Anxiety Series #1 - Mine isn't working. Is there an upgraded version yet?

Frosty morning at Bairnsdale

Recently I had the joy of spending time with a part of our family in another deep south state. There is nothing better than these precious times, which sadly end too soon. What is the saying? “Time flies when you’re having fun.” I do look forward to next year’s jaunt into the colder state, with much anticipation. What did I enjoy, you ask? Well to start with there is much to be said about being able to don six layers of clothing and still feel as though you are freezing your proverbial butt off. The novelty of wearing winter garb: full length puffer jackets, lusciously thick woollen socks (home grown and made in our beautiful country), comfy and cute ankle-height gumboots perfect for wet weather, and gloves that speak of a more genteel time, certainly hasn’t worn off.

Here in our beautifully sunny state of Queensland, if I even thought about putting on those layers of clothing, I would break out in a sweat that could rival a marathon runner on the home leg. My anxiety level would hit the nerve-tingling level faster than you could even say puffer jacket or Bobbi boots. It’s incredible isn’t it, that just the thought of doing something can trigger that sort of response in a millisecond? Is this response because my nervous system is broken or is there something else going on? There have been times that I have thought it would be nice to be able to trade up for an updated version - one that is not as sensitive to minor triggers.

Which brings me to the reason for this blog today. Although my journey through writing a novel is still happening, it sometimes feels as though it is stalled — who’d have thought that writer’s block is a real phenomena? Joking. It is real, of course. Hence, I am currently abiding in a quagmire, as I fiddle with editing my manuscript in it’s current state of around thirty-thousand words. Hopefully, the end of that sloth is nearing and words will begin to flow in the near future - who knows? Perhaps even today. In the meantime, (yes, a procrastinator’s motto!) I am thinking to do some blogs around a subject close to my heart — anxiety.

Working as a trauma counsellor for many years has been an honour for me and a God-given opportunity to support many individuals as they journey through healing and growth. The desired end-result of their journey is of course, that each will recover their confidence that the world is actually an exciting and safe place in which to live their life to the full. Gaining an understanding of anxiety is a many-faceted exploration and learning can be aided by examining each of the facets through lenses of practical everyday analogies. I’m planning to share gleanings from my understanding and experience to shine light on how our amazing autonomic nervous-system works, and an understanding that our alarm system (AKA autonomic nervous system), is made to be mastered - just like learning to walk, ride a skateboard, or to sing.

Pressures of life, and the increasing precariousness of the world in general, are leaving many struggling to manage the responses of their alarm system. Join me in the weeks to come as I explore anxiety from a neurobiology-informed (Poly Vagal), trauma counsellor’s understanding, but founded on a worldview that we are each “fearfully and wonderfully made”. The maker of heaven and earth has not fallen short in designing any system within His crowning glory of creation - human beings.

Stay tuned for the next instalment #2 - “My smoke alarm is going off — where’s the button?”