Before we get started watch the video clip below.
Then I’ll share with you some thoughts on why I think it’s an important metaphor for what you’re going through and how it can help you to reduce, or maybe even erase, your abnormal anxiety.
The truth is that I could try to explain to you all the nuances of abnormal anxiety until I’m blue in the face, yet there’s a good chance that you’ll remain in the dark about the big picture.
In this regard, you could stay in the “Why this?” Or “Why that?” mode without ever finding real answers. So I’ve decided to use a bit of classic cinema to help me make a few important points.
This video clip from The Wizard of Oz sums up the big picture well because it illustrates the engine that drives your abnormal anxiety perfectly.
There’s three things in particular that stand out:
The Machinery of Anxiety
First, there’s the machine itself. The contraption that the wizard is operating, which is an excellent representation of all the mechanical aspects of your symptoms. It’s your body being manipulated by your abnormal anxiety.
The physical symptoms, the automatic thoughts, all of those things are an automated reaction to anxiety, which can make all the awful feelings you experience seem powerful and mysterious.
The reality is that physical symptoms operate like a machine because your body is a machine. So the heart is like a mechanical pump, the brain a supercomputer, and your other organs act like cogs and pulleys that help push you along.
The important piece to all that is understanding that there is nothing mysterious about your body.
It does what it always does, it reacts to fear the same way every time. At no point is death or insanity entered into that equation simply because you assume it’s a possibility.
“You have plenty of courage, I am sure,” answered Oz. “All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.” — L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Mystery of Anxiety
Second, there’s the curtain. The thin veil that makes it difficult to understand, much less accept, all the experiences that you’ve been enduring.
The curtain so to speak can be denial, confusion, ignorance, or just plain fear. In many cases there is a mixture of all these components working together and often stand between you and the truth.
The ‘curtain’ is different for all of us. So it’s a good idea to explore what prevents you from removing the fear that abnormal anxiety will somehow harm you. Once you can identify “it” you can take the first steps toward challenging yourself to destroy this line of thinking.
Anxiety as the Wizard
Lastly, there’s the wizard himself. The ‘bad man’ that to me represents your abnormal anxiety.
What you’ll find though, and hopefully sooner rather than later, is that abnormal anxiety is a feeble being that you’ve bestowed with supernatural powers. Given this, what do you think will happen when you confront it? I think you’ll find that it will react much like the old wizard in the film.
It will bend to your will because it is, to me anyway, just another part of you. For example, have you ever attempted to control your anger and succeeded? Why is anxiety any different? Your emotions are a part of you; a part that you can control by changing the content of your thoughts and the things you tell yourself.
I seriously didn’t plan on writing a whole piece on this short clip, but I couldn’t resist. It’s all there for you to see. To some of you this may seem like child’s play because it appears so simple.
The question is: Why does this have to be complicated?
There’s no doubt that eliminating abnormal anxiety is scary. Perhaps you’re afraid of failure, maybe you’re afraid that your anxiety is going to get bigger, but these are false beliefs which have been bolstered by fear and conditioning. Bottom-line it’s a very bad habit.
That, however, doesn’t change the fact that you can succeed in your efforts to be the old you again. To recapture the life that you once had, the peace of mind that was a regular part of your daily life.
The good news is that part of you still exists, the trick is reclaiming the power that you’ve handed to your anxiety.
You can do this.
Did you find a different meaning in these clips? Tell me your thoughts in the comments section below!
Good read!
I find that both time and willingness to get better are two things that shine through all the fog. I like your take on The Wizard of Oz, though. In the beginning, I thought anxiety was some horrible thing behind a curtain, but it turned out to just be me the whole time, acting on impulse of all the automatic thoughts and craziness. Granted, some of the symptoms turned out to be very real. Like migraines, palpitations (still have those very often, but they are easier to manage), racing thoughts and inability to focus. It’s an unruly combination of feelings that make you think the end is near, but it’s really just a blown up fear-complex.
Hi William,
I know the feeling too !. Every since age 11 when a schoolboy in Plymouth England during the war and the Luftwaffe Blitzes on the City which I saw
burning and exploding between 1941 to 42. I brought that feeling with me
even through my time in two armies and two more wars.(and NOBODY ever wins
any war ! – Blair and Bush , Cameron and Hague, so , uou guys, quit starting strife and teaching what you call ‘Democracy’
Good remedy for migraine and palpitations – take Taurine in onn-gelatine capsules , Also ensure nasal tracts are kept clear “. Clear night and
morning to evacuate bug-packed mucus. That is its function. But don’t save it !.
Your nose needs to help make NO (Nitrous oxide – it relieves tension.)
Be Well…and well indeed….
What a great metaphor. My initial take on the clip was that I was one of the cast, maybe the lion, shaking with anxiety. The wizard is the all powerful being, that was bringing on the anxiety. When in reality the anxiety was being caused by nothing more than an old guy behind the curtain. We are being tricked into believing anxiety is larger than life, untouchable object, when in-fact when we bring it down to our level, it is something we can control.
I liked your explaination as-well. Currently my place I would say is I am standing behind the guy, the curtain is open. I know anxiety can’t hurt me, I know I should not get my self worked up during certain situations, But I can’t bring myself to grab him by his shoulder, whip him around and say “knock it off”. In another words the physical sensations of anxiety that I feel are still too strong for me to get past, and to push through anxiety causing situations. I hate the feelings so much that it holds me back.
When I was a child, I was terrified of the wicked witch! Not the monkeys, only the witch.
For me, it’s courage. I know it’s in me, only I seemed to have buried it somewhere. Am I lacking self-confidence? I know I feel fear a lot and I haven’t been able to pin-point what the fears are or what’s causing them.
I LOVE that you used the Wizard of Oz as a metaphor for anxiety. It’s my favorite childhood movie. It actually brought tears to my eyes to look at it in the way that you did. From now on, I WILL pay attention to “the man behind the curtain” and remember just what he is.
I really like this metaphor. Now on I am going to try to think about anxiety as that wizard trying to scare me and I know now my symptoms and thoughs about it are not going to stop from day to night but I will try to accept them.
Great analogy!
Hey guys, thanks for sharing your insights. I’m sure we all see this metaphor differently, but I think the essence is the same for most us.
Don’t forget to share this with people you think might enjoy it!
I love the analogy. I remember somewhere else in the movie someone tells the lion that he has always had courage – that he just didn’t know it. I’ve always remember that when my anxiety gets bad. Thanks Paul. Keep up the good work.
Hi Paul,
I just want to say thank you for your inspiring blog. I started having extremely intense and scary anxiety attacks and panic approximately 4 months ago. Up until 4 months ago I had never suffered with anxiety, had a panic attack or felt like my whole world was turned upside down. It has been an extremely difficult road for me because it took me by complete surprise but I’m slowly trying to claim back my power. I’ve been prescribed medication by my doctor which I’ve been taking for just over a month and I am feeling a little better but not 100% my old self yet. I’ve changed my diet, cut out caffeine and haven’t even had alcohol since the anxiety started because I’m terrified that it will have some horrible effect on me. Its been the most difficult challenge and experience I have ever had to deal with in my entire life and my priority is just to feel normal again.
Lee, I noticed your post and felt compelled to respond. I know from experience how it feels to have your life turned upside down by panic and anxiety. It happened to me a year ago. I’d just like to say- Please don’t be afraid of your symptoms and of the “state you are in” as Dr. Claire Weeks would say. I sure was afraid of it in the beginning and had no one to tell me that what I was feeling was a normal reaction to a stressed and tired mind (Have you been stressed prior to this??). For me it has been all about learning how to accept the symptoms ( because they aren’t dangerous to us and our minds need to relax) but another thing that is helping me a lot is working on my self confidence and my “locus of control” through a workbook I found online. It makes sense to me- when we feel no control over situations and circumstances in our lives we get scared, hopeless. By Working on our self confidence we learn that we have the ability to handle anything that comes our way! And we do have the ability to control outcomes in our lives more than we think! Paul has so many good points on this blog too. I hope you can relax, know that you are not alone and that you can get through this. As Paul also says on here- dont spend time googling all your symptoms and on anxiety forums. (toxic!) Thanks for your blog Paul so we can support eachother!
Hi Paul, thank you so much for your response. I had an extremely stressful year prior to the start of my anxiety and this was mostly due to a highly pressurised job amongst other personal changes in my life. I have since lost my job as the company I worked for re-structured and downsized. The anxiety and panic started 2 months later and has now been going on for 4 months. I’ve always managed my stress quite well up until this point and this is why the past 4 months have left me completely disorientated. I am naturally a person who overthinks and worries about the smallest things but I’ve been this way all my life and yet never suffered from panic attacks or anxiety. I’ve always been an outgoing, friendly, sociable kind of person but since the anxiety has started its as though my personality has completely changed. My weekends were usually spent having friends over for dinners and drinks, going out, meeting people but I just cannot do it anymore. I prefer to rather stay at home alone reading or watching tv. I’m terrified to even have a glass of wine with friends in case it affects me in some weird kind of way. And yes I do seem to spend a lot of time googling all my symptoms which I definately need to stop doing. I’m happy to see though that I’m not alone and their are so many people around the world dealing with anxiety on a daily basis in their lives.
I meant to say thank you Redfeather for your response 🙂
This was a really great metaphor. Thank you so much! Your blogs, podcasts, etc. are so very helpful! Keep all this great information coming!
I started having anxiety attacks after the death of both my parents,they died within 7 months of eachother, i thought I would never be myself again, I just want to let you know how your site has helped, thankyou so very much,