Is It Normal To Have Anxiety For No Reason?

Anxiety for no reason is one of the most common problems seen in psychologists’ offices. It is normal that, on certain occasions, our body is activated in some way by the environment to face the situation. However, there are times when no causal factor is identified for this activation.

People with anxiety invest time and analytical skills trying to find a reasonable explanation for their body’s reaction, especially when they didn’t find a reason right away. This turns into an uncertainty that gives voice to anxiety itself. So is it normal to have anxiety for no reason?

Anxiety characteristics

Anxiety can be considered a future-oriented mood state, which appears accompanied by other emotions, such as fear, worry, etc. These characteristics of anxiety cause the person to experience a series of symptoms, such as the following:

• Increased muscle tension
• frequent urination
• Dry mouth sensation
• Feeling sick or dizzy
• Acceleration of heart rate
• chest pressure
• difficulty breathing
• throat lump
• excessive sweating
• Feeling out of control
• Etc.

These symptoms are what shape what we know as anxiety on the physical plane. One of the phenomena that the organism shares with other animals is that of activation through very fast pathways when faced with the perception of danger – activation of the sympathetic nervous system. For example:

The difference between animals and humans is that we humans derive the logic of problem solving from internal sensations that are considered dangerous – in other words, we can perceive danger in addition to the perception of a threat, observing how our body is behaving. In them comes the possibility of evaluating emotions, thoughts and sensations as dangerous because they are unpleasant. Hence the anxiety for no reason.

A logical way to solve certain problems involves taking actions to solve the reason for the problem. However, there are situations where this logic does not work. An example:

So is it normal or not to have anxiety for no reason?

Anxiety can sometimes be adaptive and help manage problems. However, too much fear or anxiety can make effective action difficult. When anxiety becomes pathological, individuals tend to associate unpleasant sensations with abnormal states, not to mention the situations and times of day in which the anxiety occurs.

This association with circumstances in which anxiety occurred previously creates the feeling of anxiety appearing “without reason”. What’s more, it happens not only in the same associated circumstances, but also in those that share similarities of stimuli.

The Paradox of Having Unreasonable Anxiety: What Happens Then?

Attempts at solutions can become a problem if they are not successful in controlling anxiety states. This implies entering a spiral in which attempts to control anxiety are anchored in anxiety itself, being part of the problem. This can be explained with the following exercise:

Having anxiety for no reason is normal. It is the attempts at control that make it a problem.

Just as you ended up associating a Ferrari with a chocolate cake, so do situations that are associated with anxiety. This is one of the reasons why we can have the feeling of anxiety happening for no reason.

One day you’re on the beach watching the sunset, enjoying the moment, and in a matter of seconds, your mind can remind you that right now you’re not feeling anxiety (a thought that, paradoxically, can end up activating your system sympathetic nervous).

It seems like it happens for no reason. However,  the body has memory for life experiences (a stream of memories that does not necessarily have to pass through consciousness). Furthermore, these experiences cannot be eliminated, just as a bird cannot unlearn how to fly.

The important thing is to recognize the anxiety state when it appears, to know the symptoms that are characteristic and, once they appear, to be aware of what we can do in search of control and what costs this will have on our lives. In any case, the option of seeking help from a specialist is always a good one, especially if anxiety is constant and prevents you from carrying out your daily responsibilities.