Anxiety: “let me introduce myself”
BOO!
Did I scare you?
Sometimes I feel like making people jump.
But most of the time I come creeping, crawling into your mind.
I am Anxiety. Worry is a hobby of mine. I’m sure you know me. You may have noticed me when I sped up your breathing, made you dizzy or your palms sweaty. Because I do this, many people are afraid of me, their anxiety.
Humans don’t like the way I make them feel. But they all too often forget that I am the reason their entire species has survived. I am the reason humans run from danger, I am the reason humans have the strength to break free when captured, I am the reason you avoid things that can hurt you, I am the reason you have survived for as long as you have!
In an environment that does not pose as many threats (like saber-tooth tigers, or other enemies) that you can flee from or fight against I need to fulfil my purpose in another way. I have been so helpful in the past, I can’t just leave you hanging!
SoI have found my hobby of making you worry! It is very enjoyable to me and gives me great pleasure. I make you worry so that you can prepare and stay safe in every possible scenario.
“What if…” sentences, “Did I really do xyz?” questions and endless “If… -then…” predictions are my master creations to make you worry. These sentences invite in one of my best friends, Uncertainty. Uncertainty and I are such good friends and so alike we should be twins! My real twin is Fear. And my brother is Panic.
Though, I do admit, and I am sorry about this: Sometimes Worrying is so much fun that I cannot stop. Especially when an unlikely eventuality has actually become true. This encourages me to make you worry even more. When I am overexcited I can create frenzied chaos, true disorder. When this happens you have to remind me that I have to take a break from my hobby.
I will thank you for reminding me to calm down, because anything that one does for too long or too much will result in adversity. In my case, I may end up paralysing you with worry, and that is not my goal!
My goal, my work, my passion, my true reason for being is to protect you and to help you stay safe and alive. I act with the best intentions!
