Anxiety is a stress response that triggers a protective mechanism that helps us cope, popularly known as the ‘fight or flight’ response. It can be tough to tell the difference between regular anxiety due to stress and the clinical anxiety that causes significant dysfunction in life. In mental health, it is one of those shape-shifting conditions that could be developed due to life stress, biological disruptions, emotionally intense experiences, natural disasters, trauma and deprivation due to the socio-cultural context. A diagnosis of anxiety is made depending on the duration, severity, distinction and the extent of impairment.
In my practice the highest contributors to anxiety have been unexpected, stressful life experiences that led to fear and unhelpful coping mechanisms. I psycho-educate clients about anxiety in two parts, focus and effect. Focus deals with what causes anxiety and how we interpret the meaning. It impacts how we think about ourself, our abilities and how we perceive people and their actions which influences how much we engage and participate in life. This leads to the effects; the ways in which anxiety affects individuals. It is common to experience physical symptoms; it tells them they are anxious. It could be restlessness, racing heart, shortness of breath, sleep disturbances or general tension in the body which leads to fear. These two factors combine to create a bi-directional cycle of fear and other strong emotions which keeps up the anxiety, sometimes long after the situation has resolved.
My approach to treatment focuses on helping clients understand these two parts in a way that makes sense to them. I make use of cognitive strategies that help them become aware of how they are thinking and feeling by tracking, modifying thoughts and behaviours that are unhelpful and promoting ones that are helpful. The therapeutic effort is in understanding that the anxiety stays because people were caught off guard and may not have had the space and time to respond in a way they wanted to when the distress actually happened and after that moment passes, it is fear that it may happen again. I believe in encouraging my clients to use the therapy space to process in a safe way, after learning, accepting and trusting their mind and body. The antidote to anxiety is not to run away from it but to understand and accept it and seeking therapy can be safe and effective way to cope.
