In recent days, the most common thing people do must be to pick up their mobile phones to browse the epidemic progress information intensively pushed by platforms such as Weibo and Moments.
There are more and more people around me who say: "I was not very nervous at first, but after reading so much information on my phone, I became more nervous and worried the more I read it. I was worried that I couldn't sleep for several days."
Why does this emotion appear? Is this emotion good or bad?
No.1. Why does this emotion appear?
Psychology believes that people's anxiety, irritability and other emotions come from people's beliefs, evaluations, explanations, etc. about what they encounter, not from the things themselves.
As a result of the epidemic, the original gathering of relatives and friends was cancelled, and the original trip was shelved. When we made all kinds of plans and had to take action, we were suddenly interrupted ruthlessly. These unfinished things will make us irritated and anxious.
Under the epidemic, a large amount of negative information came to us, masks were out of stock overnight, " Shuanghuanglian " became popular overnight, and looking at the increasing number of confirmed cases and deaths, the virus seemed to be everywhere.
We are not sure where is safe, who is safe, whether we and our family will be infected, when the epidemic will be controlled, when school will start, etc. This kind of uncertainty can make us irritated and anxious.
If the irritable and anxious emotions accumulate for a long time, they will bring us into a vicious cycle: we don’t want to study, but we are concerned about the upcoming new semester make-up exams, courses, graduation thesis, and job search... The more we think about it, the more anxious we are, the more we can’t extricate ourselves.
In addition, excessive anxiety can also affect our immune system, and the body seems to become more sensitive, and always feel uncomfortable, which aggravates our sense of hypochondriasis.
No.2. Does appropriate anxiety have a positive effect?
In fact, anxiety that occurs when survival challenges are encountered is a survival instinct. Moderate tension is protective. Indifferent to danger may be more dangerous than danger itself when facing danger.
Anxiety is the alarm bell that the "emotional brain" sounds. In the early days when humans were closer to animals. This alarm system is very important. Anxiety and the physical reactions it mobilizes can put us in a state of "fighting" or "escape".
In this state, the body mobilizes more glucose for utilization, and the increase in respiration frequency brings more oxygen.
In addition, the body will adjust the blood to the brain, skeletal muscle and the heart that you need most. Reduce blood supply to the skin, digestive tract, spleen and other organs, so that the body can run and fight quickly. Energize the individual in the short term without feeling sleepy, lazy and burnout.
In this state, we will also focus on doing what we are at hand.
For example, focus on washing hands and wearing masks, and identify related risks more alertly, such as paying attention to people around you who cough and sneeze, so as to take self-protection measures faster. It is this brain mechanism that ensures that we survive the long evolutionary process and allows us to better protect ourselves in the face of the epidemic.
No.3, Long-term excessive anxiety damage to the body
, symptoms such as chest tightness , insomnia, etc.
, anxiety disorders will have symptoms such as palpitations , chest tightness, shortness of breath, insomnia, heartbeat and rapid breathing. When anxiety increases, stress hormones in the body will increase, and pulse and blood pressure levels will rise accordingly, which will have a negative impact on the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular system.
accelerated aging
study found that the telomeres of chromosomes in patients with anxiety disorders are significantly shorter than those in normal people, which is mainly related to disorders in the body's anti-compression system.
On the one hand, it is because long-term stress will trigger the release of free radical , causing the cell to be destroyed;
On the other hand, anxiety will lead to poor sleep quality and excessive thinking, resulting in premature aging symptoms such as hair loss, gray hair, poor skin elasticity, and premature wrinkles.
affects the ability to get along with others
is in a state of anxiety for a long time, and the ability to get along with others will be seriously reduced, which will lead to stagnation of career and family life.
Patients with anxiety disorder have a strong sense of out-of-control and can't control their temper. Moreover, anxiety disorders reduce serotonin secretion in the human brain, and serotonin controls self-control and appetite. When anxiety disorders are severe, appetite will decrease and irritable.
Therefore, after discovering that you have anxiety, you should seek treatment from a professional doctor in time to prevent the disease from further worsening to out of control.
