Anxiety

Anxiety is a natural response to stress or a perceived threat. It can range from mild nerves to a full-blown panic attack. Sometimes, it can actually be helpful; other times, not so much.

For example, the nerves you feel before a big work presentation might motivate you to prep a bit more, boosting your confidence when it's time to present. 

Things get tricky when anxiety feels out of proportion to the situation or starts impacting your ability to work, sleep, or interact with others normally. That’s when it becomes more than just an occasional feeling, it starts getting in the way.
 

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health issues in the U.S., affecting about 40 million adults—that’s 18% of the population at any given time. Some types of anxiety disorders are:

• Panic disorder

• Social anxiety

• Generalized anxiety disorder

• Phobias

Imagine way back in the day when humans were living in caves instead of cities. What do you think was the biggest threat to staying safe?

It was probably wild predators like lions, tigers, and bears roaming around, right? So if you came face-to-face with one of those, anxiety would totally make sense.

That’s basically how anxiety evolved, to keep us safe. It helped us stay alert and avoid danger, giving us an edge in surviving the wild.

When your emotions are running high, it’s harder to think straight. 

The key is to have a game plan before you need it. That way, when you're stressed, you won’t have to scramble to figure out what to do, you’ll already know and just follow the plan you set up ahead of time.

Anxiety can hit you in a lot of different ways. You might just feel super worried about the future, get that tightness in your shoulders or head, or feel like you need to avoid certain people or situations.

It can also show up physically, like:

• Heart racing

• Breathing fast or shallow

• Feeling nauseous

• Chest pain

• Getting light-headed

• Thinking you might actually die (not literally, but feels like it)

• Weird tingling or numbness

• Stomach problems, or suddenly needing to go to the bathroom

Your brain and body are always on the lookout for anything that feels like a threat. Think of it like school drills, like the fire drill bell ringing, which signals something's up and it’s time to stay alert. But when you go through something big and scary, like dealing with an illness, your brain might start connecting certain smells or actions to that fear, even if they don’t mean danger anymore. Some teens feel nervous before practice because their brain associates the gym or field with a previous time they got hurt, making them tense up even if it's a safe situation.

Anxiety can feel awful, but it’s actually your body and brain doing what they’re meant to do. It’s there to keep you safe.

But if you’re avoiding things you normally do, reaching for substances like drugs or alcohol to cope, or snapping at the people you care about because of anxiety, it might be time to get some help.