> [!infobox] <s class="aside-in"><em>mentioned in 1 topic, 23 evergreens, 2 sources</em></s> #### [[Your anxiety knows your insecurities better than you do]] When you are feeling [[anxiety]] it can often be very difficult to understand where the [[anxiety]] is coming from. In some situations it can be obvious (skydiving, flying, having a child, buying a house) while at other times it may seem obvious but be very nuanced, and it may feel impossible to discover the source of the [[anxiety]]. To deal with your [[anxiety]] you will start removing many perceived sources of [[anxiety]] to no [[success]]. This is because the perceived causes of the anxiety are actually just manifestations of a deeper insecurity. Removing them does not attack the true source of the [[anxiety]]. The reason behind this are complex, but we know that [[Anxiety is a defense-mechanism of the brain]], so there must be some reason that our brain is hiding these sources of anxiety from us. The answer lies in [[You don't want to jump off the cliff you're just afraid of falling]] and [[Our brain actively inhibits us from processing repressed emotions]]. Sometimes we misinterpret the signals our body is sending us, and sometimes our body blocks us from understanding ourselves. Understanding what our body is trying to tell us is the primary study of [[mindfulness]] and [[therapy]] and for many it takes years of [[self-actualization|introspection]] and sometimes a moment of realization. ##### Cause:: [[self-repression|repressed]] [[identity]] [[Identity is your understanding of yourself vs your interaction with the world]], and so it is something that is very malleable during your formative years. Additionally, [[Children make wide assumptions about the world]], so any rebuff of a forming identity can cause massive damage. This means that our early [[childhood]] is the perfect storm for a core part of your [[identity]] like your sexuality or [[gender]] to become completely repressed. If your [[identity]] is severely repressed, you will be interacting with the world with a massive blind spot because you will be unable to understand the source of your feelings. This can be a massive source of [[anxiety]] because to predict when and understand why your emotions come up. [[Your anxiety is telling you everything that could go wrong, not what will go wrong]], and in this case your anxiety will push you to go over every possibility, because your [[consciousness|conscious]] [[mind]] doesn't know which things to prioritize. For example, because [[Trans children will repress their dysphoria if they have been effectively taught it is unacceptable]] [[Transgender people|trans]] children will often have lots of untraceable anxiety. %% ##### Cause:: false view of reality #TO/PONDER/IDEA below This is similar to a repressed [[identity]], but plays less with a misunderstanding of [[self-image]] and more with a misunderstanding of [[self-perception]]. This can be seen with young women who have been told that have to look a certain way or act a certain way. Much of [[trauma]] comes form this kind of gaslighting in [[childhood]] %% %% ##### Cause:: material insecurity Material insecurity can create this sensation: [[Insecure material conditions increase cognitive load and reduce outcomes]]. In recent years this has taken the form of [[existential dread]] as [[climate change]] looms and billionaires grow ever richer, people fathom the peril we are in. This leads to increasing levels of [[anxiety]] and [[depression]] as people try to grapple with this uncurbable anxiety: [[What is the cognitive effect of living in an unjust world|What is the cognitive effect of living in a unjust world?]] %% %% #TO/EXPLORE/RESEARCH is there a threshold where so many of you [[Hierarchy of needs]] are met that you have no choice but to fall into [[existential dread]] - [[video - Existential Dread]] %% %% ##### Cause:: [[mental illness]] An interesting example of this is people who are extremely mentally handicapped or mentally impaired. As they can feel all of this at once. #TO/EXPLORE/RESEARCH Mental handicaps affect on [[anxiety]]. - [[Mental health is a reaction to one's environment]] %% ##### What comes from this trait? #TO/TEND/WATER - [[We value our biggest insecurities because they protect us from the biggest threats]] - [[A repressed self creates a mistrust of self-love and self-esteem]] - [[A secure identity is the best defense against social anxiety]] ### <hr class="footnote"/> **Status**:: #EVER/GREEN *edited 7:35 AM - July 08, 2022* **Topics**:: [[anxiety]], [[self]], [[insecurity]], [[human behavior]]