ALL BIRDS HAVE
ANXIETY
K A T H Y H O O P M A N N
In a perfect world, everyone would
cope with life just fine, and no one
would be anxious or worried.
But the truth is, we do not live in a perfect
world and everyone experiences
life in different ways.
Some people feel anxious and worried
about anything and everything.
Of course,
everyone feels
anxious sometimes,
which can be good
when you need
to take care,
or there is danger nearby.
Being anxious can also help you hurry when things need to be done.
However, some of us are anxious
even when we are not in danger
and life seems to be going well.
The “take-care” thoughts, the “danger” warnings, and the “hurry” urges get out of control and become monsters in our minds.
When stress builds up, anything can set off anxiety, such as:
a change of plan,
something new,
a comment,
a thought.
Stuff.
Even thinking about being anxious
can make you anxious.
Many people have anxiety and it often runs in families.
First comes an uneasy feeling that grows
and grows until you are so scared that
you can’t move or breathe.
Often you don’t even know why.
Your mouth goes dry, it’s hard to
swallow and your stomach hurts.
You may get dizzy and sweaty, and have headaches. Your heart pounds. Hands and feet can tingle or go numb. Every muscle is tense.
It’s like being filled with a scream.
Anxiety also affects how we think, feel and act.
We are sure that nothing we ever do, say or try is good enough.
Even if we do well, we are certain it was
a mistake.
When we are overwhelmed and frightened, we see everything that goes wrong and nothing that goes right.
Over and over again, we worry about the
future and replay the daft things we did in
the past, never stopping to enjoy “now.”
There is no “off” button.
Our minds become a fog.
We sit and stare with brains like cotton wool
and don’t know what to do or how to do it.
Everyday jobs, like combing hair, changing clothes
or making decisions, are too much to think about.
To make things worse,
we don’t sleep well.
We lie there, knowing we have to sleep.
Then we worry that we can’t sleep,
which stops us from sleeping. Arghhhh!
Wide-awake
