– why do we get that heavy feeling in our chest when we’re anxious?
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a simple definition of anxiety is your fight-or-flight system kicks in when there is no need for it to. Like Steve Martin said, your body thinks you are face to face with a lion except there’s no lion. So your heart beats faster and your body pumps adrenaline to prepare for getting the hell out of there or doing battle. But there’s no need for that so you just sit there breathing faster not knowing what to do.
For some lucky people, SSRIs like Lexapro will increase your fight or flight threshold and you will feel this reaction far less. Before I started taking Lexapro, if I thought of going to work the next day I’d feel the adrenaline in my belly. After I took it for a few months, I pretty much lost that reaction when thinking about anxiety inducing activities like socializing or sitting on a crowded bus.
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