Can I overcome anxiety?
Short answer, yes!
Anxiety is a set of thinking patterns that bring with them a full on physical experience that is deeply unpleasant.
Anxious thinking patterns
While each person experiences it a little differently, anxiety often includes a combination of these thinking patterns:
Catastrophizing (Expecting the Worst): Escalating a problem out of proportion and assuming the worst possible outcome will happen
Mind Reading (Jumping to Conclusions): Assuming you know what others are thinking without proof, or predicting a negative future event and acting like it is an established fact
All-or-Nothing (Black-and-White) Thinking: Seeing things in extreme, polar opposites with no middle ground.
Shoulds and Musts: Setting rigid, unrealistic rules for yourself or others, which can lead to feelings of guilt, frustration, or resentment
Emotional Reasoning: Believing that because you feel a certain way, it must be true
Generalizing: Taking one single negative event and deciding it represents an endless pattern
Disqualifying the Positive: Focusing exclusively on a negatives and not noticing positive or neutral evidence
Physical Symptoms of Anxiety
Anxiety affects your nervous system and body, the symptoms often include;
Heart and Chest: Rapid or pounding heartbeat (palpitations), chest pain, and chest tightness.
Breathing: Shortness of breath, rapid breathing (hyperventilation), or the feeling of a lump in the throat that makes it hard to swallow.
Digestive System: Nausea, stomach aches, cramps, diarrhea, or indigestion.
Muscles and Nerves: Muscle tension (especially in the neck, shoulders, and jaw), tremors, shaking, dizziness, light-headedness, and tingling or numbness in the fingers or lips.
General and Sleep: Excessive sweating, fatigue, morning dread, and trouble falling or staying asleep (insomnia).
Overcoming anxiety
Sometimes the best path to overcoming anxiety is to focus on the thinking patterns that are coming up, and to learn how to challenge and change them to think differently. This is the approach cognitive behavioural therapy uses, and in some cases it works very well.
Another approach to working with anxiety is to explore the function of the anxiety. In this approach, anxiety is understood as a defence that is occupying your body mind and diverting attention away from something else, a big and unpleasant feeling that needs addressing. It may be shame, anger, hurt, disappointment, grief, insecurity or a range of other deep wounds that is hidden beneath. The constant activity of anxiety occupies the mind and means this deeper concern does not come to light, or get healed.
Working systemically and deeply to address the underlying wounds removes the need for anxiety symptoms and can release energy for more pleasurable and meaningful thoughts. This leads to an experience of feeling more integrated and whole, and can really change day to day life.
If you’d like to explore deep seated anxiety and find ways to relate to yourself differently, then get in touch at fjchrichard@gmail.com or on 01325 605160.
Comments