Anxiety: Our Enemy or a Protective Emotion?

In the hustle and bustle of daily life, we all experience anxiety from time to time. An upcoming exam, an important job interview, health checkups, or life events involving uncertainty can trigger anxiety. Although we often view anxiety as only a negative emotion, it is actually one of the most fundamental psychological mechanisms that enable human survival.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a natural emotion that helps us prepare mentally, emotionally, and physically for a potential future threat or danger. When our brain detects potential risks, our body receives a "prepare" message. Our heart rate may increase, our muscles may tense, and we direct our attention to the situation we perceive as a threat.

This system actually exists to protect our lives. If we never felt anxiety, we wouldn't be careful when crossing the street in traffic, we wouldn't be motivated to prepare for exams, or we wouldn't be able to take the necessary precautions in dangerous situations.

Not all anxiety is harmful.

In psychology, anxiety is not considered a problem in itself. A certain level of anxiety can improve our performance, make planning easier, and motivate us to fulfill our responsibilities.

The problem arises when anxiety begins to control our lives. Constantly creating worst-case scenarios even when no danger is present, experiencing intense physical symptoms that prevent one from carrying out daily life, or developing persistent avoidance behaviors due to anxiety are all situations that suggest psychological support may be necessary.

What happens in our bodies when we experience anxiety?

Anxiety is not just a mental process; our bodies actively participate in it as well. Symptoms that may be observed during anxiety include:

• Heart palpitations
• Rapid breathing
• Tension in muscles
• Sweating
• Shake
• Stomach and intestinal complaints
• Dizziness
• Difficulty sleeping
• Difficulty concentrating

These symptoms can often lead a person to believe they have a serious health problem. However, in many cases, these symptoms are simply the body's natural response to stress.

The Thought Cycle That Perpetuates Anxiety

Anxiety is often less about the events themselves and more about how we interpret them. The same situation can be viewed differently by two different people.

For example, of two people going into a job interview, one might think, "I'm nervous, but I'll do my best," while the other might think, "I'm definitely going to fail, I'm going to make a fool of myself." The second way of thinking causes the anxiety to increase even more.

According to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, it is not the events themselves, but the meaning we assign to them that determines our feelings and behaviors. Therefore, one of the important ways to reduce anxiety is to recognize thought patterns and develop more realistic alternatives.

What can you do to cope with anxiety?

Instead of trying to eliminate anxiety entirely, learning to build a healthy relationship with it is a more functional approach.

For this;

• Instead of trying to suppress anxiety, first recognize and name it.
• Make regular sleep and physical activity a part of your daily routine.
• Limit caffeine intake without overdoing it.
• Make use of deep breathing and relaxation exercises.
• Instead of trying to eliminate uncertainty entirely, learn to tolerate it.
• Remember that constantly seeking reassurance and avoidance behaviors may reduce anxiety in the short term, but they persist in the long term.
• Remind yourself that your thoughts don't always reflect reality.

When Should You Seek Professional Help?

Anxiety;

• If it significantly affects your daily life,
• If it is interfering with your work, school, or social life,
• If it causes persistent avoidance behaviors,
• If it continues intensely for weeks or even months,
• If physical symptoms are reducing your quality of life,

Seeking support from a mental health professional can be beneficial.

In psychotherapy, the causes of anxiety are evaluated, thought and behavior patterns that perpetuate anxiety are addressed, and scientific methods aimed at improving the individual's quality of life are applied.

Conclusion

Anxiety is not an emotion to be eliminated; when understood correctly, it is an important signal that guides us. The real goal is not to live a life without anxiety, but to learn how to live with it in a healthy way without allowing it to control our lives.

It is important to remember that psychological resilience is not about never experiencing challenging emotions; it is about being able to recognize, understand, and effectively manage them.

Expert Psychologist Beyza İSHAKOĞLU ALAÇAM