Anxiety disorders are commonly associated with being a purely negative thing.

It’s no surprise, since anxiety, especially in its severe forms, can make one’s life difficult. Whatever type of anxiety disorder you may be suffering from, it’s for sure that it causes you troubles, making you unable to handle the challenges of everyday life and preventing you from enjoying some simple things that are natural to most people.

However, what if I told you that your anxiety may actually be hiding some remarkable powers? Here are some of those, based on recent scientific studies and not only.

1. Life-saving instinct

It has been long recognized that anxiety has evolutionary roots and, just like fear, originated as a means to protect our ancestors from a premature death. This was a great mechanism of survival when humans had to face constant physical threats, such as wild animals trying to eat them.

However, today, when we no longer have to deal with such situations in our daily lives, anxiety has basically become a response to non-existing dangers.

But what if this response can actually be useful and even vital in certain cases? French scientists have found that anxious people possess a unique life-saving sixth sense. According to the results of the related study, some regions of the anxious brain have the ability to detect threats just in 200 milliseconds! These fast and automatic reactions can, in fact, make the difference between life and death in extreme situations.

2. High intelligence

A recent study on verbal intelligence found that people who reported suffering from social anxiety performed better in verbal-linguistic testing than those who didn’t.

Another study conducted at the SUNY Downstate Medical Centre in NYC found that participants suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) scored higher in an IQ test than those who didn’t have a history of anxiety.

Anxious people are analyzing and overthinking their surroundings all the time, which means their brains are constantly processing information. With these continuous thinking processes that take place in their heads, it makes sense why people who suffer from anxiety disorders have higher IQ levels.

3. Empathetic ability

According to research by Israeli scientists, socially anxious people exhibited prominent empathetic abilities, i.e. they had higher psychosocial awareness than their non-anxious counterparts. Simply put, people with anxiety have a better capacity to understand and feel what others are going through.

Thus, individuals who suffer from social anxiety may possess an innate empathetic ability. What if this is the reason why these people feel the way they do around others?

What if they are just too sensitive to other people’s emotions, which is overwhelming and results in those disturbing symptoms? No surprise that socially anxious people feel more comfortable avoiding human interaction.

4. Sensitivity to other people’s energy

Similarly to the empathetic ability, people with social anxiety may be experiencing those uncomfortable symptoms because they can sense the energy of those around them. Of course, this idea is less scientific than the previous ones and is not based on any studies, but it’s still a possibility.

Based on my personal experience, I have noticed that some people provoke intense social anxiety symptoms in me while others don’t. And most of the times, I can’t find any rational explanation for this – for no plausible reason, it just feels awkward and uncomfortable when someone is around. What if I’m able to sense their energy and get the emotional state associated with anxiety as a response to low-frequency vibes?

As you see, it turns out that anxiety disorders also have a bright side. Nothing is absolute in this world, and perhaps, we label anxiety with being a mental disorder because we still know too little about the human brain and the existence in general.

In reality, anxious individuals might simply be too sensitive to the things most people are unaware of.

Do you agree that anxiety disorders are more complex than it seems? What are your thoughts on this? Please share them in the comment section below.


Copyright © 2012-2024 Learning Mind. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint, contact us.

power of misfits book banner desktop

Like what you are reading? Subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss new thought-provoking articles!

This Post Has 29 Comments

  1. Cindy

    I agree with each statement regarding the powers behind anxiety. It was refreshing to read this.
    I believe this is exactly why I’m labeled as feeling “anxious” because of all 4 of the hidden powers that are not talked about very much. More advocacy and light needs to be brought forth to the easily diagnosed anxiety disorders & how they play a part in the norms of society. Thank you.

  2. Johnny

    Yes. I always get this feeling when someone or situation is awkward or disturbing. LOL , this is great! I always wondered when it happened to me and was curious. This is very interesting.
    We tend to put label on things that we think we know everything about. But, I think in the end, if we still don’t know exactly where we came from, then in essence know one knows shit!
    Keep on living a life full of Love. Whether its with friends, family and yes the strangers who you don’t know. Believe it or not we are all in this together 🙂 We are all one big family 🙂 I think we can all agree LOVE is really all you need.
    John Lennon was and still is correct.

  3. Miakoda

    Excellent article! I must be a genius because my mind won’t stop. I’m working on that though. Thank you for your posts.

  4. B.Nandakishore

    Of course what ever you said is true. For better understanding you go through topic “Interference competition ” it says that mere presence of some superior organism it decreases your efficiency.

  5. Ali

    Thank you for this amazing article. If only people knew what we go through on a daily basis, they would understand why we are the way we are.

  6. Jocelyn Lamb

    I agree with absolutely everything written in this article. I have been struggling with GAD and depression (which usually go hand in hand) for the last 12 years that I am aware of, and may have started much earlier in my childhood.

    Many people have called me “gifted” and the anxiety definitely contributes to my energy field and those whom are in it. I can sense things in people, “demons” if you will, and I have to be very careful who I am around because of that sixth sense.

    The more we are educated through each others experiences, along with prayer and meditation, the better we learn to cope and can be of great help to each other.

    Thank you again for the wonderful article.

  7. Jim Poushinsky MSW (retired)

    Chronic anxiety is a symptom of the body’s state of arousal that prepares us for the fight or flight response, and is caused by unhealed PTSD, usually originating in early childhood trauma. And yes, there has been evidence since the 1980s that trauma survivors report higher incidences of ESP and psychic awareness than others. (see Dr. Lenore Terr’s long-term study of the Chowchilla kidnapping children, beginning in 1976).

  8. James

    This was so informing.
    I have been able to use these abilities since I was a child how ever it did cause alot of grief growing up.
    Only until about a year ago I researched this….but never told any one.
    I have the ability to read people based on the energy around them and body movement I can tell what kind of person they are with out a word I can tell almost what they have been threw in life and what they do in life.
    I can not handle busy places I feel every thing all at once…I don’t know how to deal with sadness….angry people…and unfortunately I get agitation and leave the situation. I know when people are lying I know when there sad angry even if they are hiding it.
    I have a very very good sense of what’s around me at all time extremely fast reflexes when I’m faced with danger everything around me stops I’m the only one moving this has happened a few times when driving….I may sound nuts and trying to sound like a super hero lol I know that’s why I have never talked to any one about this.
    I love this article it’s refreshing to know there are other people like me

  9. Tania Fusher

    Totally agree. I am v sensitive to all moods and pick up on it and often feel v uncomfortable in company. Rather go out for walk in woods with dog. Dog is v sensitive too!

  10. Nancy M

    I’m glad to see this being revealed. I’ve sensed danger long before it materialized – and it has saved me. I learned as a child that there is more to us than meets the eye. I slightly disagree with the statement we don’t need the survival instinct as we once did. I think we need it more than ever, perhaps that is why social anxiety is perceived as an epidemic – it is reawakening in our society.

  11. Laurie Frisell

    And we are here to assist in the evolution of man…to counter balance all the negative energies…cuz what we are is love…we all are one and connected We sense the planet…the God in all of us…healers…to remind each other of our light! And as we are humans in an evolution…its easy to think I dont fit! We must learn we are off our path and it is not we who do not fit…but the path has gone astray…therein is the discomfort…what doesnt fit…We are teachers, healers, guides! Try not to let those negative energies consume you…learn! We are purposeful and powerful. All these gifts lye in each of us…we just need to remember!

  12. Niko Blaze

    I’m living proof… This I know all too well! I’ve learned over time how to deal with it by keeping my distance from people… The reason why is because of ENERGY! Some people have good energy, and some have bad energy and some have low energy and some have high energy!!! Being in a crowd and knowing this can drive me nuts at times because my “spidey senses” are always on I can’t turn it OFF, like hearing every conversation in a bar when you’re trying to just fit in is torture 2 me… Limiting my interactions with people has drastically made a difference in my day 2 day life… Life for me NOW is a 100 times better because I figured out what my triggers are… So I choose to live alone in solitude… Peace is a choice and it’s one that many people take for granted… The outside world is never going to be as peaceful as I would like 2 be, so I had to create my own world… “HOME”

  13. Brittany Taylor

    I have extreme anxiety issues. And every thing that was said hits the nail on the head. It does help to know that there are people out there though that are like me. It helps to know that maybe I’m not as much of freak as I feel like sometimes. And this is an article I will be saving for future use! Thank you so very much!

  14. Diana

    Yes all true but the question is why do we feel this anxiety around some people while around others not? Does this mean we should avoid the first category of people? While i have anxiety let’s say around a certain person, other people might feel normal around that person. What is the responsable triger for the overwhelming sensitivity? I would say fear. And im not talking about the primary fear here, the basic one related to the survivak instinct (for ex i run if i see a lion near by). Im talking about a new form of fear: the social fear. When does it appear? Because somewhere along the way in life we give birth to it through different life experinces.

  15. Daemon

    spirituality and science are getting closer and closer to understanding each other as time goes on

  16. alroy

    Thank you.

  17. Tom

    I’m sorry but I find NOTHING positive about feeling as though I have a fist around my heart most every day and every minute. It debilitating and causing major depression. I sure wish I could find a silver lining in this, but just can’t.

  18. nikitajosephine

    it has taken me 46 years to realize this is how i feel most of the time. it is why i don’t like to be out in the public or around a lot of people. i have felt a constant low level anxiety coupled with depression for years. sometimes even talking too much with family members triggers this feeling. i am going to try acupuncture.

  19. Linda Condell

    Meditation/energy work, shirin yoku, visualization, and expressing your creativity are all great methods for dealing with these symptoms. Personally I wear stones and crystals, practice art, protective visualization, and meditation…I find when I don’t make time for inner peace, the outer world affects me more adversely. I also listen to solfeggio frequencies, which I find useful for many purposes.

  20. Tara

    I found this article interesting and on point. I was diagnosed with GAD and Dysthimia about 5 years ago with PTSD and have been seeing a Trauma Counselor for a little over a year.
    I am alone a lot during the days and being alone too much tends to trigger my depression and can also make me feel anxious.
    I can actually say I feel better when I’m around people. And yes I can sense different energies from people but I don’t feel drained. I do feel empathetic but to the point where I’m thinking good thoughts and prayers to reach those people with lower or negative vibrations. Really I’ve learned and am still learning to be selective about who I interact with but I’m also know I’m in control and aware with the environment around me. I enjoy the company of others. I usually have good experiences now that I’m learning how to tune my frequency and receive the frequencies around me. How to be selective on how close you allow others but always be careful and mindful towards others and being kind and loving to yourself and to those you meet and those who are a part of your life regularly.

  21. Jami underhill

    Anxiety is a bitch. I used to suffer from depression as well and I’d rather have that back. I can always feel peoples moods sometimes I have to leave the room due to a certain persons mood. Constantly worrying about shit that will never happen. I’m a new father and I had a panic attack because I was worried about being a good father. Anxiety is terrible. People don’t understand our thought process. I’ve tried to explain it to my gf. She just doesn’t understand. I’m a chronic worrier. How do you change your thoughts after a life time or worrying?

    1. charlotte

      hi i know this is super late but you sound like you may be a ‘highly sensitive person.’ look up the term and see if that fits with you… If so there are ways to deal with it.
      Also know that you can’t change your thoughts and trying to change them/manage them or control them will only drive you a little crazy… i’ve tried haha

  22. Luke Attisani

    All true Never underestimate a person with anxieties opinion on someone it will be your worst mistake

  23. priya

    I have such a problem but because I see the things everything positively due to my understanding the anxiety does not dominate me. Sometimes I cannot speak or some words does not out of my mouth or when situation comes where someone argue at me I cannot give a clear reply to them or just stand in silent mode . I feel like I am dumb and stupid around the people . Please help

  24. Connie

    Anxiety is more serious than you talk about it.If you think it’s not then you’ve never had one. There are times you feel like you are drying and will be very scared. Other times you feel like you head is separated from the rest of your body and you can move ,or walk. It’s not a joke. I don’t think you know what you are talking about. It has taken medication for years to get me better.

  25. Latonya

    This is an amazing read. My anxiety is so serious that the things I fear the most always happen. I can sense it and feel bad things happening and it never fails that eventually it happens, kind of like the law of attraction. I feel high anxiety around certain people and calm around others. The people I have felt anxious ans stressed around in the past have all turned out to hurt me in some way. I know I should a avoid bad energy but I feel these are people who I end up loving the most because I see a hurt inside of them and I feel bad walking away. I hate living with anxiety. I feel like I can sense future events and they are always only the bad ones that I can sense. I can never sense anything good happening.

Leave a Reply