John Glanvill • Anxiety Specialist & Researcher • Anxiety • OCD • Bipolar • ADHD • Energy • Online Treatment Course • Sensible Spirituality

What is Anxiety?

What Is Anxiety

I have been working with anxiety for over two decades, and I think I know a lot about what it is – but more importantly, what you can do to escape it!

You could read all the information below – or save time by starting my course, where my videos show you what is happening to you and what you can do about it.

 

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a complex emotional and psychological response that involves feelings of worry, apprehension, fear, and unease. While experiencing anxiety is a normal part of life—especially in response to stress or uncertain situations—persistent or excessive anxiety can lead to significant impairment in daily functioning. It’s a spectrum that ranges from mild concerns, like worrying about an upcoming exam or presentation, to severe anxiety disorders that can disrupt one’s quality of life and overall well-being.

At its core, anxiety is an evolutionary response to danger. The fight-or-flight mechanism, which is activated during stressful situations, prepares the body to either confront or flee from perceived threats. This physiological response involves increased heart rate, dilated pupils, and heightened awareness, allowing for quick reactions to danger. Such responses were vital for survival in our ancestors, protecting them from predators and other threats. However, in modern society, where the threats are often psychological rather than physical, this response can become maladaptive.

Anxiety can manifest in numerous ways, impacting the mind and body. Psychologically, it presents as persistent worry, feelings of impending doom, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, and irritability. Sufferers may feel overwhelmed by their thoughts or have a nagging sense that something bad is about to happen, even when there’s no clear reason for such feelings. Physically, anxiety can lead to symptoms like increased heart rate, muscle tension, sweating, trembling, dizziness, and gastrointestinal issues such as nausea or diarrhoea. These physical manifestations can, in turn, create a cyclical pattern—where the physical symptoms of anxiety amplify the psychological experience, making it even harder to manage.

There are various forms of anxiety disorders, each with unique features and triggers. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) involves persistent and excessive worry about everyday issues, such as health, work, and social interactions. Panic Disorder is characterized by recurrent panic attacks—sudden periods of intense fear that may lead to heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and feelings of unreality. Social Anxiety Disorder entails an intense fear or avoidance of social situations due to concerns about being judged or embarrassed. Specific phobias, on the other hand, involve irrational fears related to particular objects or situations, such as heights, spiders, or flying.

Understanding the root causes of anxiety is crucial. A combination of genetic predisposition, brain chemistry, personality traits, and environmental factors contribute to the development of anxiety disorders. Individuals with a family history of anxiety or those who have experienced traumatic events may be more susceptible. Life stressors, such as changes in employment or relationships, can also serve as triggers.

Managing anxiety typically requires a multifaceted approach. Therapy is a cornerstone of treatment, with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) being one of the most effective methods. CBT focuses on identifying and restructuring negative thought patterns that contribute to anxiety. In addition to therapy, medications such as antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs can help regulate mood and reduce symptoms.

Lifestyle changes can also play a vital role in managing anxiety. Regular exercise, healthy eating, and sufficient sleep can improve physical health, which in turn can enhance mental health. Mindfulness practices, such as yoga and meditation, have gained popularity as tools for reducing anxiety, helping individuals develop skills to manage stress and breathe more effectively.

In summary, anxiety can manifest in various forms and intensities, affecting a significant portion of the population. While it serves an important evolutionary purpose, when anxiety becomes overwhelming or chronic, it can interfere with daily life. Understanding its complexities, seeking appropriate treatment, and implementing lifestyle adjustments can help individuals regain control and improve their overall quality of life. By fostering awareness and support, society can better assist those struggling with anxiety, ultimately promoting greater mental health and well-being.

Where anxiety comes from

It’s really quite obvious where anxiety comes from.

  • Learned behaviours from your family – anxious parents make anxious children
  • Emotional exhaustion – your body sabotaging you to tell you it is run down and you are not living sensibly
  • Poor set of life skills – worrying too much, being afraid to speak up, people pleasing, etc.
  • Resulting from life traumas – abuse, being bullied, hospitalisation, relocating (schools, countries), parental separation/death
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter where it came from; what matters is how you can deal with it now by becoming a new person who thinks and behaves in new ways that are more conducive to calmness – and you desensitise your hyper-vigilant body and switch your brain to optimism, trust and self-worth from it’s current programs of fear, doubt and low self-esteem. It is just a process – The Calmness in Mind Process.

What are panic attacks?

Occasionally, when the conditions are just right – prolonged stress, tired, over worked, over anxious and something finally happens that tips you over the edge, a full blown panic attack may happen. Panic attacks are very real and they can be very distressing – when a full blown panic attack fires off, a person could be anywhere and all they’ll want to do is run away, to flee that environment. Their heart will be racing, their chest constricted, often feeling like they are experiencing a heart attack. These anxiety symptoms are often compounded because they can feel their heart pumping violently (even in the neck area) and hearing the blood pumping around their ears and head. They experience trouble breathing, their hands begin to sweat and they feel faint, other symptoms include tingling sensations, headaches and muscle tension – all in all, a very scary situation.

Many people after a major panic attack, visit their doctor or hospital fearing something is wrong and are often surprised (and embarrassed) when they are told it was a panic attack or overwhelming anxiety and that adds to the feeling of being out of control. Whenever it comes on and whatever you call it, it is fear-based and feels very real. It may seem ridiculous that a person cannot even walk to the end of his street without feeling anxious, but that’s the power of fear. It may seem totally out of proportion; however, it is paralysing, and it can affect anyone.

A new perspective on overwhelming emotions

Anxiety as with most forms of anxiety disorders are treatable. By teaching you what anxiety is, how it works, how the biology and physiology work, and how your conscious & unconscious mind interact to generate these frightening emotions – you are then able to see everything from a completely new point of view. 

The emotions become less scary when you know what is happening and then we work on updating the old database in your mind that keeps erroneously associating your thoughts with perceived dangers. Finally, I work with you by applying strategies that lessen the volume of negative and worrying thoughts in your mind, as these were the old fuel that stoked the fire.

We work with your unconscious mind to understand and mitigate whatever the underlying issues are that caused your unconscious to “keep you safe” by forcing you to move away from certain events or circumstances. Once done (and if we add any new life skills you might need), the anxiety tends to dissolve of its own accord.

Thinking is an Inner Reality strategy, whereas Actions are an Outer Reality event - which is why people who do outperform people who think