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The ‘fight or flight’ response is an automatic physiological reaction to an event that is perceived as stressful or frightening. The perception of threat – even a social one – can activate the sympathetic nervous system and trigger an anxiety response that prepares the body to fight, flee or freeze.
These responses were early evolutionary adaptations designed to increase the chances of survival in threatening situations. For example, if a tiger was chasing us in the wild, it is helpful that our stress response rapidly makes us flee. Whilst modern life means danger from tigers is gone, the brain may still trigger similar responses to any perceived danger.
The response is not a conscious decision. If we perceive danger, even a social one, our body may initiate the release of stress hormones leading to racing thoughts, tight muscles, trembling, blushing, sweating, an increase in heart rate.
It is common that individuals with social anxiety develop strong physiological responses to the social situations they find difficult. In extreme cases the feelings can horrible and border on panic. The very fact that the anxiety is out of all proportion to the situation involved may create a spiral of further anxiety thoughts and feelings. Sufferers may use a lot of mental energy trying to look ok and avoid our anxiety being ‘found out’. Without appropriate coping mechanisms, it can be hard to feel at ease, think or reason normally. The sensations and symptoms may be very persistent and may not easily dissipate.
Learning to accept your anxiety, to focus on the practicalities of the social situation rather than struggling against anxiety symptoms, can actually help you to feel better. Fighting your anxiety just makes it worse. Anxious thoughts, feelings and symptoms can begin to dissipate as you pay less attention to them.
Please also see Grounding techniques to help calm yourself in situ and panic attacks.
Please also see these links to other websites:
www.itsjustafeeling.co.uk – Panic is a trick
www.nationalsocialanxietycenter.com – Anxious about being anxious
www.psychologytoday.com – The social anxiety spiral
www.insighttimer.com – What is an anxiety spiral
See this leaflet to find out more about the Vicious Cycle of Anxiety.
