ANXIETY - THE WAY YOU THINK MATTERS

Perhaps you have heard the term 'anxiety' in an array of contexts. You most likely hear it in passing and don't think much of it. But, I am here to tell you that it is a very real and very debilitating mental illness. This may sound daunting but it doesn't have to be. I have suffered from severe anxiety and it's side-effects since I was 11 years old, I am now 21. During these 10 years I have gained perspective, strength, understanding and most importantly, preventative and management strategies. Don't get me wrong, I have had my share of really low times but I can assure you that once you push through and see how far you have come, you become a better person for it.
My motivation for writing this blog post was the most recent 'really low time' which occurred only 6 weeks ago. This time was different and came down to looking at how my brain works more closely. Of the many side-effects of my anxiety, depersonalisation/derealisation would have to be the most challenging and the one that takes the most patience, understanding and education. If you haven't heard of these conditions, then you are one very lucky person. However, I am not going to solely focus on them, just how they have really made me learn more about my neurochemistry.

To begin, I will define anxiety and outline the many forms it comes in. I think that by me defining and explaining a number of conditions induced by anxiety, you (or whoever reads this) may be able to relate and understand - what I write could even help someone see things in a more positive light and encourage them to seek help. The following are excerpts from the BeyondBlue website, you can find some great resources on there - direct link: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety/types-of-anxiety

1. First up is Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) > People with GAD feel anxious and worried most of the time, not just in specific stressful situations, and these worries are intense, persistent and interfere with their normal lives. Their worries relate to several aspect of everyday life, including work, health, family and/or financial issues, rather than just one issue. Even minor things such as household chores or being late for an appointment can become the focus of anxiety, leading to uncontrollable worries and a feeling that something terrible will happen.
2. Next is Panic Disorder > A person has panic attacks, which are intense, overwhelming and often uncontrollable feelings of anxiety combined with a range of physical symptoms. Someone having a panic attack may experience shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness and excessive perspiration. Sometimes, people experiencing a panic attack think they are having a heart attack or are about to die. If a person has recurrent panic attacks or persistently fears having one for more than a month, they're said to have panic disorder. 
3. Third is Social Anxiety > A person has an intense fear of being criticised, embarrassed or humiliated, even in everyday situations, such as speaking publicly, eating in public, being assertive at work or making small talk. 
4. Finally, Specific Phobias > A person feels very fearful about a particular object or situation and may go to great lengths to avoid it, for example, having an injection or travelling on a plane. There are many different types of phobias.

Other conditions where anxiety is present: 

1. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) > A person has ongoing unwanted/intrusive thoughts and fears that cause anxiety. Although the person may acknowledge these thoughts as silly, they often try to relieve their anxiety by carrying out certain behaviours or rituals. For example, a fear of germs and contamination can lead to constant washing of hands and clothes.
2. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) > This can happen after a person experiences a traumatic event (e.g. war, assault, accident, disaster). Symptoms can include difficulty relaxing, upsetting dreams or flashbacks of the event, and avoidance of anything related to the event. PTSD is diagnosed when a person has symptoms for at least a month.

So, as you can see, there is more than one type of anxiety and it can affect all aspects of someone's life. Now to move on to the main purpose of this blog post; the way you think matters. Over the past 6 or so weeks I have learnt a lot about the inner-workings of my brain. I know everyone's mind is different but I am hopeful for the idea that what I have learnt can be applied to a multitude of thinking patterns. 

I have spent majority of my life letting my mind be consumed by negative and unproductive thoughts. The mind is so incredibly powerful and can determined a lot of what you choose to do throughout your life. It effects how you feels, how you perceive the world around you, and can make or break the relationships you surround yourself with. For me, the mind has been a scary and dark place for quite some time until I decides to make a change, to make a mind shift. I have been rewiring my brain circuits, also known as the brain's neurochemistry, through the way I think.  

The brain is composed of four main chemicals, three of which play a significant role in determining your mood and emotional balance; norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin. I do take anti-depressants that act as a serotonin re-uptake inhibitor but they do not stop my thoughts unfortunately.
Every minute of every day, your body is physically reacting, literally changing, in response to the thoughts that run through your mind. It's believed that just thinking about something causes your brain to release neurotransmitters, chemical messengers that allow it to communicate with parts of itself and your nervous system.
Neurotransmitters control all of the body's functions, from hormones to digestion to feeling happy, sad or stressed. Some studies have shown that thoughts alone can improve vision, fitness and strength. Your thoughts shape your brain; every thought you have causes a neurochemical change, some short-term some long-term. For example, when someone practices gratitude daily they experience a great feeling of reward which is caused by the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Personally, meditation has been a key component for rewiring my brain. It has been proven that meditation produces measurable results, from changes in grey matter volume to reduced activity in the 'me' centres of the brain to enhance connectivity between brain regions.

"Take care of your mind, your body will thank you. Take care of your body, your mind will thank you" 

Your thoughts program your cells; there are thousands upon thousands of receptors on each cell in our body. Each receptor is specific to one peptide, or protein. When we have feelings of anger, sadness, guilt, excitement, happiness or nervousness, each separate emotion releases its own flurry of neuropeptides. Those peptides surge through the body and connect with those receptors which change the structure of each cell as a whole. Where this gets interesting is when the cells actually divide. If a cell has been exposed to a certain peptide more than others, the new cell that is produces through its division will have more of the receptor that matches with that specific peptide. Likewise, the cell will also have less receptors for peptides that its mother/sister cell was not exposed to as often.

This may sound like a mouthful of information and technical talk, but essentially, if you bombard your cells with peptides from negative thoughts, you are literally programming your cells to receive more of the same negative peptides in the future. What's worse is that you are lessening the number of receptors of positive peptides on the cells, making yourself more inclined towards negativity. The good news is that every cell in your body is replaced about every two months, so you have an opportunity to reprogram your pessimistic cells to be more optimistic by adopting positive thinking practices.

"You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it"

What I'm trying to say is, you can use your thoughts to heal yourself. You have much more power ever believed to influence your physical and mental realities. Your mindset is recognised by your body and the more you improve your mental habits, the more beneficial response you'll get from your body. You can't control what has happened in the past, which shaped the brain and programmed your cells you have today. However, you do have the power in this moment and going forward to choose your perspective and behaviour, which will inevitably change your brain.

Thank you once again for taking the time to read my blog post. Feel free to comment or leave any feedback!
Until next time.