What is anxiety?

How anxiety works

Anxiety is the body’s natural alarm system for perceived danger or threat. When your body believes that a threat exists, the alarms will sound. In a certain sense Anxiety has kept humans safe and still alive today. Think about the following example…

When anxiety is a good thing

The building at our Ann Arbor counseling practice has a fire alarm system. This system is designed to notice when there is a fire capable of burning the building down. It is very important for this alarm system to work.

Sometimes anxiety is warranted. Sometimes we need our body to tell us that something is way off and that we need to do something about it.

When anxiety is unhealthy

But let’s say that I lit a Hawaiian Breeze scented candle in my counseling office (as I often do), and this caused the fire alarm for the entire building to sound off. That would be an issue!

When we have anxiety it’s often like the scented candle triggering the building’s fire alarm system. It’s possible that the candle will tip over and light the bookcase on fire, but it is extremely unlikely. Most of the time, our anxiety is an unnecessary response to the reality of a threat.

Why do I have anxiety?

We have anxiety because throughout our historical development, we have relied on our bodies to give us signals for when to feel SAFE and when to feel THREATENED. This is a deeply ingrained human response that we naturally trust. So, when it’s not calibrated well, we may feel out of whack.

How to cope with anxiety

During therapy, we will engage in a process of recognizing not only when you have anxiety, but why you have anxiety. Our bodies always have a reason for giving the signals that they give off. We will work together on a deep exploration to uncover the meaning behind the message that your body is sending, and will work on a plan to restructure your body’s natural response to certain stimuli.

Need help with anxiety?

Contact us today. Our Ann Arbor counseling practice is passionate about working with people to overcome life’s challenges. We will work together on the journey toward helping you manage your anxiety so that you can live a more meaningful, fulfilling, inspired life!

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