symptoms

Looking at your Anxiety Diagnosis, Jessica, it’s easy to see that your physical symptoms are actually caused by the Fear-Adrenaline-Fear Loop. You see, when you constantly live in a high anxiety state, your adrenaline gland can go haywire. So from time to time it just dumps adrenaline into your bloodstream. And when it does, your bowels feel like they may let “go” at any time, you feel sick, your stomach hurts.

I don’t need to tell you how scary these symptoms are. But the very same moment you get scared of them, even more adrenaline is released ... your organs are stimulated to produce even more intense sensations ... which further continue to scare you.
The good news here is that actions of adrenaline are always predictable. They are restricted to the same organs, always following the same pattern. So there’ll be no more surprises in store for you. Other than the symptoms you already experience, no new ones can or will arise. But now, let’s take a look what we can do about the ones you already have…

Diarrhea and Frequent urination
Frequent urination and diarrhea are very common among people who suffer from anxiety. When adrenaline is released into your bloodstream a process called “fight-or-flight” is started. Fight-or-Flight commands your body to get rid of all the waste products in it, so you can run faster away from danger. Our bodies don’t differentiate between the type of imaginary fear where there is nothing to run from and the type of fear you would experience if a huge tiger was hunting you. Trust me, there’s nothing wrong with your kidney … though always wondering if you will make it to the next bathroom can be crazily annoying.

Two things you can start doing right away to calm down your emotions...
We all seem to suffer from the delusion that emotions are entirely out of our control, that they’re just something that spontaneously occur in the reaction to the events of our lives. Often we dread emotions as if they were viruses that zero in on us and attack when we’re most vulnerable. In essence, there’s this misconception that we have no control over these mysterious things called emotions.

But if you want to make your life really work, you must make your emotions work for you. You can’t run away from them. You can’t tune them out. You can’t trivialize them or delude yourself about what they mean. Nor can you just allow them to run your life. Emotions you experience are merely a call to action. In fact, instead of calling them negative emotions, from now on, let’s call them Action Signals.

And once you’re familiar with each signal and its message, your emotions become not your enemy but your ally. So now, let's take a look at what is the message of your Action Signals...

Watching for signs of danger
One way to overcome your habit of “catastrophizing” (and many other negative emotions) is by learning to manipulate your face. University of California conducted an experiment where a group of severe anxiety sufferers were daily asked to change their facial expressions and smile. Not one of them was able to stay in an anxious state of mind while smiling. In fact, some of them began to manage themselves by smiling for twenty minutes at a time for no reason. Soon they began to feel great. In fact, 47% of them completely recovered within the first three month just by learning to manipulate their facial expressions.

Feelings of apprehension or dread
One of the ways you can reduce feelings of dread is to control your diet. And I’m not going to teach you health fundamentals here, although I’ll do it in your complimentary newsletter. I do want to say this to you: most of us in life do not pay attention to what we’re putting in our body. And what you’re putting in affects deeply how you feel emotionally. Blood sugar, for example, alone, makes a radical shift on how you feel emotionally. So if you aren’t paying attention to what or how you’re eating, and you’re just throwing anything you possibly can in your body, without looking at the consequences, you’re going to pay an emotional price.


“What to focus on?”
The first decision is what to focus on. You're making it right now, as you read this. It's your number one decision and it alone is responsible for the most of your physical symptoms. We feel whatever we focus on. Where your focus goes your energy flows. Focus on your physical symptoms (beating heart, rapid breathing, dizziness) and you'll get exactly that.


“What am I going to do?”
If we want to shift our lives and end anxiety, we've got to learn how to shift what we focus on consistently, the meanings we give it and the actions we take. Are you going to pull back or move forward? Are you going to give up or break through? Are you going to call 911 every time your heart beats faster ... or are you going to find a permanent solution to your anxiety? It's all a decision ... your decision.