Anxiety: The Evolution of a Survival Reaction
It’s true, anxiety affects everyone whenever there is a perceived presence of danger, but have you ever thought about the role anxiety played in the lives of our prehistoric ancestors?
The human body is a true marvel of evolution. Over thousands of years, we’ve gained and lost biological traits to survive predators and harsh environments. And in the face of immediate or looming danger, our bodies initiate a series of physiological reactions. The pupils dilate to heighten visual perception. The heart races, fueling our limbs with oxygen-rich blood. Sweat pours to cool the body for peak performance, and our muscles tense, coiled for action.
This is known as the fight-or-flight response — our bodies’ combined built-in threat detector and survival specialist, a hard-won evolutionary edge that has kept our cave-dwelling ancestors alive and safe.
But the world has changed, and so have the daily problems we face. Instead of saber-toothed cats or warring tribes, our bodies now respond to psychological “threats” like public speaking, work deadlines, or simply being caught in traffic. This overreaction of the fight-or-flight response in the absence of any looming physical danger is what we may experience as anxiety.
At its core, anxiety is a functional response to stress. By nature, it is triggered by our innate need to survive, an especially useful emotion back when we had to outrun literal predators.
Today, moderate anxiety can sharpen our focus and even motivate us to push harder when the need arises. But when it gets excessive or persists long after the “threat” has passed, it negatively impacts our well-being and quality of life.
While the term "anxiety attack" is sometimes used colloquially, it’s not a clinical diagnosis. These "attacks" are simply the manifestation of heightened anxiety — maybe you start sweating bullets and your heart feels like it’s going to leap out of your chest before giving a presentation.
When faced with a perceived threat, the body releases hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, triggering physiological reactions designed to prepare us for action. However, extreme stress can push us beyond our window of tolerance and into a state of hyperarousal.
In this state, the sympathetic nervous system is dysregulated and goes into overdrive. Anxiety symptoms can escalate, leading to panic attacks or a prolonged state of distress. It's like living with a fire alarm blasting constantly, even in the total absence of smoke or flames.
When in the moment, managing anxiety symptoms can feel all-consuming. However, with some help from a therapist, it’s possible to examine and understand anxiety triggers and how they happen. In our next blog, we will discuss panic attacks, and how they differ from anxiety — alongside some helpful tips that anybody can use when these stress-related symptoms begin to happen.