焦虑容易让我们做错的决定

焦虑容易让我们做错的决定

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.

就在封锁开始之前，伦敦作家瓦伦蒂娜·瓦伦蒂尼做出了一生的选择:她同意嫁给她的伴侣。她对此毫不犹豫。

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

几周后，瓦伦蒂尼陷入了与流行病相关的焦虑之中，这使得即使是最基本的决定也显得令人畏惧。

"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."

“就是那种围绕着一切的焦虑，”她说。“有时候，这种情绪会以最细微的方式表现出来，比如‘我不知道现在该吃什么’。”’我无法对最简单的东西作出选择。”

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

专家说，瓦伦蒂尼并不是唯一一个焦虑和优柔寡断的人。

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.

根据国家统计局的数据，在英国，39%的已婚或有民事伴侣关系的人现在报告说有高度的焦虑。欧洲的研究人员发现，在流行病期间，焦虑、抑郁和其他心理健康方面的影响越来越大。

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.

这项由美国人口普查局和国家卫生统计中心合作开展的调查在6月初公布的数据显示，近三分之一的美国人出现了焦虑症的症状。

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

这些数字可能令人震惊，但一些心理健康专家说他们并不惊讶。

"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."

美国焦虑与抑郁协会主席、精神病学家卢安娜·马奎斯说:“当我们的身体感受到真正的威胁时，焦虑就会增加。”“在流行病期间，这当然是有道理的。”

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.

美国心理学会将焦虑定义为一种“以紧张感、忧虑的想法和身体变化(如血压升高)为特征的情绪。”其他身体症状还包括心跳加快、头晕、出汗和发抖。

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.

虽然焦虑不同于抑郁(另一种情绪障碍)，但同时出现两种症状是很常见的。焦虑障碍有几种主要类型，包括广泛性焦虑障碍、恐慌障碍和恐惧相关障碍。

Why is it so hard to make decisions?

为什么做决定这么难?

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.

马奎斯说:当我们感到焦虑时，我们大脑中的一组结构就会被激活，这组结构被称为边缘系统。这是一个负责情绪反应、记忆和动机的区域。

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，我们最好的推理和决策来自前额皮质，马奎斯称之为我们的“思考大脑”。她解释说，大脑边缘系统和前额叶皮层在争夺注意力。

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.

如果你的大脑处于“战斗或逃跑”模式，你过热的边缘系统会循环出现一系列可怕的可能性。科学家称之为“杏仁核劫持”——就像你的前额叶皮层完全失去了对车辆的控制。杏仁核是边缘系统的一部分。

How to hack your brain's anxiety response

如何破解大脑的焦虑反应

"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.

“最好的反应是在做决定前让你的大脑冷静下来，”马奎斯说。通过这样做，你将给你的理性的前额皮质一个控制的机会。

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.

一种让你的大脑慢下来的方法是做一件让你感觉良好的平静的事情——Marques建议做冥想，散步，喝杯茶或者给一个支持你的朋友打电话。

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

运用认知行为疗法的技术，马奎斯还帮助患者学会识别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.

尽管马奎斯建议在需要的时候使用这些抗焦虑策略，但她说，通过照顾自己来打下健康的基础也同样重要。这意味着当焦虑来袭时，你有更多的资源可以利用。