Anxiety: A Biological Background and Coping Strategies

If you experience anxiety, you are not alone. Anxiety is the most common mental health challenge in the United States. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, over 40 million adults in the United States experience some form of anxiety. 

In this blog, we will highlight some facts about anxiety, and then discuss some quick tips (supported by biology) for coping. This is not a substitution for therapy, but a resource that we hope is helpful in moments of distress. 

There are many forms of anxiety, and therefore it can be challenging to find a comprehensive definition, but according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), “Anxiety may be defined as apprehension, tension, or uneasiness that stems from the anticipation of danger, which may be internal or external.”

The Science of Anxiety and Stress

Stress is a natural and generally helpful biological function in some situations. If you are in the desert and run across a rattle snake, for instance, it is functional to experience stress. When we perceive we are in a dangerous situation, our Sympathetic Nervous System (also known as “fight or flight”) is activated. This causes many physical changes to ready our bodies to fight or flee. For example, our heart-rate to increase, we secrete epinephrine, our frontal cortex can shut down (more on why this is important later,) and our pupils dilate. As you can see, this is helpful for our survival when we are in real danger. 

I often times describe anxiety to my clients as a hypersensitized stress response. It’s trying to be helpful, but it perceived danger more frequently than needed. Luckily, there are ways we can trigger our Parasympathetic Nervous System (the opposite of the Sympathetic Nervous System), which helps us “rest and digest.” This helps slow our heart-rate and counteract the tension that is created during sympathetic activation.  

All of this science is important to understand when we think about treating anxiety. When we are in a stressful situation, real or perceived, as discussed, our Sympathetic Nervous System is activated which can cause our frontal cortex (the part of the brain that is responsible for reasoning) to “shut down” or become slightly dormant. This should inform how we treat intense anxiety. 

I love CBT, reframing, and more cognitive treatments for anxiety when an individual is not in active panic, because it helps to highlight the thought patterns and change them. This all takes place more in the frontal cortex of the brain, which may not be online during intense anxiety. This is why, if you are actively panicking, it can be beneficial to utilize more physiological forms of coping.

Diaphragmatic Breathing

My favorite, and the most simple coping skill to help quiet our panic and literally invite the parasympathetic nervous system to come online, is Diaphragmatic Breathing. You may have heard this referred to as “belly breathing.” We focus on contracting the diaphragm, allowing the abdomen to expand. We deepen inhales and exhales, while slowing the breath. Diaphragmatic breathing is an effective relaxation technique in complementary and alternative medicine, and leads to reduction in anxiety, depression and stress. You can simply count your breaths in and out. I generally suggest 3 rounds of 10 counts at the least. This is beneficial, because, breathing, emotion and cognition share a physiological basis, as described above.

4-Square Breathing or Box Breathing

Utilizing the same diaphragmatic breathing technique, we deepen our coping by focusing on the timing of our breathing. Four Square Breathing, or Box Breathing is simply inhaling for four seconds, holding the breath for four seconds, exhaling for four seconds, and holding the breath for a final four seconds. I would recommend repeating this process at least 5 times.

Yoga

As  more research is being done, we have found yoga to also be beneficial in the treatment of anxiety, once again, because of the focus on deep breathing. I particularly like a Vinyasa Flow yoga, as there is an emphasis of matching breath to movement. The movement can provide a nice distraction, while the breath quiets our sympathetic nervous system. I also appreciate the practice of breathing through uncomfortable situations (like a really deep stretch or a physically challenging pose). 

In conclusion, these techniques do not replace therapy but can be helpful in bringing down our anxiety to a manageable level so talk therapy, CBT, and reframing can work more effectively.

Book an appointment with Symmetry Counseling today.