Here’s a new study you’ll want to bookmark, if you’re prone to being judged (by others and yourself) for a consistently anxious disposition, and think you can just think yourself out of it.
Short version.
There’s state anxiety and trait anxiety.
State anxiety is when you’re temporarily freaked out because of some sudden threat. Every human knows this feeling.
Trait anxiety is chronic anxiety that just manifests itself because. “Because” could be anything; in fact, with generalized anxiety disorder, victims usually can’t even name the “because.”
We often dread things we can’t even name or define.
Charles Spurgeon put it this way, in describing it: “There is a kind of mental darkness, in which you are disturbed, perplexed, worried, troubled – not, perhaps, about anything tangible.”
That’s trait anxiety and Spurgeon recognized it in himself.
Trait anxiety, like Spurgeon’s and millions of Christians’, is more troublesome than state anxiety, because trait anxiety is chronic and can lead to depression and other chronic health problems.
Well, scientists are now actually able to see the difference between trait and state anxiety in the brain.
Trait anxiety, according to a new study based on MRI’s, “correlates to permanent anatomic features… while state anxiety manifests with temporary reactions in the brain activity.“
In other words, state anxiety doesn’t involve a permanent anatomic brain feature, which is why it’s so easy for a chill person to re-chill after the lion attack.
But since trait anxiety is associated with permanent anatomic features, it’s extremely hard to re-chill even if the lion never attacked. The lion might not even be in the desert, but a part of your brain says it is. And that part is based on anatomy — not some stubborn refusal to chill.
So show yourself some grace, and may God help others to show us grace, as well.
Also, talk to your doctor. There are wonderful medications to help.
[Painting of Batman with possibly high trait and/or state anxiety, “Bat-Brush” by Guillemin].
