If you have ended up on this article, chances are that you want to learn something about anxiety or that you have 'googled' anxiety. There are many different mechanisms at play that help cause anxiety, make it persist, and to make it start influencing different situations and elements of your life. In this article, we explain what irrational anxiety is and how you can treat your anxiety.
Anxiety? Irrational or not?
Anxiety was not always irrational. In the past, when our society was not yet as safe as it is now, people often got into contact with dangerous situations. Sometimes they had to respond quickly in order to survive when running into a predator. Rational anxiety thus is when you are afraid of something which could actually cause you to no longer be alive. When danger is life threatening, danger thus is rational. However, anxiety has become more and more irrational. We hardly ever are confronted with situations which are actually life threatening anymore. It can be so that a job is important for your life or that it is important that you get on the train on time, but they will not cause you to stop existing if things do not go the way you want them to. Irrational danger is therefore danger which your body interprets as if you were to stand eye to eye with a predator, while there is no actual reason for anxiety. For example: some people do no longer dare to go outside. Going outside in itself is not life threatening. People with anxiety disorders often know that their danger is not rational at all, but it is still difficult for them to respond differently to the situations which cause anxiety for them.
Anxiety? I am treating it!
How can you deal with or treat your anxiety? 15 Minutes 4 Me developed a program, based on cognitive behavioral therapy and solution focused therapy, which helps participants in treating their anxiety. The program helps you in creating new personal habits, so that your progress remains with you after finishing the program.
Anxiety? Take the anxiety test!
Would you like to know if you experience irrational anxiety? Then you can take the free online anxiety test here, which will tell you your level of anxiety!
