4 ms·

The deceptive thing about anxiety is that it leads you to believe you can do something to change an outcome. Even if that was true, the fear behind anxiety lead

by _8j50 4y ago

The deceptive thing about anxiety is that it leads you to believe you can do something to change an outcome. Even if that was true, the fear behind anxiety leads to despair and mistakes and ultimately tragedy. Having reasonable concern and making the best decision you can is good but anxiety is a force that pulls you so that your concern is beyond reason and your decisions less than ideal.

Madmallard 4y ago
That’d be a rather ineffective survival mechanism if that were the case. Panic leads to irrational behavior but anxiety is there to alert you of something needing attention.
- otikik 4y ago
  There's anxiety (a feeling of nervousness or unease, in presence of a real or perceived threat or danger), which is normal and useful - you feel anxious before giving a public speech, or asking someone out. Panic is a stronger version of anxiety, but it can be justified and also be useful - you will feel it if you get attacked by an enraged dog or when you see a man running towards you with a knife. Then there's Anxiety Disorder, which is a mental condition. There's many subtypes. They prevent the individual from having a normal life, and/or are uncontrollable. They are not useful. One anxiety disorders manifest in Panic Attacks, which can feel similar to a heart attack and happen seemingly randomly. > ineffective survival mechanisms Yes, when anxiety gets "ineffective" it has become Anxiety Disorder. A healthy dose of fear of being run over by a car when crossing the street is useful and normal. Not being able to get out of your house because you are afraid of cars is a disorder.
  - _8j50 4y ago
    Couldn't have said it better. Pain is a critical sense for example, but lingering and debilitating pain is not useful, pain killers exist for a reson as do anxiety medications. What i meant in the original comment was that anxiety and fear don't just go away they have a tendency to develop an addiction (for lack of a better word)
  - Madmallard 4y ago
    Judging his situation as an anxiety disorder is the mistake here.

by _8j50 4y ago

Madmallard 4y ago

That’d be a rather ineffective survival mechanism if that were the case. Panic leads to irrational behavior but anxiety is there to alert you of something needing attention.

otikik 4y ago
There's anxiety (a feeling of nervousness or unease, in presence of a real or perceived threat or danger), which is normal and useful - you feel anxious before giving a public speech, or asking someone out. Panic is a stronger version of anxiety, but it can be justified and also be useful - you will feel it if you get attacked by an enraged dog or when you see a man running towards you with a knife. Then there's Anxiety Disorder, which is a mental condition. There's many subtypes. They prevent the individual from having a normal life, and/or are uncontrollable. They are not useful. One anxiety disorders manifest in Panic Attacks, which can feel similar to a heart attack and happen seemingly randomly. > ineffective survival mechanisms Yes, when anxiety gets "ineffective" it has become Anxiety Disorder. A healthy dose of fear of being run over by a car when crossing the street is useful and normal. Not being able to get out of your house because you are afraid of cars is a disorder.
- _8j50 4y ago
  Couldn't have said it better. Pain is a critical sense for example, but lingering and debilitating pain is not useful, pain killers exist for a reson as do anxiety medications. What i meant in the original comment was that anxiety and fear don't just go away they have a tendency to develop an addiction (for lack of a better word)
- Madmallard 4y ago
  Judging his situation as an anxiety disorder is the mistake here.