If there’s one thing that anxious people need, it’s constant reminding. This isn’t because they don’t understand what’s happening to them, rather it’s because anxiety is distracting. Feelings of anxiety, physical symptoms, and worry take attention away from solutions and keep you focused on potential danger instead. Anxiety is good at that, but it’s not exactly helpful to stay problem focused, right? That’s why this week I want to review a topic that is near and dear to my heart: Anxious thinking.
I’ve discussed this issue several times since 2008. In fact, I had so much to say that I even wrote an entire eBook about it a few years ago. I wanted to highlight why understanding this issue is so critical to recovery. This time around though, I wanted to add some detail and explain two things: A) How pervasive anxious thoughts are and B) How to identify and change anxious thoughts. In my view, learning these two things well is as, or perhaps more, important than any other thing you do to feel better.
The reason for this is straightforward. Your thoughts act as a filter for your lived experience, so that what you think about any given situation will often dictate how that situation plays out. For example, let’s say that you frequently have panic attacks. If you believe that the symptoms generated by panic are dangerous then every time you have one you’ll assume the worst possible outcome. On the other hand, if you think that panic symptoms are uncomfortable rather than dangerous, then your experience will be decidedly less dramatic.
Ultimately, you would like to feel different than you do right now, but the truth is that you’ve got learn how to think differently first. You have to change the way you filter your anxious experience – learn how to appraise a situation for what it is and not what you imagine.
So, listen now.
In this episode of The Anxiety Guru Show you’ll hear about:
- The “Anxiety Triad”
- How stress impacts your thinking
- How to identify and change anxious thoughts
- Common examples of dysfunctional thinking
- Answers to listener email
To listen, you can click the play button below or visit the AG iTunes page.
Hi Paul.
First off let me thank you for the voice that soothes me & lets me know I’m not alone in the middle of the night. I have tried all the drugs and all the CBT therapies but to no avail. Why does this steal my life ? I have more money now than I’ve ever had but all I constantly worry about is money. I fear being destitute and unable to provide for my daughter. How do I begin to calm myself down & know that I am safe. Honestly I could be unemployed for the next 2 years & still be fine but my anxiety keeps me working all hours and sacrificing precious time with my daughter. I know what’s important & it sure isn’t money but why do I fear it so much & how do I get it through my thick head that everything will be fine. I’m literally driving myself crazy. My daughter is only home for one more year and I need to spend time with her now !! Help.
Enjoyed your podcast very much! Very helpful due to going thru a lot of anxiety symptoms at the present time.
Hey Paul, i am currently sitting on the couch at the end of a long and hard day feeling a little anxious and listening to the podcast and its helping me find a new perspective on anxious thinking. My anxiety is pretty much managable nowadays. It all started about 4 months ago. I was going through a rough patch back then ( panic, dp, dr, the whole shabang). I just wanted to let you know that you have helped me so so much through this wonderful website and made me take recovery seriously. I am a sensible person like most of us anxious folks and it.s so comforting knowing that there are people out there who really want to help out others to improve their lives and get better. So Paul, keep doing what you are doing, you are a good man. If I will ever have the possibility to visit the U. S. A. it will be an honor to shake your hand and thank you in person.
Hey SerbanR, thank you for the kind message. I took it to heart!
Thank you for listening Carol. Hang in there, it will pass!
Try not to beat yourself up Tamara. And remember that your head is not thick at all. The thing is that anxiety (not you) is unreasonable and causes you to focus on the worse case scenario. Sounds like you have a good sense of what is likely to happen, listen to that inner reason. Then expand on it and detail to yourself all the reasons why your inner voice is right. I bet you could come up with at least 5 solid facts that disprove your fears. You have to trust yourself!
So much wisdom in your podcasts Paul. I am mostly better now but still like to listen occasionally as a reminder. I love your honesty and humor and your desire to help others is obviously genuine.
Your advice on the emails seemed right on. To the guy who asked about Paxil, I wanted to add a couple of other thoughts that might be helpful: I had extreme dizziness for a year when my anxiety was at it’s worst, sometimes I could barely stand up! I didn’t know it was from anxiety and went from doc to doc – they had no answers and I developed additional health anxieties. I became terrified of the dizziness which was what made it stick around. I agree with Paul that you may want to get a second opinion to rule out any underlying medical condition, but please don’t keep chasing down causes like I did – it just makes it worse! I am now 95% better (I didn’t go the med route, except for one week (and it made me even dizzier fyi – especially weaning off it) between CBT, exercise, and listening to people I trust (like Clare Weekes and Paul) I am mostly anxiety free. When I feel dizzy occasionally now, I check in and always find that I’m anxious about something – I use my tools and no longer fight against it. It never sticks around for long these days! I hope that helps – if I can get better, you can too!
Hey Paul,
I’m just finding you recently and I want you to know that just reading some of your articles and information has made me feel a lot better. I couldn’t have found a better website that has provided me with so much information.
I’m listening to your podcast this very moment. It seems as if you know exactly how I feel. I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything that you’ve done here. I feel as if these past few months I’ve gone crazy. Crying day after day after day, scared, lost, in some dark place that I just don’t know how to get out of. I can barely concentrate, but I’ve been working my butt off trying.
I won’t keep rambling cause I do that a lot. I just hope and pray that the information I get from your website and podcasts can help me. I’ve lost all hope it seems. I’m scared. I’m broken. So thank you for just being here. As of now I’m feeling better just hearing your voice. I don’t feel so alone – so thank you for that.
You bet Chris. I’m glad to the hear that the site is helpful!
Paul
Hey Paul, I really enjoyed your podcast this week. Some much great information on here. I may need to listen to it again and again. I like that these are available because it is nice to be able to go back and re listen to these. I do forget and it is nice to get another refresher on them.. to say.. oh yeah, Paul said this. I also love your ideas on writing some things down and today I actually remember the panic come while driving and coming to a major traffic jam. I thought about this podcast and ways to think about it or why I am thinking that way. What and why was I fearing this and it really worked. After I went through in my mind what it was I was afraid of and why then my rational side( I think I still have one ) kicked in and I said to myself just sit her in the moment nothing is happening and I will be ok!!!!!!!
Hi Paul I just purchased your no more anxious thinking book but it will not download could you help with this please.
I battles with anxiety for years and trying to cure something else (low testosterone)I found the cure. Zinc. Incredible. I haven’t had peace of mind in years. Incredible. My two cents.
Hi Chris. I was just reading your post and I wanted to say that I understand how you feel. I have felt like you plenty of days.
I remember one time when I was in high school, I woke up one morning full of anxious thoughts and I burst out crying because I felt like I couldn’t take it anymore.
Anxiety is not an easy thing to bear.
That’s why I would like to share these thoughts with you from God’s word:
“For I consider that the sufferings of the present time do not amount to anything in comparison with the glory that is going to be revealed in us”.
-Romans 8:18.
“For we were saved in this hope; but hope that is seen is not hope, for when a man sees a thing, does he hope for it? But if we hope for what we do not see, we keep eagerly awaiting for it with endurance”.
-Romans 8:24 and 25.
Know and understand that God knows what you are going through. God created us, including the mind, so God understands better than you do any problems of the mind.
Rely on Him and no that with God, there is no such thing as no hope. There will always be hope with God. You just have to keep enduring and praying to Him despite your anxiety.
So, don’t feel hopeless because with the love of God, Jesus Christ, the Angels, and your brothers and sisters on this earth who understand what you are going through, you are far from being alone and without a positive future.
My love to you and all my brothers sad sisters out there who are wrestling with anxiety( 1Corinthians 13:7 and 8).