The "Old World Word - Angho", Meant "Choking", like "Choking Yourself" or Anxiety. If You Have Anxiety, Let Yourself Go!

The word anxiety has an interesting origin. If we take it back to a root word "angst", it is Germanic and it transfers the idea of fear. Going back further, the word "angst" has existed since the 8th Century, from the Indo-European "angho" which communicates the idea of "restraint" or "choking yourself".

This is not a pleasant thought. It is an even less pleasant image. As if in a bad dream, you are locked up in a nightmare. You are tossing your head back and forth, trying to free yourself from those hands that are around your throat. it is an action that is "on automatic" that you have not learned to turn off.

And so, we use the "choking yourself" picture to alert your very intelligent mind to see what might seem silly or unreasonable. In a sense that is really what we are dealing with. It's just that prolonged anxiety is such an uncomfortable state to be living in.

Pulling away from this vivid, and maybe all to familiar idea, we stop and we say to ourselves. Let's think this through another way!

1. Things to fear because they are animate, concrete, real, something that has hurt me in the past; an actual stated threat. "That siren is meant for me. I must stop."
2. Anxiety or Angst is a resident nonspecific fear that seems to be so versatile that it can apply to a specific possibly arriving fearful object, or just a vague powerful sickening feeling that you are "choking" with a burden.
3. Mixing the concrete with the vaguely possible, the recent with the past, the mildly painful with the traumatic.

The Amygdala in the Center of the Brain, and not very large; but, it acts like a measuring instrument in our Limbic System.

"Threat" is an interesting word. As we walk around in our daily lives, we as humans encounter situations, issues, events or happenings which, with our judgment, we perceive through our eyes and sense organs to be

a) not threatening, but pleasureable,

b) not threatening, and neutral,

c) possibly threatening, but not near and because it is far off, not measured

d) threatening, fear inducing, possibly dangerous,

e) definitely threatening and requiring a powerful protective and defensive or attacking response from us.

The process of observing the former examples involves the cerebral cortex involving the eyes, amygdala and occipital lobe -- where visual processing takes place.

Conscious Deliberate Mindful Attempts to use the "Shut Off" Button

Many don't wonder whether they are suffering from anxiety, but for those who are honestly dealing with too many symptoms, that are not overly severe, you can take a read out on your own states for a sense of where you are:

Trouble going to sleep, or too many Awakenings

General Irritation for no reason,

Extreme muscle tension,

Noticing inner Panic,

Shakiness,

Nauseous or Dizzy,

Heart jumps or Palpitates,

The "Heebee Jeebies" - extremely jittery,

Muscular taughtness,

Lingering internal Images that frighten you

But this is a very good road map for following "nervous" states such as panic and anxiety.

Prescription Drugs

Instead of preferring a cure or solution, I will say first of all that there are anti-anxiety medicines for which you can receive a prescription after a doctor's examination.

Herbal Treatments

Theanine, Passion Flower, Valerian are just some examples of herbs that many use to address their anxious states. NIacin, Niacinimide, GABA and other supplements have a sedating or calming effect.

Calming Teas

Vitamin Stores, Herbalists and other "naturalistic" stores and practices will also feature teas that are proprietary and made of mixes of herbs and teas that are designed for the idea of calming the central nervous system, relaxing the body and the digestive tract.

Chamomile Tea is famously relaxing and is very soothing to the system.

Physical Efforts that are directly relaxing

Yoga and Tai Chi

There are modern young hard working people who suffer from anxiety. Sometimes their exercise is inflammatory, stress increasing and extremely competitive.

Walking as a Highly Effective Salubrious Activity (see callout)

Walking increasingly is not only being credited with weight loss benefits, blood pressure effects, and blood fat benefits.

The Mayo Clinic puts it clearly: "Walking probably helps ease depression and anxiety in a number of ways, which may include:

• Releasing feel-good brain chemicals that may ease depression and anxiety (neurotransmitters and endorphins)
• Reducing immune system chemicals that can worsen depression.
• Increasing body temperature, which may have calming effects"

Alcohol

Alcohol is not helpful for anxiety. And yet, so many of those who suffer from anxiety turn to it.

We talked about the doctor who discovered Serotonin, "the calming chemical". Alcohol limits serotonin in the brain. This "feel good" brain chemical, when you are short in it actually causes feelings of anxiety. For years alcoholics have been causing low blood sugar in themselves just by increasing the booze and skipping the burger.

There are books about this topic and you can avail yourself of them. The key point I would like to emphasize is that you need to think of yourself wholly. Do not think of anxiety as a dietary issue, just a stress issue, or perhaps a genetic issue (it does affect family members).

Think of yourself as the whole person that you are. Love yourself enough to measure your life in increments. Most of all, do not ATTACK your life, schedule, diet, goals and agendas as if you could conquer anxiety. This in itself could leave to a lessening of these tensions. Then make a little list of big ideas and anticipate alleviating your pain.