焦慮容易讓我們做錯的決定

焦慮容易讓我們做錯的決定

Just before the lockdown began, London-based writer Valentina Valentini made the choice of a lifetime: She agreed to marry her partner. She didn't think twice about it.

就在封鎖開始之前，倫敦作家瓦倫蒂娜·瓦倫蒂尼做出了一生的選擇:她同意嫁給她的伴侶。她對此毫不猶豫。

A few weeks later, Valentini was struggling with pandemic-related anxiety that made even the most basic decisions seem daunting.

幾周后，瓦倫蒂尼陷入了與流行病相關(guān)的焦慮之中，這使得即使是最基本的決定也顯得令人畏懼。

"It was just sort of this anxiety around everything," she said. "Sometimes it can manifest itself in the smallest ways, like 'I don't know what to eat right now.' I can't choose the simplest thing."

“就是那種圍繞著一切的焦慮，”她說。“有時候，這種情緒會以最細(xì)微的方式表現(xiàn)出來，比如‘我不知道現(xiàn)在該吃什么’。”’我無法對最簡單的東西作出選擇。”

Experts say Valentini is not alone in her anxiety and the paralyzing indecision it can cause.

專家說，瓦倫蒂尼并不是唯一一個焦慮和優(yōu)柔寡斷的人。

In the United Kingdom, 39% of people who are married or in a civil partnership now report high levels of anxiety, according to the Office for National Statistics. Researchers across Europe have found rising anxiety, depression and other mental health impacts amid the pandemic.

根據(jù)國家統(tǒng)計局的數(shù)據(jù)，在英國，39%的已婚或有民事伴侶關(guān)系的人現(xiàn)在報告說有高度的焦慮。歐洲的研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，在流行病期間，焦慮、抑郁和其他心理健康方面的影響越來越大。

Nearly a third of Americans are now experiencing symptoms of anxiety disorder, according to early-June data from the Survey, a partnership between the United States Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics.

這項由美國人口普查局和國家衛(wèi)生統(tǒng)計中心合作開展的調(diào)查在6月初公布的數(shù)據(jù)顯示，近三分之一的美國人出現(xiàn)了焦慮癥的癥狀。

Those numbers might be shocking, but some mental health professionals say they're not surprised.

這些數(shù)字可能令人震驚，但一些心理健康專家說他們并不驚訝。

"Anxiety often goes up in any moment where our bodies perceive a real threat," said Luana Marques, a psychiatrist and president of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. "It certainly makes sense in the middle of a pandemic."

美國焦慮與抑郁協(xié)會主席、精神病學(xué)家盧安娜·馬奎斯說:“當(dāng)我們的身體感受到真正的威脅時，焦慮就會增加。”“在流行病期間，這當(dāng)然是有道理的。”

The American Psychological Association defines anxiety as an "emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure." Other physical symptoms can include a rapid heartbeat, dizziness, sweating and trembling.

美國心理學(xué)會將焦慮定義為一種“以緊張感、憂慮的想法和身體變化(如血壓升高)為特征的情緒。”其他身體癥狀還包括心跳加快、頭暈、出汗和發(fā)抖。

While anxiety is distinct from depression, another mood disorder, it's common to experience symptoms of both at the same time. There are several main types of anxiety disorder, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder and phobia-related disorders.

雖然焦慮不同于抑郁(另一種情緒障礙)，但同時出現(xiàn)兩種癥狀是很常見的。焦慮障礙有幾種主要類型，包括廣泛性焦慮障礙、恐慌障礙和恐懼相關(guān)障礙。

Why is it so hard to make decisions?

為什么做決定這么難?

When we're feeling anxious, we've fired up a set of structures in our brain called the limbic system, said Marques. That's an area responsible for emotional responses, memory and motivation.

馬奎斯說:當(dāng)我們感到焦慮時，我們大腦中的一組結(jié)構(gòu)就會被激活，這組結(jié)構(gòu)被稱為邊緣系統(tǒng)。這是一個負(fù)責(zé)情緒反應(yīng)、記憶和動機的區(qū)域。

Our best reasoning and decision-making comes instead from the prefrontal cortex, what Marques called our "thinking brain." The limbic system and the prefrontal cortex fight for attention, she explained.

相反，我們最好的推理和決策來自前額皮質(zhì)，馬奎斯稱之為我們的“思考大腦”。她解釋說，大腦邊緣系統(tǒng)和前額葉皮層在爭奪注意力。

If your brain is in fight-or-flight mode, your overheated limbic system can cycle through an endless series of scary possibilities. Scientists call that "amygdala hijack"— it's like your prefrontal cortex has lost control of the vehicle altogether. The amygdala is a part of the limbic system.

如果你的大腦處于“戰(zhàn)斗或逃跑”模式，你過熱的邊緣系統(tǒng)會循環(huán)出現(xiàn)一系列可怕的可能性。科學(xué)家稱之為“杏仁核劫持”——就像你的前額葉皮層完全失去了對車輛的控制。杏仁核是邊緣系統(tǒng)的一部分。

How to hack your brain's anxiety response

如何破解大腦的焦慮反應(yīng)

"The best response is to cool off your brain before making decisions," Marques said. By doing that, you'll give your rational prefrontal cortex the chance to take control.

“最好的反應(yīng)是在做決定前讓你的大腦冷靜下來，”馬奎斯說。通過這樣做，你將給你的理性的前額皮質(zhì)一個控制的機會。

One way to slow down your brain is to engage in a calming activity that makes you feel good — Marques suggested meditation, taking a walk, drinking a cup of tea or calling a supportive friend.

一種讓你的大腦慢下來的方法是做一件讓你感覺良好的平靜的事情——Marques建議做冥想，散步，喝杯茶或者給一個支持你的朋友打電話。

Using techniques drawn from cognitive behavioral therapy, Marques also helps patients learn to recognize and see their feelings and thoughts for what they are.

運用認(rèn)知行為療法的技術(shù)，馬奎斯還幫助患者學(xué)會識別和看清自己的感受和想法。

And while Marques recommended employing these anti-anxiety strategies as needed, she said it's just as important to lay some healthy groundwork by taking care of yourself. That means you'll have more resources to draw on when anxiety strikes.

盡管馬奎斯建議在需要的時候使用這些抗焦慮策略，但她說，通過照顧自己來打下健康的基礎(chǔ)也同樣重要。這意味著當(dāng)焦慮來襲時，你有更多的資源可以利用。