Skittish? Overwhelmed by noise? You probably have anxiety according to the DSM, but evolution has assisted us in survival thanks to anxiety.
The startle response is a normal response in every species yet humans are the only species trying to suppress it. We survived this long for the reason that we were cautious and alert of our surroundings in case of predictors and other threats to survival. Lets take a look at what the startle response is and why we need to be nervous sometimes as it can be beneficial to our life.
Startle response tightens the muscles so the body can be ready for flight, or flight in case of a threat. It happens automatically after we hear or see something odd for the reason that the odd sounds, or actions may be life or death. Considering we are not living in the jungle, does not mean we do not have enemies or threats around us. Sadly, various threats come disguised as friends, therefore it is difficult to distinguish between the threats or friends making it difficult to stay calm. It seems that everything we hear or see sends us into a startle response classifying a normal evolutionary reaction as a mental illness.
Instead of being ashamed of your nervousness, like society and the psychiatry field want, recognize when it is happening, be alert and understand that this is normal reaction to the world, learn to accept your startle response as it happens and understand that this is how we have stayed alive for so long. Observe what is occurring around you, which is also called being mindful (aka mindfulness), take deep breaths but also don't beat yourself up if you can't calm down. Communicate what is happening to your friends, peers, people around you. I tell people my startle response is the reason that something startled me and now my body wants to go into fight or flight mode.
There is nothing shameful, or fixable about something that has assisted in our species survival since we began on this planet. Trying to suppress our startle response to be less nervous and more "normal" only allows us to not understand our own evolution, our bodies and the world around us. Please recognize that this is not a mental illness, nor is it your fault as you are lead to believe. You are a mammal, and mammals depend this startle response to survive, as we do as well.
References & more info:
Startle response - Wikipedia. (n.d.). Retrieved February 09, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Startle_response
King, H. (n.d.). Definition: Startle Response. Retrieved February 09, 2017, from http://www.hilaryking.net/glossary/startle-response.html
Startle response tightens the muscles so the body can be ready for flight, or flight in case of a threat. It happens automatically after we hear or see something odd for the reason that the odd sounds, or actions may be life or death. Considering we are not living in the jungle, does not mean we do not have enemies or threats around us. Sadly, various threats come disguised as friends, therefore it is difficult to distinguish between the threats or friends making it difficult to stay calm. It seems that everything we hear or see sends us into a startle response classifying a normal evolutionary reaction as a mental illness.
Instead of being ashamed of your nervousness, like society and the psychiatry field want, recognize when it is happening, be alert and understand that this is normal reaction to the world, learn to accept your startle response as it happens and understand that this is how we have stayed alive for so long. Observe what is occurring around you, which is also called being mindful (aka mindfulness), take deep breaths but also don't beat yourself up if you can't calm down. Communicate what is happening to your friends, peers, people around you. I tell people my startle response is the reason that something startled me and now my body wants to go into fight or flight mode.
There is nothing shameful, or fixable about something that has assisted in our species survival since we began on this planet. Trying to suppress our startle response to be less nervous and more "normal" only allows us to not understand our own evolution, our bodies and the world around us. Please recognize that this is not a mental illness, nor is it your fault as you are lead to believe. You are a mammal, and mammals depend this startle response to survive, as we do as well.
References & more info:
Startle response - Wikipedia. (n.d.). Retrieved February 09, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Startle_response
King, H. (n.d.). Definition: Startle Response. Retrieved February 09, 2017, from http://www.hilaryking.net/glossary/startle-response.html