Anxiety and its various forms

More number of people are coming forward to talk about what they are noticing as anxiety in themselves. It feels like something undefined, boundless, with not a clear cut cause attached to it.

And different people bring forth different experiences of anxiety. Some experience it in the form pf panic attacks which are short but very acute episodes of heightened anxiety.

 others might share experiencing a vague undefined sense of anxiety which is always there, fearing some negative outcomes. Some are more hyper aware of any physical sensation which feels as “odd” and in turn fuels thoughts of having an untraceable illness . Some take note of how it effects their thinking and makes it ‘foggy’, others notice ‘freezing’ over and not being able to mobilize themselves. Other times one might feels isn't entirely there and there is a sense of watching one’s life from the outside and not living it. Some might feel untethered and entirely alone with no sense of safety or relational belongingness that might help the person feel safer.

Whatever form it might take, the commonality is that it is severely unpleasant and debilitating to the person experiencing it who feels something is happening that is out of their control.

The root cause of it could be complex. At times its any change in how we see ourselves, what we know, how we view life that can cause tremendous anxiety. Such a change might come from outside in from of any external life events or can also be caused by internal changes wherein we feel we are not the same. A good proof of that is how strongly we hold onto what we know, including our own self identity. In turn any experience of uncertainty or not knowing can be very anxiety provoking leaving very little room for exploration.

In therapy, we come together to understand the various form it takes, when does it get ‘triggered’, is it something that is more chronic or does it arise in a particular situation. Essentially in therapy you find a space to contain by learning a language to describe it, understanding the emotional context in which it arises, learning to be able to distance oneself from it and see what's happening within as opposed to being caught in the eye of the storm. It might take time, but its a rewarding journey.