Anxiety: First Aid

Description

If anxiety is a natural response that helps protect us from danger, why is it thought of as such a terrible thing? Anxiety becomes a problem when our bodies react to stressors that either aren’t as stressful as perceived or are long-term. When we think about things that make us feel anxious or afraid, our brain starts up the stress response because it is perceiving a threat, even though the threat is only imagined. Living in this constant state of stress takes a toll on our bodies, both physically and psychologically. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 18% of the U.S. adult population is affected by anxiety.