18. Irrational anxiety is about being afraid of our own feelings

There are two distinct forms of anxiety.

Rational and Irrational.

Both types are commonly referred to simply as “anxiety,” which can lead to confusion regarding irrational anxiety.

In common discourse, such as conversations with healthcare providers, psychiatrists, psychologists, and other professionals, and within literature, including this text, the term “anxiety” specifically denotes irrational anxiety, meaning anxiety that lacks a justifiable cause.

The essence of this distinction is that what you are experiencing is not just anxiety but irrational anxiety, which significantly differs from rational anxiety.

Key Facts:

– Rational anxiety is always triggered by a tangible cause in the real world.

– Irrational anxiety, conversely, does not have a real-world cause.

– Rationel Anxiety is not a disorder or illness but a physiological response triggered by adrenaline.

– Irrational Anxiety is not a disorder or illness but a physiological response triggered by e.g. thoughts.

– You do not suffer from anxiety, you experience it. 

These statements will be substantiated.

Understanding irrational anxiety necessitates a grasp of rational anxiety and its evolutionary significance. Rational anxiety is inherent to nearly all living creatures. Historical examples include dinosaurs and contemporary animals, where prey instinctively fears predators. This fear has been a fundamental component of evolution, shaping the interactions between prey and predators over millions of years.

When humans emerged approximately 6 million years ago, anxiety was already integrated into our makeup. Initially, our ancestors had smaller brains, but over time, especially with the evolution of us Homo sapiens, our brains expanded significantly. This brain development, culminating around 100,000 years ago, has not significantly changed, our brains today react as they did then, despite today’s vast changes in our environment.

The intelligence of early humans, comparable to ours today, enabled them to migrate globally, overcoming the era’s dangers. In modern times, however, the threats our ancestors faced have largely disappeared, with humanity becoming the dominant predator. The primary dangers we face today, such as traffic and speed, are not something our ancient brains were designed to anticipate.

Our brain’s evolution over the ancient reptilian brain led to the development of the cerebrum. However, these two brain parts cannot communicate, making irrational anxiety an unavoidable aspect of life.

Statistical data on anxiety diagnoses show that women are more than twice as likely to experience anxiety, possibly due to evolutionary factors related to e.g. child-rearing, though this is speculative.

Irrational anxiety needs our attention to continue and manifest symptoms. Fear of anxiety amplifies the experience because it draws more attention to it. Despite its discomfort, the challenge of ignoring anxiety often leads individuals to long-term anxiety diagnoses and treatments.

Identifying irrational anxiety with personal pronouns or as a personal condition hinders the journey to becoming anxiety-free. It’s crucial to recognize that irrational anxiety serves no purpose or benefit to us. 

To some up.

Irrational anxiety is about being afraid of our own feelings.

Rational anxiety is about being afraid of threatening situations.