The Symptom Phenomenon of Anxiety Sensitization
When Phobic Reactions Are Easily Triggered by Stress
Aug 30, 2009
People who experience chronic anxiety can very likely relate the fact that they have periods of time in which they experience higher degrees of anxiety manifestations. Symptoms seem to occur more often or more severely when they are in this state of being sensitized to anxiety triggers.
Stress and Anxiety Symptoms
Stress is a term simply meaning there is pressure being applied to the mind and emotions. When stress levels are elevated, this is one of the most common reasons for anxiety to manifest. Anxiety in fact is a response to stress and is the body’s built-in mechanism that warns us when we begin to feel we are in a state of danger, so that we remain ready to respond to it by escaping it or defending ourselves against it (fight or flight response).
Chronic stress causes feelings of being overwhelmed to build and can also cause a person to feel trapped in situations that begin to feel very unpleasant to them. This causes the anxiety mechanism to trigger because it causes a person to feel a need to escape these types of situations or to at least find relief from them. Anxiety symptoms can include feelings of apprehension, a sense of being overwhelmed, agitation and irritability, nervousness, increased heart rate and breathing, sweating and trembling.
Fatigue and Illness
Most anxiety disorder sufferers can also relate to the fact that when they are extra tired either mentally or physically, this can cause them to experience anxiety symptoms more easily. These type things can add more stress to that already being experienced. Being involved in mental studies for long periods of time without taking breaks to unwind can also have this effect on people with anxiety. Staring at a computer screen for too long or working on tax returns for example, without taking needed-breaks can increase stress levels, causing anxiety to trigger more easily.
Coping Methods
People with anxiety disorders should learn to recognize those things that cause them added stress (stressors) and eliminate as many of them as possible, also learning to take as much stress as possible out of any remaining ones. Anxiety disorder sufferers often find it difficult to pace their selves in their performance of duties and chores that face them on a daily basis. People with “Generalized Anxiety Disorder” and “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder” for example, feel that if they don’t take care of every issue immediately, their duties will build and overwhelm them at some point. This requires using methods for giving their selves permission, to take breaks and enjoy leisure activities that can reduce their stress levels.
Getting involved in exercise techniques that help the body to relax can also help, as well as relaxation methods, such as muscle-stretching and deep-breathing exercises. Taking time to enjoy hobbies, self improvement activities and art pursuits, such as writing, painting or sculpting can also be beneficial in reducing stress. If the added, benefit of other anxiety treatments are needed, such as anti-anxiety/anti-depressant medications and/or psychiatric therapies, these can be combined with stress-reducing practices, for added results when needed.
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