Chronic and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Therapy

 

End Perpetual Worry!!

Chronic anxiety needn’t last a lifetime.  Generalized anxiety and other anxiety conditions characterized by intense or relentless worry or obsessing are very treatable.  Many people improve greatly or overcome chronic anxiety entirely with the help of a therapist who specializes in treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – I specialize in generalized anxiety disorder therapy as well as other disorders that involve excessively anxious thinking and intense underlying fears or dread.

Nourishing Food for Thought

• You are not your anxiety. You’re a person with a wealth of emotions, attributes, and experiences, and anxiety is an “unwelcome guest”.- just an aspect of you.

• A catastrophic thought is only an unusually disturbing theory about the future.

• Instead of looking at the world through anxiety’s grunge-colored glasses or false optimism’s rose-colored glasses, take a step back, look clearly, and you can see reality.

• Remember that despite your doubts and fears, your life has generally proven not to be so awful for you.

ABOUT GAD Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by “exaggerated worry and tension” about everyday things.  People with GAD “often expect the worst, even when there is no apparent reason for concern.”  Women are twice as likely as men to be affected; but, all told, about 6.8 million adults in the U.S. suffer from GAD each year.  It’s not unusual for a person with GAD to worry up to two-thirds of her wakeful hours. “Uncontrollable worry is the essential GAD characteristic”:   People with GAD “don’t know how to stop the worry cycle and feel it’s beyond their control. . . Many people with GAD tend to be highly responsible and make sure to take care of what’s important for themselves and those who rely on them. Instead of experiencing the satisfaction of accomplishment, their restless minds may move on to the next unresolved issue.  The “inner spring” of anxiety may just feel coiled too tight to achieve composure.  The branch of the central nervous system that cools us way down after we’re dealt with demands or intense stress seems to malfunction in people with GAD, so they actually may not be able to engage in the 3 Rs –rest, relaxation, or recreation.  Instead, their lives revolve around emotional matters so much that they have a great deal to have strong feelings about, but engulfing worry can interfere with the deepest, most intense of emotions.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy with a skilled therapist helps people with GAD stop overthinking, cease underrating their coping abilities, and quit exaggerating the chances of things coming out badly.  Mindfulness-based techniques can help, too:  Well-chosen strategies can enable you to experience thoughts and feelings with equanimity, rather than getting entangled in them or worn down by them. The result – RELIEF!

FIVE TACTICS FOR CURBING OVERWORRY

1. Detect worry early:  Let yourself notice your anxious thoughts, gestures, or feelings as soon as they begin.  Try to get the jump on your anxiety before it takes hold.

2. Try to reflect dispassionately.  Discover what you’re anxious about. There’s often a decision to be made or a problem to be solved.

3. If you discover an immediate, realistic concern that’s gotten caught in your “worry machine”, see if you can factor out the worrisome aspects and plan an effective way to resolve the concern or problem.

4. Regularly spend measured periods of time (like 10-20 minutes) focusing actively and exclusively on your biggest worries.  If they seem vague, articulate them more clearly.  Use “worry periods” to carefully consider effective ways to manage worries and problems..

5. Don’t give yourself demerits for feeling so nervous:   For Pete’s sake, you’re tackling some of your toughest anxieties!

Bumper Stick “Don’t believe everything you think”