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These feelings are
anxiety
. They are all completely normal.
Anxiety is just a form of fear, and fear is nothing to be ashamed
of. There is nothing more normal for humans than anxiety.
Anxiety Isn’t All Bad
The ability to feel nervous can be a good thing. Our ancient
ancestors were afraid of large animals like bears and lions, and
for good reason! After all, the caveman who feared lions lived
long enough to have children. But the caveman who felt no
Fight or Flight
Have you ever watched a pet react to a
threat—another animal, a passing car, or even
a vacuum cleaner? You might see the pet’s
body get tense, its ears and tail standing at
attention. It might become very excited, pacing
around and making noise.
This is what is known as the fight-or-flight
response
. Animals (and that includes us
humans) have
physiological
responses to fear.
Our hearts beat faster, we breathe faster, and
blood flow increases. The body is getting ready to face a threat. We might “fight”
the threat or we might “flee” it, depending on our personalities and the nature of
the threat. But the response—that racing of the heart and tensing of the body—is an
ancient safety technique.
Like nervousness, the fight-or-flight response is completely normal. But sometimes
people have the same feelings when there is no threat. This is when anxiety can
become a problem.