Science & Technology

What’s normal anxiety — and what’s an anxiety disorder? | Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter

Everyone gets anxious at times, but how can you tell when it crosses the line and needs attention? Dr. Jen Gunter shares the science behind your brain’s threat-detection system, what makes it malfunction and the most effective ways of treating it. Think you know how your body works? Think again! Dr. Jen Gunter is here…

Published

3 years ago

July 1, 2021

CYBER TECH TV

Think you know how your body works? Think again! Dr. Jen Gunter is here to shake up everything you thought you knew — from how much water you need to drink to how often you need to poop and everything in between. This TED original series will tell you the truth about what’s *really* going on inside you. (Made possible with the support of Oura)

Want to hear more from Dr. Jen Gunter? Follow Body Stuff on Apple Podcasts:

We live in a culture
that doesn’t take mental health

issues seriously.

There’s a lot of stigma.

Some people tell you to just suck it up,
or get it together, or to stop worrying,

or that it’s all in your head.

But I’m here to tell you
that anxiety disorders,

they’re as real as diabetes.

(Music)
[Body Stuff with dr.

Jen Gunter]
Hi again.

It’s Dr. Jen,
and I’ve noticed something

with my patients.

They often describe to me
some classic symptoms

of an anxiety disorder.

Constant worry, trouble sleeping,
tense muscles and struggle

with concentrating.

But they aren’t getting treatment.

There’s a lot of issues
with mental-health care in this country.

Some people don’t have
insurance that would cover it.

Some have been dismissed
or minimized in the past,

and don’t think seeking
help will do any good.

Some worry about the stigma
and whether it could affect

future jobs or relationships.

But severe anxiety
isn’t a moral or personal failing.

It’s a health problem,
just like strep throat or diabetes.

It needs to be treated
with the same kind of seriousness.

Before we can talk
about anxiety disorders,

let’s talk about anxiety itself.

Anxiety is the very real
and normal emotion

we feel in a stressful situation.

It’s related to fear.

But while fear is a response
to an immediate threat

that quickly subsides,
anxiety is a response

to more uncertain threats
that tends to last much longer.

It’s all part of the threat
detection system,

which all animals have to some degree,
to help protect us from predators.

Anxiety starts in the brain’s amygdala,
a pair of almond-sized nerve bundles

that alert other areas of the brain
to be ready for defensive action.

Next, the hypothalamus relays the signal,
setting off what we call

the stress response in our body.

Our muscles tense,
our breathing and heart rate increase

and our blood pressure rises.

Areas in the brain stem kick in
and put you in a state of high alertness.

This is the fight-or-flight response.

There are ways
the fight-or-flight response

is kept somewhat in check,
with an area of higher-level thinking

called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

It works like this.

If a person sees something
they think is dangerous, like a tiger,

that sends a signal to the amygdala,
saying “it’s time to run.”

The ventromedial prefrontal cortex
can say to the amygdala,

“Hey, look.

The tiger’s in a cage.

You know what a cage is?

They can’t escape from a cage.

It’s OK to calm down.”

It’s a feedback loop
that can help keep the response in check.

The hippocampus is also involved.

It provides context, saying things like,
“Hey, we’ve seen tigers in cages before.

We’re in a zoo.

You are extra safe.”

With anxiety,
these threat-detection systems

and mechanisms that reduce or inhibit them
are functioning incorrectly

and cause us to worry about the future
and our safety in it.

But for many people,
it goes into overdrive.

They experience persistent
pervasive anxiety

that disrupts work,
school, and relationships

and leads them to avoid situations
that may trigger symptoms.

Anxiety disorders are not at all uncommon.

Based on data from
the World Mental Health Survey,

researchers estimate
that about 16% of individuals

currently have or have had
an anxiety disorder.

These include social anxiety disorder,
panic disorder, agoraphobia and phobias.

Studies have shown
that people with anxiety disorders

don’t just have a different way
of reacting to stress.

There may be actual differences
in how their brain is working.

One model describes possible mix-ups
in the connections between the amygdala

and other parts of the brain.

The pathways that signal anxiety
become stronger.

And the more anxiety you have,
the stronger the pathways become,

and it becomes a vicious cycle.

The good news is
there’s treatment for anxiety,

and that you don’t have to suffer.

Remember, this isn’t about weakness.

It’s about changing brain patterns,
and research shows that our brains

have the ability to reorganize
and form new connections

all throughout our lives.

A good first step is to do the basics.

Eat a balanced diet,
exercise regularly

and get plenty of sleep,
as your mind is part of your body.

It might also help to try meditation.

Instead of our heart rate rising
and our body tensing,

with mindfulness and breathing,
we can slow down

the fight-or-flight response
and improve how we feel in the moment.

Cognitive behavioral therapy,
a form of talk therapy,

can also be fantastic.

In it, you learn to identify
upsetting thoughts

and determine whether they’re realistic.

Over time, cognitive behavioral therapy
can rebuild those neural pathways

that tamp down the anxiety response.

Medication can also give relief,
in both the short-term and the long-term.

In the short-term, anti-anxiety drugs
can down-regulate

the threat-detection mechanisms
that are going into overdrive.

Studies have shown
that both long-term medications

and cognitive behavioral therapy
can reduce that overreactivity

of the amygdala
we see an anxiety disorders.

High blood pressure and diabetes,
they can be treated or managed over time.

And the same is true
for an anxiety disorder too.

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70 Comments

anya k

July 2, 2021 at 7:28 pm

She gave me hope

Reply
- André Manchester
  
  July 3, 2021 at 12:27 am
  
  Try get hold of shrooms. Shrooms is a natural type of psychedelic drug that people use for recreational or spiritual purposes. Scientific reports shows that shrooms can treat depression. They work for treatment- resistant depression. Try some and see their work, explain to this healer what you’re facing
  Myco_Mong on Instagram
  
  Reply
Patrick Law

July 2, 2021 at 9:35 pm

Brought to you by the makers of Ritalin.

Reply
Paul Ho

July 2, 2021 at 9:42 pm

I’m gay and Asian, so anxiety is always at an all time high. There’s never any escape.

Reply
- Susan Windiarini Rodgers
  
  July 2, 2021 at 11:58 pm
  
  Same
  
  Reply
Marta Buck

July 2, 2021 at 9:53 pm

I don’t think diabetes is taken seriously either.

Reply
Susan Windiarini Rodgers

July 2, 2021 at 11:58 pm

Oof-you know it’s bad when you can’t even watch this video on anxiety 😫

Reply
Giselle Santana

July 3, 2021 at 12:02 am

put subtitles in english

Reply
Iain Mackay

July 3, 2021 at 3:22 am

Fear is a killer fear of losing someone / something /job /decisions you make on a daily bases al these create anxiety everyone feels it at least once a day

Reply
Navin Israni

July 3, 2021 at 6:41 am

She’s so good, I don’t want to watch her videos

Reply
ToniAnn Brooks

July 3, 2021 at 7:05 am

So… I actually get anxiety even just thinking about talking to my doctor about my anxiety. Voice tremors, whole body tensing, can’t put together a meaningful sentence etc etc… I’ve never been on any psych meds, never been diagnosed with a mental disorder either. So A lot of my anxiousness to approach this topic is 1. Because I don’t think anywhere in my medical records would indicate anything mental going on ( I could be wrong or forgetting too though) and 2. (And this one is huge for me) I feel like he’s going to think I’m looking for drugs. Can anyone else relate? Anyone else scared to even bring it up to your doc?

Reply
Malcolm Pagett

July 3, 2021 at 9:55 am

I have a controversial question: What’s the problem with calling someone weak? Dr. Jen Gunter said at 3:51 said that this isn’t about weakness? So what if it is? It seems that when people talk about mental health or any kind of aliment, people just jump in and say “You’re not weak because of it”. Does it matter if it does make them weak? What’s the problem with being weak anyway?

Reply
- Martha Speaks
  
  July 3, 2021 at 12:17 pm
  
  I think you know the answer to all those questions 😂
  
  Reply
Tobi N.

July 3, 2021 at 1:39 pm

I feel like people want to make you numb to not have to solve the problems they impose on society

Reply
Emma Carla

July 3, 2021 at 3:29 pm

I have this anxiety disorder ages ago. Been taking meds for a long time now and it helps me a lot. Without my meds, can’t function well. Having anxiety disorder really sucks. How i wish, my life would be normal wdout taking my anxiety meds 😔

Reply
Willam J

July 3, 2021 at 7:09 pm

I’ve had social phobia my entire life and have long been ‘ social distancing’ myself from others before social distancing was a catchphrase of this pandemic period. Knowing others suffer from this helps me out. I don’t feel so alone and ‘weird’. At my current age of 63, the decades of living with social phobia have worn on me. I’m tired but keep going forward.
I read that an organization called MAPS: Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelics Studies has made some huge breakthroughs in the treatment of PTSD and other mental health issues. I hope someday we can all live a life without fear of our own species.

Reply
SYED JAFFER IMAM

July 4, 2021 at 6:45 am

Anxiety disorders are immensely tiring. Don’t neglect the symptoms. I’ve struggled a lot with them. Thankfully I got over my GAD and Illness anxiety disorder. You can read my story in my newly published book “A Panic Attack on The Subway” Available on Amazon.

Reply
Sacda Abdurhman-Personal Growth

July 4, 2021 at 7:21 am

Don’t get stuck worrying about what you’ve missed out on, instead, open up your eyes for the new opportunities right in front of you.

Reply
Mai M

July 4, 2021 at 8:47 am

Thank you for your speech.
I think that i want to get along well with stress 😉

Reply
John B

July 4, 2021 at 10:44 am

Any level of ‘anxiety’ is ABNORMAL, and is due to the presence of DOUBLE LOGIC in the human GENOME !

Reply
Natalie Reyes

July 4, 2021 at 10:53 am

There are ppl really suffering in the world and can’t access any help. People/kids are hungry, abused. I think ppl should stick it up because we are now always giving excuses. People should not rely on medication.
I Stick it up all the time. I’m worried , anxious but I stay strong for the ppl around me and myself. It’s that one positive thought that keeps me going.

Just my thoughts. You definitely don’t have to agree.

Reply
Mohammed Zraibi

July 4, 2021 at 12:34 pm

Thank you 💜

Reply
Samuel Zev

July 4, 2021 at 12:40 pm

Some mental health problems are misdiagnosis of other Issues, in my case it was a tumor like lesion in my brain called an AVM that caused my depression

Reply
Nao Nao.

July 4, 2021 at 12:51 pm

I’m always upset when I have a presentation even if I’m not presenter,but my teacher likes presentation.He practically threaten me.

Reply
Helen Hucker

July 4, 2021 at 2:46 pm

Anxiety is a common symptom of the menopause and is a result of low Oestrogen levels. Hormone replacement can treat this and I am surprised that this purely biological cause of anxiety wasn’t mentioned in the video.

Reply
Shanmuga Priya

July 4, 2021 at 3:54 pm

Reaction to the death of loved one and how to get used to the change video will be really helpful useful

Reply
Cristina Alexe

July 4, 2021 at 7:53 pm

Thank you for a helpful video!

Reply
Phúc Đình

July 5, 2021 at 4:27 am

Her hair is fabulous.
So is her knowledge.

Reply
Zarak Dorsett-Morgan

July 5, 2021 at 7:41 am

Great knowledge. Easy to understand a professional view.

Reply
Rishabh Gupta

July 5, 2021 at 9:04 am

Animation is creepy 😬

Reply
Nature beauty

July 6, 2021 at 12:35 am

Is there any native english speaker.

Reply
Tyler Malvido

July 6, 2021 at 5:39 am

been taking medication and going to therapy, yet my anxiety/depression still has a hellish grip on my life. i know it always will. not everyone is going to win this battle, some will, but i don’t care to take another breathe of life on this earth.

Reply
Mufaddal Darbar

July 6, 2021 at 6:49 am

Most relatable

Reply
John B

July 6, 2021 at 7:05 am

Any level of ‘anxiety’ is ABNORMAL.
Anxiety is due to the presence of DOUBLE LOGIC in the human GENOME !

Reply
Cansu

July 6, 2021 at 1:22 pm

Can you add Turkish subtitles to the video?This would make me really happy.

Reply
planarian 17

July 6, 2021 at 2:20 pm

For me one of the worst thing about anxiety is not being able to sleep, i don’t particularly worry about anything because i occupy my mind with watching youtube or any other activites that doesn’t make my mind overthink. i really can’t stand silence, i just have to have something playing in the background. And the worst feeling, is you knowing you would spiral if you get off your phone and try to sleep, and you know that you can’t sleep. but as the minutes turns into hours, you start to get more anxious because you know you have to wake up tomorrow with no sleep. and when the sun starts to shine on your window, and you can see the light trough your window curtains. that’s the worst feeling i’ve always have to deal with.

Reply
Alt1f4

July 6, 2021 at 3:58 pm

am I the only one who thinks she looks a lot like Lisa from lucifer?She even understands about mental health

Reply
Oswald Digestive Clinic

July 7, 2021 at 3:53 am

Thanks for sharing! There are some root causes of anxiety that have to do with nutrition! For example: hormone imbalances, caffeine consumption, food sensitivities, and nutrient deficiencies!

Reply
John B

July 7, 2021 at 10:21 am

Any form of ‘anxiety’ is ABNORMAL….
Anxiety is due to the presence of DOUBLE LOGIC in the human GENOME, which adversely affects ALL human functions, including ‘THOUGHT’ and ‘RESON’.

Reply
izzieki

July 8, 2021 at 2:13 pm

Mental health disorders ARE all in your head. But so are brain tumours. Your brain is in your head. Your thoughts and fears and desires and emotions all happen in your brain, therefor in your head. In my example of brain tumours people have a tendency to take brain tumours more seriously because you can have tangible proof that it exists. Mental health disorders are experience a lot more subjectively and those who perpetuate stigma over mental health disorders are basically just untrusting that they exist because those people can’t see them. To those people I say to trust that, when someone is struggling with their mental health disorder(s), that they know what’s going on in their head more than you do. Trust.

Reply
Nazia

July 8, 2021 at 2:33 pm

2:33-2:37 i just want her to be my mom or my friend who tells me something that calms me in a stressful situation using that voice

Reply
vix

July 8, 2021 at 7:31 pm

My aunt literally told me to stop biting my nails and that I can’t have anxiety because I’m a kid and have nothing to worry about..

Reply
Tomato

July 8, 2021 at 9:36 pm

I was having palpitations right now when I opened youtube. I was suspecting my anxiety disorder is back but I hadn’t actively searched for anything online and this pops up. How does Google know?

Reply
Mia Bonandrini

July 8, 2021 at 10:28 pm

I’m not sure if i have minor social anxiety or that covid has just severely affected my confidence in public and in unfamiliar social situations

Reply
therealDale

August 4, 2021 at 1:55 pm

“It’s all in your head.”
Me: “Of course it’s all happening inside my head! That’s where my brain is at you moron!”

Reply
Heba Saud

August 4, 2021 at 3:54 pm

But the problem is most doctors don’t provide CBT they directly put you on medication.

Reply
Star2Be5394

August 4, 2021 at 7:34 pm

Excellent video! If I could point out one thing though, it’s that with certain anxiety disorders such as OCD, talk therapy isn’t always the best the option. With this kind of anxiety disorder, talk therapy can actually make things worse because it feeds into the anxiety and intrusive thoughts of a sufferer. Trying to analyze whether a thought is true or not with OCD tends to keep the person stuck in their mental cycles, because it sends a message to the brain that their thoughts are real, tangible threats instead of just weird thoughts.

I’m not saying that talk therapy isn’t effective. I’m also not trying to say that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is bad or useless. I think it’s a wonderful tool for anxiety disorders, and that Exposure Response Prevention therapy (ERP), a kind of CBT, is truly the gold standard for treating OCD. I just wanted to make this distinction as someone who has OCD and suffered from it for a long time before getting proper help.

Thank you Ted and Dr. Gunter for covering this topic!

Reply
Muni Math by Peter Felton

August 4, 2021 at 8:57 pm

Anxiety also arouses from being bullied and attaining the subsequent paranoia about people and the uncertain world around you.

Reply
Alli Nicole

August 4, 2021 at 10:45 pm

Thank you for this! I struggle with multiple anxiety disorders and more people need to be educated!

Reply
- Alli Nicole
  
  August 18, 2021 at 12:13 am
  
  @Mindfulness Meditation Music I do every single night!
  
  Reply
Bean

August 5, 2021 at 6:00 am

I have anxiety disorder. I just get a thought i deny it but it sticks in my face like “Boo look this thought haha your being controlled or something yeah be scared” tip to anyone who suffers it like me always try to self reason with yourself and think rationally focus on the bad collect your mind and answer the bad sides questions it’ll filter them out

Reply
Sammie Hopkins

August 5, 2021 at 7:15 am

Nothing like having a panic attack and crying while watching this video about anxiety

Reply
Erwin Casildo

August 5, 2021 at 9:29 pm

So is nail biting anxiety?

Reply
MrAilsaAng

August 6, 2021 at 5:36 am

DR JEN!!! 😭💖💘💕

Reply
Ali

August 6, 2021 at 7:01 am

Curious if anybody has had a similar experience. I used to be super outgoing and extroverted but developed social anxiety during quarantine. I got comfortable with “hiding” behind my mask and once I stopped wearing it I felt sooo self conscious and like people people seeing me for the first time without it thought I was ugly. I was starting to getting over it but now the mandates are starting again and I already feel the anxiety setting in. This time it’s even worse because I’m anxious about the thought of having to redo the process all over again Of course I’m wearing my mask but something about it is really mentally triggering to me.

Reply
Erwin Casildo

August 6, 2021 at 7:06 am

So is nail biting anxiety

Reply
Boba

August 6, 2021 at 6:36 pm

I was trying to wash my hair one day and my leg (just one) started shaking, like, vibrating, to the point where I literally had to sit down to try and stop it. My hands also shake- for instance a few months ago, it was in my upper arms but it has since moved down to my hands.. it happens when I play games that include violence and even though I’m not mentally affected by it, because I know it’s a game and it isn’t real, my physical state gets quite agitated. I’m wondering if I am developing anxiety or if I have a disorder as I’m still young and the anxiety might be developing.? I want to know more, so I’ve been doing research and it turns out the shaking *might* be nervous tics. Please tell me if you know anything, I don’t want it to get in the way of my already bad social skills!

Reply
Rontala Anudeep

August 7, 2021 at 8:08 am

Thank you soo much

Reply
strawberry milk

August 7, 2021 at 3:24 pm

I got teary eyed watching this… I ticked all the boxes when she mentioned the symptoms and I feel like my pain is being validated -that it is real and I’m not alone. I hope we all get better

Reply
Stacyann Johnson

August 8, 2021 at 12:02 am

Sad we have to keep it a secret and suffer in silence, Just the term “mental health” means you are (crazy).

Reply
madtingz

August 8, 2021 at 8:04 pm

Does anyone have any advice, I suffer from severe social anxiety and social awkwardness, I’m constantly told I’m too quiet and passive etc. I’m 22 and finally had to push myself to get my first job and it’s in a bar, it’s a job you probably need a lot of confidence for tbh I don’t know why I applied but I start my first shift this week so there’s no turning back. Can anyone help in how to gain confidence and reduce anxiety levels in this kind of situation? Has anyone been in a similar situation before ? Will beta blockers help this social aspect ? Please help its urgent

Reply
「Ｒｅｎｎｉ」

August 12, 2021 at 5:09 am

I feel I might have an anxiety disorder but when I went to the doctor she said my anxiety was probably caused by quarantine and will go away once I go back to school. Even though I haven’t been able to look people in the eyes, start shaking in large crowds, and I’m at the verge of tears when I try to talk to people, for 5 to 6 years. Though I could very well be just a massive crybaby, and that’s just what I’ve come to believe to be completely honest.

Reply
Lovepreet Singh

August 12, 2021 at 9:23 am

Anxiety is very dangerous. I also dealt with it. Got in trouble sometimes but Planet Ayurveda helped me to control it.

Reply
Lola Love

August 13, 2021 at 3:20 am

I get sweaty whenever I have to talk in meetings. I get soooooo nervous. My heart rate gets to 100bpm. I forget how to talk. I hate myself whenever this happens. I wanna be more confident.

Reply
mastertrey

August 13, 2021 at 5:23 am

When we had to stand up in a room at my school and just say a few words which was our name and what we like to go by it became blatantly obvious to me that i had social anxiety disorder from how i was the only one who looked and sounded awkward in a room of 30 kids

Reply
Miss Terious

August 14, 2021 at 6:29 pm

Turn off the T.V, it’s starting to freak me
Out it’s so loud, it’s like my ears are bleeding
What am I feeling? Can’t look at the ceiling
Light is so bright, it’s like I’m over-heating
This mind isn’t mine, who am I to judge?
Oh, I should be fine, but it’s all too much
I get overwhelmed so easily
My anxiety creeps inside of me
Makes it hard to breathe
What’s come over me?
Feels like I’m somebody else
I get overwhelmed so easily
My anxiety keeps me silent
When I try to speak
What’s come over me?
Feels like I’m somebody else
I get overwhelmed
All of these faces who don’t know what space is
And crowds are shut down, I’m over-stimulated
Nobody gets it, say I’m too sensitive
I can’t listen ’cause I’m eyeing the exits
This mind isn’t mine, who am I to judge?
Oh, I should be fine, but it’s all too much
I get overwhelmed so easily
My anxiety creeps inside of me
Makes it hard to breathe
What’s come over me?
Feels like I’m somebody else
I get overwhelmed so easily
My anxiety keeps me silent
When I try to speak
What’s come over me?
Feels like I’m somebody else
I get overwhelmed
I get overwhelmed
I should be fine, but it’s all too much
I should be fine, but I’m not (not)
I get overwhelmed so easily
My anxiety creeps inside of me
Makes it hard to breathe
What’s come over me?
Feels like I’m somebody else
I get overwhelmed so easily
Keeps me silent
(Keeps me silent)
What’s come over me?
Somebody, somebody else
I get overwhelmed

Reply
Kelly Kel

August 14, 2021 at 9:13 pm

“we live in a culture that doesn’t take mental health issues seriously” When I lived in Colorado Springs, I couldn’t believe how they treated the mentally ill as a community. It was so heartbreaking to see so many homeless freezing to death and being kicked at while trying to survive bc they lost everything due to mental illness going unchecked. Nobody cares, nobody wants to help.

Reply
A‘lina

August 15, 2021 at 8:25 pm

To anyone who goes to therapy because of anxiety: Does it help? I can‘t seem to grasp how therapy could be able to help me but I seriously can‘t live like this anymore. Pls share your experience with me…

Reply
- Mindfulness Meditation Music
  
  August 17, 2021 at 7:09 pm
  
  I suggest you try meditation. It’s a simple way to reduce stress and anxiety. Meditation provides a soothing of the mind and helps to connect with oneself. Obviously, this does not prevent being followed by a health professional. However, I believe it’s a good way to take care of yourself and make you feel better. I sincerely hope that you will find your means to fight your anxiety.
  
  Reply
Camden Kiefer

August 16, 2021 at 4:30 am

didnt expect the animation in this video to make me so anxious lmao

Reply

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The ultimate bed if you’re a starfish sleeper or if you’ve got pets and loved ones who are bedhogs. #beds #bedroomdecor #mattresses #alaskankingsize #homedecor #home

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