Clear skies… but still a lot of wind & splashing waves all around. And a large “pond” on the beach that wasn’t there yesterday?! The lake shore is actually on the other side of the lifeguard stand.
What causes anxiety? It’s a question nearly all anxiety sufferers ask. Anxiety can range from mild to debilitating; it can be a vague and general experience like existential anxiety, or it can be one of many different types of anxiety disorders. Anxiety can be temporary, intermittent, or feel like it’s permanent (that feeling that it will last forever is one of the lies anxiety tells you). Regardless of anxiety’s nature and type, it’s natural to want to know what causes anxiety. Anxiety can indeed have causes. Does it matter what they are?
Among the primary causes of anxiety:
Emotions Some psychology experts and researchers believe that the primary cause of anxiety is our emotions. We have emotional reactions to people, places, and events, and when these emotions are negative or intense, they can cause anxiety.
Behaviors Another school of thought among anxiety experts is that our behaviors, what we do or do not do, cause anxiety. Do we take action in the face of stress, or do we retreat? Do we have a confrontational interaction style, or do we let others take advantage of us? Lifestyle is part of this, too; indeed, things like diet and exercise have a role in anxiety. In many ways, our actions influence anxiety.
The brain Neurologists have implicated the brain itself as a cause of anxiety. Chemical imbalances can cause anxiety, as can the behavior of specific areas and structures within the brain. Therefore, when people say that anxiety is in your head, they just might be right (insofar as anxiety is often brain-based, and the brain is housed inside the head).
Genetics Researchers have discovered that anxiety is a heritable condition. That means that it’s not passed on from parent to child like height or eye color, but the potential for anxiety to develop is passed on. Anxiety can run in families, which suggests genetics as a cause.
Background Sometimes, people or events in our past can cause anxiety. Overprotective, highly anxious parents can cause their child (and, later, teen and adult) to be anxious. Past trauma can also cause anxiety, and triggers can cause anxiety to flare.
Environment Stressful circumstances can cause anxiety. Work, family, neighbors, finances, and illness are among the myriad factors external to us that contribute anxiety.
Physical illness Certain medical conditions can cause anxiety. When your anxiety symptoms are new or suddenly intensify, it’s a good idea to see your doctor to rule out an underlying health problem.
Nothing It can be maddening. Sometimes, we search for explanations as to why we experience anxiety, and we come up empty-handed. There are times when anxiety strikes without an obvious cause.
Is it important to know what causes your anxiety? The answer is as individual as anxiety itself. For some it will be extremely important. For others it won’t matter at all. Each person will fall somewhere within those two extremes.
Knowing the cause of anxiety can be beneficial. Sometimes knowing the cause can be the starting point to recovery. Discovering and addressing the cause can be the key to unraveling anxiety’s tangled mess.
However, sometimes knowing the cause of anxiety is irrelevant at best and harmful at worst. The “why” of anxiety isn’t always significant, and many people prefer to deal with the symptoms of anxiety or the effects anxiety has on their life in order to overcome anxiety.
Is it important to you to know the cause of your anxiety? To answer that, consider where you are now and where you want to be in the future. What steps will get you there? Consider the above causes of anxiety, and if one stands out to you, you could start there (work on your thoughts, learn to manage emotions, etc.). If the cause of anxiety matters to you, then it’s important.
Let’s connect. I blog here. Find me on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest. My mental health novels, including one about severe anxiety, are here.
No matter what Portland does to address the fatalities and injuries on our roads, in the end safety comes down to one major factor: personal behavior. That was the predominant opinion of the speakers at a rally “To end unsafe streets” held in downtown Portland this morning.
The event was organized by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (soon to be called the Street Trust). That organization’s Executive Director Rob Sadowsky reminded the few dozen people and handful of media crews that showed up that Portland has had 30 road deaths so far this year. An “enormous amount,” he said.
“If we had 30 deaths caused by an amusement park ride or from eating at a restaurant, that restaurant would be closed down. That amusement park would be closed down.”
— Rob Sadowsky, Bicycle Transportation Alliance
“If we had 30 deaths caused by an amusement park ride or from eating at a restaurant, that restaurant would be closed down. That amusement park would be closed down,” Sadowsky continued. “It’s time to figure out what the heck is going on and figure out how we are going to fix it.”
Sadowsky shared the story of his young stepdaughter Katanya, who walks and bikes in Portland. “When I drive, I drive as though every intersection has Katanya on it. I’m asking all of you to watch out for Katanya.”
“We need to change the design of our streets; but we also need to change the way we drive,” he said.
Susan Kubota with Oregon and SW Washington Families for Safe Streets said she is “Extremely frustrated” over the recent spate of collisions. Kubota’s niece Tracey Sparling was killed in 2007 while biking in Portland. Tracey would have been 28 years old today.
Kubota said we’ve become desensitized to street violence and that, “We forget what dangerous tools our vehicles are” and that when used improperly, cars become, “Extremely powerful weapons that need to be controlled.”
The Executive Director of Oregon Walks, Noel Mickelberry pushed back tears as she read the names of people who have been recently killed or injured. “I say their names as a reminder of the humanity behind these crashes.” Mickelberry said that Columbia Boulevard, the road where Bradley Fortner was hit and nearly killed earlier this week, needs to be redesigned because, “It’s not made for people.”
Steve Novick is the Portland city commissioner in charge of the transportation bureau. He told the crowd that the city is grieving over the recent incidents and that they are working hard to prevent more collisions. “We have not been idle,” he said. “And I know that might be hard to believe. We are trying.”
Novick listed several measures the city has taken including: a new unmanned speed camera that just went up on Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway, the road diet coming to SE Foster Rd, a recent speed limit reduction from 35 to 30 on Burnside, and the city’s efforts to wrest speed limit authority from the state.
While Novick said they are trying to stem the tide of unsafe streets, he too mentioned the need for personal responsibility. “We need people to change their behavior.” When he hears Portlanders complain about increased delays on roads due to lane reconfigurations, Novick said his response is, “Consider that extra three minutes in rush-hour as an investment in the children who go to school along the street.”
There was a noticeable shift from advocacy and government leaders at this rally toward placing the blame on road user behaviors and away from our urgent need to redesign roads and have stronger policies. While everyone knows we need to approach road safety on many fronts, a tendency to focus on individual actions ignores the powerful role that the built environment — and the system in general — can play.
— Jonathan Maus, (503) 706-8804 – jonathan@bikeportland.org
BikePortland is supported by the community (that means you!). Please become a subscriber or make a donation today.
The post Pleas to drive more safely echo at ‘Rally to end unsafe streets’ appeared first on BikePortland.org.
Assistant Chief Chris Uehara was one of several officers who attended the annual bike safety fiesta.
(Photos: Portland Police Bureau)
The power of bicycles to bring people together and break down barriers is truly awe-inspiring. We’ve seen this take many forms over the years and now we can add a recent event hosted by the Portland Police Bureau to the list.
Earlier this month at North Precinct (449 NE Emerson Street) the PPB’s Youth Services Division teamed up with the Fire Bureau, and the Blazer’s Boys and Girls Club to host a bike safety fiesta in northeast Portland. Despite sweltering temperatures that reached nearly 100 degrees, an estimated 350 people showed up and the event was a smashing success.
A statement from the PPB says that the crowd included everything from infants to grandparents and great-grandparents — and a true cross-section of the neighborhood.
At the event people were given free school supplies, backpacks, lunch, and free bike helmets (all thanks to donations from community partners). Beyond the lessons learned about biking, Sergeant Tim Sessions of the Youth Services Division pointed out that, “Friends were made with lasting impressions.”
Here are a few photos from the event (provided by the PPB):
— Jonathan Maus, (503) 706-8804 – jonathan@bikeportland.org
BikePortland is supported by the community (that means you!). Please become a subscriber or make a donation today.
The post Northeast community embraces bike safety fiesta hosted by Portland Police appeared first on BikePortland.org.
How did it get to be September already?
That’s crazy. Summer went by far too fast. I don’t like it.
So I’m just going to call today August 32nd instead.
