Have you ever wondered what really drives anxiety? The short and simple answer is fear. Fear is at the very heart of a person’s anxiety. Whether it is anxiety over public speaking or anxiety over just taking a walk outside. It is fear that drives anxiety. So, let’s define fear and anxiety so you can understand how they work together.
FEAR: It is a basic, automatic state of alarm consisting of a perception or conclusion of imminent threat or danger to your safety and security.
ANXIETY: Is a prolonged, complex emotional state that occurs when a person anticipates that some FUTURE situation, event, or circumstance may involve a personally distressing, unpredictable, and uncontrollable threat to his or her vital interests.
In short, a person’s fear of a person, place, or thing leads to the response of anxiety over an interaction or event that has yet to take place. So, take some time out of your day to sit and think about how your anxiety is being driven by fear.
Written By:
Reid Wood, MA, LPC