I was tested November 2013. I am listed as a genius in languages and linguistics. I scored above average in mathematics which I was really surprised by. Mostly I was above average, but what's funny is I scored mentally retarded in puzzles. Overall I had a good IQ score although I know environment and upbringing play a role in IQ outcomes so I don't take them fully to heart.
You are absolutely right. Anxiety can often make no sense. However, people with anxiety often have high intelligence. When we are anxious our brains actually get stuck in fight or flight mode in our base brains. When we are relaxed we are able to access our prefrontal cortex more easily. Our prefrontal cortex is responsible for rational thinking. This is why exposure if often coupled with relaxation techniques and self talk. If we are able to calm ourselves down, we in turn calm down our brains which helps us think more logically and therefore less anxiously.
Ashley, Health Educator
Thanks Ashley that makes sense. Yes, that is something I can ask my therapist next time I speak with her or I can just email her and ask. It's just it makes no sense logically I know that driving should not bring on strong anxiety or panic symptoms. I know there is no logical reason to get so worked up just because I am driving. No logical reason at all, but when I have to drive alone outside of my comfort zone those symptoms take over and that makes no sense if I know logical they shouldn't be there.
You get to decide what a moderate level of fear is based on your experience. If you are having trouble with this it might be helpful to work with a therapist who can assist you in figuring this all out. Sometimes exposure is best done with a qualified professional.
And great question, the purpose isn't to scare yourself the purpose is to not avoid what scares you and to learn how to be calm in these situations. By incrementally increasing the fear level and using the tools you learn here you are learning to change what scares you into something that you can cope with. Like with any skill or change in patterns it takes practice.
Try setting small goals at first. Drive to a location and back and slowly make the driving challenges harder. Pick a location, route or time period that you think will give you a fear level of 7. You should feel challenged but not terrified. Let us know how you do.
