When was the last time a real threat triggered your anxiety?

Yesterday I faced a tense situation at work.  I had to keep my emotions in check to remain professional.  Yet my anxiety churned inside and I had a hard time keeping myself under control.  I was edgy, quiet, and humorless.  I’m sure my smiles looked forced.

After the situation was resolved, my pent-up anxiety leaked out in weird ways.  I felt inexplicably grouchy for almost an hour.  I got a little snappy, and I withdrew into a small project where I could block everything out.  During this hour of leaky anxiety, I didn’t really feel in control of myself.  My emotions were overriding my normal calm, composed demeanor in ways I didn’t understand, but I couldn’t stop.