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immune chemicals and cells to combat a perceived danger), endocrine systems (we pour out stress hormones, such as cortisol), and the neurological system, especially our senses (“Hey, Marge, what a big, cute wave I see coming at us.” “It’s a tsunami, Homie.”), and hopefully, our brains (“Why are you running, Marge?”).
.....There is anxiety, though, and there is ANXIETY, or what Mel Brooks in a typical inspired moment, called High Anxiety. Thus, every one of us becomes legitimately somewhat anxious in response to certain threats or stimuli, which is, of course, how we’ve managed to survive through the millennia. After all, it doesn’t take the IQ of an Einstein, or even the minimal IQ of a Hister, to recognize that those of our ancestors who first descended from the trees to cavort on the savannah (and who looked remarkably similar to current-day New York Ranger fans) who did not respond with anxiety or apprehension to a marauding beast a few yards away did not live long enough to pass their genes on, often not even to one generation.
.....On the other hand, those forebears who, on spotting an approaching |
.....When I first sat down to ponder what to write for this month’s article about “anxiety”, it quickly became depressingly evident that I didn’t have much to say about anxiety, and although cynical readers will probably say, “well, hey, that’s nothing new for that guy yet it’s never stopped him from writing before”, let me quickly assure you that yes, having nothing to say is completely alien to me because as a Jewish male doctor/radio-and-TV commentator, and mostly, of course, as a hectoring parent, I’m never at a loss for words. In fact, as my kids will gladly confirm, I generally suffer from exactly the opposite problem.
.....But for once, I was stumped for something to write, although happily (or maybe not, depending on your point of view), the story has a great ending because my writer’s block led to the most intense panic attack, and I suddenly had lots to say about anxiety.
.....We’ll begin, as always, with a definition, but although most of you might think anxiety could easily be defined as something like “a psychological state of unease produced by some insult or threat” (a poisonous snake, a wife who wants to renovate the house yet again, Al Gore, etc), |
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anxiety is actually a far more complex state than that. For example, if you search “anxiety” on a typical consumer-oriented medical web site, you will be given choices of such sub-topics as non-psychotic anxiety and its twin psychotic
 anxiety, anxiety and depression, panic attacks, social anxiety, performance anxiety, and many others, all of which are valid concerns and all of which differ somewhat.
.....To limit this discussion, then, I’ll focus on only one vital aspect of this problem, namely anxiety as a manifestation of excess stress, so let’s kick off with a discussion of a “stress response”, aka a “flight-or-fight response”, a reaction that occurs (to a certain degree) whenever we’re confronted with either a real or perceived threat. This complex reaction involves the immune system (we quickly mobilize
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