What is Anxiety? And How Therapy Can Help
“Our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strengths.”
What is Anxiety?
Feeling anxious is not necessarily a problem. Anxiety is a natural and automatic response to perceived physical or psychological threats. It is autonomic, meaning it is an instinctive, bodily response that is mostly beyond our conscious control. When we see a bear in the woods, we don't choose to feel anxious. We just do.
Unfortunately, sometimes we think we see a bear in wood, when there is no bear - it’s just a shadow, or, it’s just the thought of a bear. Maybe this is because we've seen a bear in the past and don't want this to happen again. Here, the feeling of safety is elusive. We always feel 'on edge'. Even worse, because of this idea of the bear, maybe we stop going into the woods altogether, or, when we are there, we can never enjoy it because our mind is racing.
Signs of Anxiety
But, what is anxiety like as an experience? Generally, we can describe anxiety under the following four categories. The description below doesn't cover everything, but it gives you a general idea
Sensations
Hot
Tense
Sweating
Shaking
Restlessness
Difficulty Breathing
Nausea
Difficulty relaxing or sleeping
Feelings
Anxious
Frightened
Scared
Numb
Detached
Anger
Rage
Behaviours
Avoiding things
Leaving
Moving around a lot
Going quiet
Shouting
Lashing Out
Crying
Shutting down
Worrying
Thoughts
"Something bad is going to happen."
"I can't cope with this."
"This is too awful."
"I'm having a heart attack."
"I need to get out of here."
"People will judge me."
“What if…”
When is Anxiety a Problem?
Anxiety is natural. It is an essential part of life. However, for someone suffering from one or more of these types of anxiety, anxiety can prove debilitating. Anxiety can reduce one's quality of life by stripping experiences of pleasure, as the person is too anxious to enjoy them, or by removing such experiences from the person's life, as the person feels the need to avoid such experiences altogether. Here anxiety is a problem because it is inhibiting us from enjoying and making the most of our lives. Even though are lives are, for the most part, safe enough now, for various reasons we cannot feel this to be true.
There is Hope!
It’s possible to recover from anxiety, and this can be done in many ways, depending on the person. For example, learning to take risks again can be an essential ingredient to mental health. Finding different ways to relieve anxiety, in the moment, and afterwards, can also be useful. For example, when feeling anxious in the moment, focusing on breath, or details in the external environment can be helpful. Afterwards, in quiet times, practising mindfulness or even exercise can be useful for some people. Different things work for different people. Others include:
Find what works for you, and try it out!
Professional Support
The good news is that clinical research has revealed that counselling and psychotherapy can help people recover from debilitating levels of anxiety. In a safe, supportive relationship, a qualified, experienced therapist can help the person struggling with anxiety to explore new ways of thinking and acting that can aid recovery. For each person, the journey will be different. However, using a combination of talking, relaxation techniques, and Cognitive Behavioural techniques (CBT), most people experience a reduction in their anxiety and an improvement in their quality of life.
What Next?
If you live in Bristol, or if you’re happy to work via Skype, and wish to make an appointment to see me, please go to my contact me page to find different way to contact me. You can also explore my website using the links above to find out more about me.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
If you like science, and what to know more about the neurology of anxiety, you might find this video interesting: