Lessons for the Anxious

Anxiety is my familiar.

For as long as I can remember, and certainly since enduring what is now — though not without critique — called an ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience), I have lived on the precipice of catastrophe. There is a region of my brain, alongside the bits that make me smart and compassionate, where monsters come out to play.

In 1822, German physiologist Karl Friedrich Burdach called this region the amygdala. Located in the brain’s lobes, these almond-shaped clusters (amygdalae, plural) control our emotions, memories, and decision-making. Trauma hyperactivates the amygdala, supercharging the limbic system into believing trouble is afoot. Our lizard brain takes over, working to get us to safety asap.

People with chronic anxiety, like me, move through the world fearing danger around every turn. We are hyper-vigilant, ready to fight or flee (never freeze, for that is certain death). Adrenaline and cortisol circulate through our bodies with abandon, exhausting us, creating a sensation known as “stress,” and likely pushing us into an early grave.

I describe anxiety as my familiar because it is both warning and guide. Anxiety tells me what to pay attention to. I have learned to listen while also learning to “manage” (read: live with) my condition. This “management” involves pharmaceuticals, exercise, and a host of…