Anxiety takes on many shapes and forms, and can be triggered by external stimuli.
Sometimes individuals experience "light" anxiety symptoms when triggered by something that they fear, such as closed-in spaces, people, animals, or spiders.
People can experience symptoms such as tightness in the chest, feelings of wanting to escape or run from the situation, sweaty palms, or dry mouth.
Individuals may also create phobias of specific objects, which lead to full blown anxiety attacks when encountered.
Anxiety attacks can include symptoms such as complete shut-down in which a person feels paralyzed, speechless, shakiness, dizziness, and feelings of suffocation.
Allison has anxiety attacks when she is around pet birds.
When the birds are in the cage, Allison is more at ease; however, she still feels lighter anxiety symptoms.
She constantly watches the bird to make sure it will not escape, focusing on its every move.
If the bird is let out of the cage, Allison immediately goes into a panic attack.
She curls up in a ball and hides her head with her hands.
Allison feels like the bird torments her when it flies around the room and lands on her back.
Allison completely panics, starts screaming to put it away, and starts to lose her breath.
When the bird is on her back, Allison is speechless.
She starts to sweat profusely and the dizziness is so profound, she has passed out a few times.
Allison is not fearful of the birds outside, just those that are kept as pets indoors.
She has no idea where her phobia originated or how to curve the severity of her phobia.
The only relief Allison can find is to never interact with pet birds.