What is Actually Happening in the Body During Times of Anxiety?
Chronic anxiety may be the result of an imbalance in the nervous system, more specifically in the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system controls all of the involuntary survival mechanisms of the body including heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, the expansion and narrowing of blood vessels. The autonomic nervous system is divided into two parts: the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
The release of adrenaline triggered by the Sympathetic Nervous System is what creates the symptoms of anxiety. For any known or unknown reason, the body senses a danger and needs to prepare to fight or flee. It automatically puts the body into a state of anxiety as a survival mechanism. Can you imagine being confronted by a bear and having no drive to fight, flee, or play dead?! You’d most likely end up on the dinner table.
The Parasympathetic Nervous System helps to calm the sympathetic response and therefore the symptoms of anxiety. This side of the autonomic nervous system should ideally kick into gear after the threat has passed.
In those with autonomic dysfunction, that stubborn parasympathetic nervous system never quite kicks back into full work mode leaving the sympathetic nervous system to dominate–hence a chronic state of anxiety!
Many physiological changes occur with anxiety as a means to help us survive.
- We sweat–this actually makes us slippery to protect us from predators.
- Our heart races–increasing blood flow to the internal organs (heart/brain) and large muscles to help fuel the brain for decision making and the large muscles to GET AWAY!
- Blood is pulled away from the little muscles of the fingers and toes to prevent excess bleeding from injury. Decreased blood flow to these little guys is what causes cold hands and feet.
- Our senses increase (sight, sound, smell, touch) to help keep us alert and aware.
- Airways in our lungs open up allowing more oxygen in providing more fuel to the brain and muscles.
- Adrenaline pulls glucose out of storage, increasing our blood sugar, and providing a quick source of energy to the body systems in need of it. Ever experience high blood sugar on a low carb diet? This may be why!!
So as you can see–we need the anxiety response, we just don’t need it all the time! Often when a major stress or state of anxiety occurs, the memory center of the brain remembers this and sometimes cannot let it go. This is where addressing the dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system comes into play.
The clinicians at The Neurologic Wellness Institute are doctors of the nervous system with hundreds of hours in training on the autonomic nervous system alone. Addressing autonomic nervous dysfunction is one of our main focuses in patient care. If you have more questions, reach out to us to see if we can help.
