Externally & Internally generated anxiety question
Hi everyone! I am confused about externally & internally generated anxiety. Can the external anxiety be a thought that gets my attention in a negative way and then causes the rest? I mean, I can just be sitting at home & bam, a thought that scares me. Then comes the body symptoms and panic. So can the external anxiety be a thought? The diagram says that the external anxiety is justifiable, but getting bent out of shape by a thought doesn't sound justifiable. Thanks!
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Guest
Hi Hope3:),
To me, the internal anxiety would include the thoughts that you have. If you're at home by yourself and an intruder isn't breaking into your home at the time which would be external, and you're having a negative thought that causes the panic that would be internal. External would be that you are really in a dangerous situation and actually need your fight or flight to survive. I mean, in that case you wouldn't really have a panic attack anyway, because you would use the adrenaline to help yourself survive. I hope that makes sense, and I could be wrong myself, but that's just how I see it.
To me, the internal anxiety would include the thoughts that you have. If you're at home by yourself and an intruder isn't breaking into your home at the time which would be external, and you're having a negative thought that causes the panic that would be internal. External would be that you are really in a dangerous situation and actually need your fight or flight to survive. I mean, in that case you wouldn't really have a panic attack anyway, because you would use the adrenaline to help yourself survive. I hope that makes sense, and I could be wrong myself, but that's just how I see it.