The Ancient Alarm System

Your stress response was built for a world of predators, rival tribes, and natural disasters. When danger appeared, your brain fired off adrenaline to make your muscles ready to run and your senses razor-sharp, with cortisol following to keep you braced.

It worked brilliantly for thousands of years. The catch is that it still runs the exact same program today, even though your threats have completely changed. Your brain cannot tell a charging lion apart from a passive-aggressive email. Both flip the same fight-or-flight switch.

That gap between an ancient alarm and a modern life is where most anxiety symptoms come from.