Anxiety Psychoeducation

What Is Anxiety And Why Do We Need It?

Anxiety is a natural human emotion. It can show up in our minds as worrying thoughts, fear of uncertainty or the unknown, and overthinking. Some people find that anxious thoughts interfere with their sleep and lead to mental rumination and catastrophising. Generally, anxiety is a concern or worry about something in the future, whereas fear is usually a response to an immediate and present threat.

Anxiety is also often felt in the body. Common physical sensations include:

• Muscle tension

• Restlessness

• Fatigue

• Light-headedness

• Aches or soreness

• Trembling

• “Butterflies” or tension in the stomach

• Nausea or vomiting

• Increased heart rate or a pounding heart

• Elevated blood pressure

• Sweating

• Shortness of breath

• Difficulty swallowing

• Dry mouth

• Gastrointestinal issues

• Feeling hot or flushed

• Disrupted sleep

We all experience anxiety because it is a normal, natural, and sometimes helpful emotion. It acts as an internal alarm system—alerting us to potential danger and helping us prepare to deal with it.

However, anxiety can become unhelpful when it is excessive, persistent, or disproportionate to the situation. In these cases, it may be part of a diagnosable condition such as Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Agoraphobia, or Panic Disorder. Many people manage chronic anxiety through therapy, medication, or both.

It’s important to understand that anxiety cannot—and should not—be completely “cured,” because it is a necessary human emotion. What we can do is learn tools to manage it, develop a healthier relationship with it, and reduce the impact of its more distressing cognitive and physical symptoms.

“The problem arises when we begin to fear anxiety itself, interpreting it as something dangerous rather than a normal response. The issue becomes the way we respond to the emotion of anxiety, versus the emotion itself.”
— Amber Barry

The Neuroscience of Anxiety

Several areas of the brain are involved in the experience of anxiety:

• Amygdala

• Hypothalamus

• Prefrontal cortex

• Hippocampus

The amygdala is a small, almond-shaped structure that detects threats and activates the body's fight-or-flight response. When it senses danger—real or perceived—it signals the hypothalamus, which controls basic bodily functions such as sleep, hunger, and stress regulation. This triggers the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, preparing the body for action.

In individuals with anxiety disorders, the amygdala may become enlarged and hyperactive, sometimes interpreting neutral or non-threatening situations as dangerous. For example, you might feel anxious about attending a social event, even when you rationally know you're safe—your brain has triggered the alarm anyway.

The prefrontal cortex, responsible for rational thinking and decision-making, normally helps regulate the amygdala by assessing whether a threat is real. In people with heightened anxiety, communication between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala may be weakened, making it harder to override irrational fears.

The hippocampus, which processes memory and context, also plays a role. If the hippocampus is smaller or functioning poorly, it can be harder to distinguish between past traumatic experiences and present-day reality. This may cause anxiety responses even when no actual threat is present.

Several factors can affect the size and function of the hippocampus, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD), chronic stress, certain medical conditions, head injuries, and early-life adversity.

The good news: Because the brain is adaptable, we can retrain it to respond differently to anxiety.

“Many people with anxiety disorders engage in a constant internal battle, trying to suppress or eliminate anxious feelings. However, this resistance only amplifies the distress—much like trying to push a beach ball underwater. Learning to accept anxiety as a normal emotion, rather than something dangerous, is key to reducing its power.”
— Amber Barry

The Evolutionary Roots of Anxiety

Anxiety has been a critical part of human survival for millennia. Early humans relied on it to remain alert to predators, environmental dangers, and threats from other groups. This heightened vigilance helped ensure quick decision-making and self-preservation.

Anxiety also played a role in social safety. Because humans are social creatures, anxiety helped us adapt to group living by promoting social awareness and helping us follow group norms.

While our environments have changed rapidly in modern times, our brains have not evolved at the same pace. Today’s threats—such as financial pressure, social rejection, or work stress—are often abstract and persistent, and not life-threatening. Yet the brain still activates the same ancient survival mechanisms. This mismatch can lead to chronic anxiety, which may feel like being stuck in a heightened state of alertness.

Anxiety can also serve positive functions. It can:

• Motivate us to prepare and perform

• Help us anticipate and avoid danger

• Promote empathy and awareness in social settings

However, when anxiety becomes overwhelming or irrational, it may interfere with daily life—causing procrastination, avoidance, self-sabotaging behaviours, the adoption of unhelpful coping mechanisms such as substance use, and/or emotional disconnection.

Anxiety: Just Another Emotion

Like joy, sadness, or anger, anxiety is a normal part of the emotional spectrum. It’s a signal—alerting us to something that needs attention. Trouble arises when we treat anxiety itself as a threat. This fear of anxiety can lead to unhelpful patterns such as avoidance or suppression, which only increase its intensity over time.

Why Anxiety Can Feel Unmanageable

For people with anxiety disorders, it can feel like the brain and body are constantly scanning for danger. To cope, people often avoid situations that trigger anxiety. While this can offer short-term relief, it also teaches the brain that the situation was indeed dangerous—reinforcing the cycle.

Over time, avoidance can shrink your world, limiting relationships, work opportunities, and everyday activities. The paradox is that the more we avoid anxiety, the more powerful it becomes.

Another challenge is our difficulty tolerating anxious feelings. Suppressing or fighting anxiety often backfires, amplifying the distress. In contrast, allowing ourselves to experience anxiety—without judgment—can reduce its intensity. Over time, we can build resilience and teach our brains that anxiety is something we can manage, and accept.

Women and Anxiety 

Research shows that women are more likely than men to experience anxiety disorders. This is likely due to a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors.

• Hormonal fluctuations, such as changes in estrogen and progesterone, can affect stress responses.

• Societal expectations often place more emotional labour on women.

• From a young age, girls are often encouraged to care for others while minimising their own needs.

These pressures can contribute to chronic stress, anxiety, and depression.

Women are also more likely to have adverse experiences in their lifetime that are gender-based. This is includes sexual violence, sexual harassment, domestic and family violence, gender-based violence, discrimination, restrictive gender-roles that limit their agency, and misogynistic-based microaggressions—all of which increase the risk of anxiety. The experience of, or even fear of violence and discrimmination, can lead to hypervigilance: a state where the nervous system is constantly alert. Trauma can cause the brain’s threat-detection systems to become hypersensitive.

Women from marginalised backgrounds—such as those who face discrimination based on race, disability, sexuality, and/or socioeconomic status—may experience additional anxiety due to systemic inequalities and inequities. Addressing these broader issues is essential for improving mental health on a societal level.

Cultural conditioning also plays a role. Girls are often socialised to be “nice,” to avoid conflict, and to prioritise others’ needs over their own. This can lead to people-pleasing, low self-worth, difficulty asserting boundaries, and a heightened sense of self-doubt—all of which contribute to anxiety.

Eldest daughters, in particular, may be expected to take on extra emotional responsibility within families and communities, which can compound stress. In contrast, boys are often encouraged to be independent and may express stress differently—sometimes through anger or withdrawal. Both patterns come with their own mental health challenges.

Your Relationship to Anxiety

Rather than trying to eliminate anxiety, a more effective approach is to change how we relate to it. The brain’s ability to change—neuroplasticity—means we can form new habits and responses over time.

For example, avoiding public speaking because it makes us feel anxious reinforces that anxiety. But gradually exposing ourselves to it can help us build tolerance and reduce anxiety’s power over us.

Medication can also play a supportive role, often alongside therapy. Therapy offers a safe space to explore anxiety triggers, develop coping strategies, and learn new ways to respond. Modalities such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based therapies, somatic practices, and exposure therapy have been highly effective for many people.

With time, practice, and support, it is possible to reduce anxiety’s hold on your life and build a more empowered relationship with this complex—but manageable—emotion.