Anxiety and the "On Edge" Sufferer
A troublesome symptom of anxiety is that the sufferer is always in anticipation of some catastrophic event that threatens his or her safety and well-being. These catastrophic events can be real or imagined but all are real to the anxiety sufferer and it keeps the nerves on edge. Being on edge is not always because of the anticipation of negative events. For example, do you remember the last time you were on edge waiting for a potential employer to call after your interview? However with anxiety disorder, the on edge condition usually has to do with the patient expecting the worse. Oftentimes the anxiety sufferer does not even know what the worst is. The solution to being on edge usually involves cognitive behavioral therapy in an attempt to get the patient to learn new approaches to dealing with fears that put him or her on edge.
It helps to understand the source of being on edge as it relates to anxiety. Remember that anxiety is a reaction to perceived threat. The human body is wired by nature to react in a "fight or flight" response. In psychology circles, "fight or flight" is the term given to describe how humans will make a quick decision to either stand up and fight an aggressor (threat) or run from it. In order to do either, adrenalin must be secreted to help muscles, heart rate, breathing, vision, and generally make the senses stronger. Whether the threat is obvious or not to an outside observer, it is real to the anxiety sufferer. For example, a person could be on edge because he or she is about to teach a large class. The threat in this case is the class (even though it really is not a threat) and the anxiety sufferer is on edge because of it.
Being on edge can be caused by an imbalance in the brain's chemicals. The specific chemical would be serotonin. Serotonin is critical for transporting the brain's nerve impulses along the body's complex neural network. The imbalance occurs when there is too much or too little of serotonin. This same imbalance is thought to have an impact on the level of anxiety within a patient as well. An imbalance such as this can also go way beyond anxiety and is oftentimes evident in those suffering from bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a very serious condition that requires the care of a mental health professional. Patients with bipolar disorder also display on edge symptoms when they are in one of their elated or highly-optimistic states.
There are other physiological causes to being on edge besides anxiety disorder. This is why it is important to consult your doctor. Your doctor can rule out such things as an overactive thyroid. In most cases, when the patient complains of being on edge for more than six months, the symptom will be attributed to anxiety disorder.
Avoidance of the anxiety-producing situation is not the answer. It is unhealthy for the anxiety sufferer to always withdraw when the anticipation of some stressor causes him or her to get on edge. So therapy involves encouraging the sufferer to face events like social gatherings, public presentations, job interviews, family gatherings, and any other situation that typically produces an on edge response from the patient. The patient can be coached to breathe properly and in relaxation techniques to help face these situations and learn new responses to them.
