight or flight. Your conscious mind is no longer in control. What I call the inner caveman takes over as the hard-wired survival mechanisms are in control.
How your inner caveman takes control
Deep within the brain there is a bundle of cells called the amygdala. The amygdala was designed to keep us safe and happy. Long ago, when a herd of wooly mammoths was stampeding, early humans wouldn’t have survived if they paused to think things through. This evolutionary mechanism is perfect if you have to dive out of the way of a car while crossing the street, but today's dangers are rarely physical. Unfortunately, the inner caveman cannot tell the difference between a life ending threat and a threat that is merely unpleasant. To the caveman, only two states exist, care free or life-threatening. If you are not care-free the caveman kicks in trying fix the problem, right now.
When problems cannot be fixed quickly
Do you ever find yourself wishing life were simpler, that's your inner caveman struggling to find simple solutions to complex problems. Life is so much more complicated now than it was for cave dwellers. For example, let's imagine a money problem that hit's close to home for me: three daughters in college at the same time. If a caveman had those money problems, he would either kill the boss and take his job or just run away to another village. Problem solved. If only life were that simple, but it's not. When problems are ongoing, we get trapped in a constant state of stress. Our inner caveman, the amygdala, shuts down conscious though in favor of instinctual flight or fight behavior. Instead of being able to calmly and rationally work through complex problems, life becomes a waking nightmare that we are desperately trying to find a way out. Luckily, there is a way out.
Introducing acupuncture for anxiety
Acupuncture offers a way out of the anxiety trap. Recent studies at Massachusetts General Hospital show that acupuncture calms brain activity in the amygdala sending your inner caveman back into his cave to wait for real danger. With your flight or fight responses quieted, your body is able to relax and shift into healing mode. Instead of you trying to climb off of life's roller coaster in the middle of the ride, you can face the upcoming challenges confident that no matter what happens next, you have the courage to face the challenges and see them through.
How the physiology of anxiety traps you
I didn't make a mistake. I mean physiology and not psychology. We live in a world dominated by characters like Dr. Phil and Oprah Winfrey. They constantly remind us that with a positive mental attitude you can overcome any obstacle. It's simply mind over matter. However, what these personalities fail to recognize is the mind to matter highway is a two-way street. Your physical state influences your mind. This is how anxiety takes over your life. You become trapped in a constant state of fight or flight. Your conscious mind is no longer in control. What I call the inner caveman takes over as the hard-wired survival mechanisms are in control.
How your inner caveman takes control
Deep within the brain there is a bundle of cells called the amygdala. The amygdala was designed to keep us safe and happy. Long ago, when a herd of wooly mammoths was stampeding, early humans wouldn’t have survived if they paused to think things through. This evolutionary mechanism is perfect if you have to dive out of the way of a car while crossing the street, but today's dangers are rarely physical. Unfortunately, the inner caveman cannot tell the difference between a life ending threat and a threat that is merely unpleasant. To the caveman, only two states exist, care free or life-threatening. If you are not care-free the caveman kicks in trying fix the problem, right now.
When problems cannot be fixed quickly
Do you ever find yourself wishing life were simpler, that's your inner caveman struggling to find simple solutions to complex problems. Life is so much more complicated now than it was for cave dwellers. For example, let's imagine a money problem that hit's close to home for me: three daughters in college at the same time. If a caveman had those money problems, he would either kill the boss and take his job or just run away to another village. Problem solved. If only life were that simple, but it's not. When problems are ongoing, we get trapped in a constant state of stress. Our inner caveman, the amygdala, shuts down conscious though in favor of instinctual flight or fight behavior. Instead of being able to calmly and rationally work through complex problems, life becomes a waking nightmare that we are desperately trying to find a way out. Luckily, there is a way out.
Introducing acupuncture for anxiety
Acupuncture offers a way out of the anxiety trap. Recent studies at Massachusetts General Hospital show that acupuncture calms brain activity in the amygdala sending your inner caveman back into his cave to wait for real danger. With your flight or fight responses quieted, your body is able to relax and shift into healing mode. Instead of you trying to climb off of life's roller coaster in the middle of the ride, you can face the upcoming challenges confident that no matter what happens next, you have the courage to face the challenges and see them through.
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