Show Notes:
Anxiety Guru News Desk:
1. According to an article in the American Chronicle depression and anxiety are not conditions but rather emotions that have gotten out of control. Talk about controversial.
2. Doctors are now experimenting with new forms of treatment for PTSD. The latest treatment is called a stellate ganglion block, which is an injection of anesthetic into the neck. This shot is meant to “reset the nervous system” and helps to alleviate anxiety. The treatment is currently in the early stages of development. Click here to learn more.
3. Southcoasttoday.com reports that Americans are four times more likely to experience anxiety or depression when compared to people who live in other countries, like Mexico for example. In fact, the article states that almost 95% of Mexicans that live in Mexico have never had anxiety or depression.
Worry
1. Worry is defined as an affliction of mental distress or agitation, to strangle or choke, to touch or disturb repeatedly, make anxious. Clearly worry is somewhat of a negative thing.
a. Worry is also a state of anxious brooding. Unlike anxiety which causes physical symptoms like palpitations, racing thoughts, etc. Worry is the negative self talk that you badger yourself with over a long period of time.
b. Anxiety disorders and worry are closely linked since they feed off of each other.
c. Worry is more than just an emotion and takes a lot of brain power to work. Worry starts deep in the brains amygdala which senses danger and prepares us to react (fight or flight). The amygdala then sends signals of danger to others parts of the brain that relay danger signals back to the amygdala which registers this “ping” as more danger and so the process repeats.
d. Worry also lives in our DNA – the fact is some people are wired to worry. Certain genes that control the production of serotonin in the brain may be damaged or under developed which may lead to emotional and therefore anxiety/worry issues. Dr. Edward Hallowell author of the book Worry: Controlling It and Using It Wisely
e. Worry is linked to anxiety in a deep and intertwined manner. The anxiety takes hold of your autonomic nervous system which controls your involuntary bodily functions like sweating, blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, etc. Once anxious these involuntary actions become hyperactive and put you on red alert. As a result you worry because you are hyper-vigilant and ready for trouble.
f. Past events, especially traumatic ones, can cause you to worry. But this is linked to your anxiety about the event. This is all linked to fear.
Fear
2. Worry is born from fear. Fear is by far your biggest reason for worrying all the time.
a. Normally when you’re afraid there is some kind of danger. However when you have an anxiety disorder this fear gets prolonged and goes unresolved. Naturally you begin to worry because you’re pumped up – on alert with nothing to do. No reason to run or fight so instead you boil yourself in fear about what could happen since there is nothing actually happening.
b. This leads to the “what if” questions. They start small then build over time into terrible possibilities. As you constantly ask yourself what if this or what if that – you stoke the worry into something much larger than it was.
c. Humans are built to feel fear. Because of our past as hunters and gatherers fear is programmed inside our brains since we needed fear to stay alive. Fear is an important part of our psychology, but if we let it fear can get out of control.
d. Worry is normal for all human beings. I worry as much as anyone else and like you I need to stop. Worry can be like an addiction and like an addiction it should be stopped before it grows too large.
e. Worry needs to be controlled because it can lead to real sickness in the form of heart disease, circulation problems, and it can also affect your entire nervous system.
Not all worry is bad
3. Worry is also good in low doses. It makes you show up on time, it makes you plan, and makes you think about ways of not screwing things up. You need to worry some to take action on things that require attention.
Coping with Excessive Worry
4. You manage worry the same way you manage anxiety.
a. Self talk – positive thinking.
b. Talk with others about your concerns and worries to see if they are legitimate or simply your imagination.
c. Exercise.
d. Eating a balances diet.
e. Accept, let go and be patient.
f. Educate yourself about your anxiety disorder.
g. meditate and take time to reflect.
h. Sleep right to combat fatigue.
i. Be realistic and change your thoughts. If you’re really concerned about something, say your health for example, do something about it. Go see a doctor or a therapist and get checked out. Once you’re cleared move on. Be realistic about your problems and don’t imagine something worse. The mind is powerful and just might oblige your negativity.
Worry is like anxiety in that both are with us for the duration of life. We should accept this and not shrink from it in the least. We have more control over our minds than we believe and should use this fact to our advantage. You can decide to worry excessively the rest of your life, but you can also decide not to. Granted not worrying excessively is a skill that must be learned, but we can learn how to worry less if we try.
Recommended Reading: The Worry Cure: Seven Steps to Stop Worry from Stopping
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