When you become an anxious person one of the first things to go out the window is your ability to tame fearful thoughts. This, of course, makes total sense. When you become sensitized by anxiety you literally make contact with the dark side of your mind and come to be over-focused on death and derangement. In your mind these two things aren’t just likely outcomes of your ordeal, but imminent threats that need to be warded off.
However, what’s interesting is that if you want to get better you have to do the opposite of fight or escape. Instead, you have to crawl into your anxious mind and actually take a look at what’s going on in there. Granted, running away from your scary thoughts sounds easier, but the outcome of continued avoidance is not likely to provide you with any relief.
So what will?
I suppose there are many options. But to me what makes the most sense is treating your high anxiety like the trauma that it is. Sure, it might be trauma with a small t but still, don’t underestimate your level of suffering. There’s no way that you have dealt with as much as you have and come out the other side unscathed.
My theory is that when you first got struck by high anxiety your ability to cope with it was overwhelmed – causing fear, confusion, and the physical activation of the fight or flight response, which is a big deal. Lest we forget, the fight or flight response is designed to help living things confront life and death situations, literally. So although your first panic attack was not a direct threat to life, your brain sure as hell couldn’t tell the difference.
That’s why I think that participating in trauma focused therapies could be enormously helpful. They specifically tackle disturbing thoughts and memories, which is precisely what you should be doing if you’re serious about getting better. Once you learn to “reprogram” these distorted thought patterns you can begin the healing process.
This episode of The Anxiety Guru Show will teach you what two forms of therapy are the most effective at doing just that.
In this episode you’ll discover:
- One of the newest forms of therapy used to treat victims of trauma
- The differences between this new form of therapy and my all-time favorite therapy
- Who can provide this kind of service to you
- What steps you can take when you feel like you’ve just hit a wall and aren’t making progress
Listen to The Anxiety Guru Show…
To listen, you can click the play button below or visit the AG iTunes page.
I just discovered your podcast last week and have been listening to as many of them as I can. They have all been extremely helpful and the one I recieved through email this morning was perfect for me as I have my first cbt appointment this morning. It was really enlightening to get an understanding of the field of psychology and who does what. I had recently seen a psychiatrist and she referred me to this therapist. I was confused because I thought she was going to be my therapist. It all makes sense now! Thanks so much for what you do. I’m telling everyone I knowcwh deals with anxiety about you. Coleen
Hi Coleen, welcome to AG. You’re right about the field of psychology being a little confusing. I’m glad the podcast could clear things up a bit. I hope your cbt sessions help you to reach your goals!
Hi, Paul – While you may describe your podcast narrative as “rambling,” it comes across to me as conversational and relaxed, which makes it both accessible and reassuring. Life’s best chats are rarely scripted.
Your characterization of the field of psychology as a combination of art and science made me think of my career in museum work. The art conservators I worked with taught me that art conservation/restoration is also such a blend of hard science and creativity. There’s the close scientific examination to determine the problem, and then the use of chemistry and physics to stabilize and re-configure. Finally, the artistic part steps in to restore pieces to their former glory; they are changed, but strong and shining again through many, many baby steps of treatment. Hey, if it works for paintings and sculpture, why not for people with anxiety issues!
Thanks for your help! jls
Hey Paul,
Thanks a lot for you podcast! It has been probably been that ‘breakthrough’ moment for me with my anxiety! Even though I’ve had therapy sessions where I’ve held back tears or great accomplishments such as recently I got my first job and have gone down from horrible anxiety attacks and dread to just nerves before every shift your show is what really lit the fire under my ass. Unlike the person you normally describe I’ve always been aware of anxiety before I had it because I’m interested in psychology, so when it happened I didn’t freak out in the usual way which meant I didn’t research it and hadn’t thought about how it would get worse the way I was dealing with it (four years on) and also that I was lucky enough that I could do something about it. I’m in the very early stages of anxiety fighting but would still love to help your show in anyway I can, so if you’d like to have me on your show get in touch.
Thank you,
Katie
Thanks Katie will do!
Hi Paul,
I started listening to this specific podcast this morning. As I was at work, I didn’t really process the podcast but something sparked with me and I started thinking about my anxiety, specifically my journey with anxiety. I kept thinking about what has made me feel better and I can pin point everything back to my sessions with you and your podcasts. I think this is truly because of the knowledge you provide in your podcasts. For me learning about anxiety is like say someone interested in health and fitness would research such topic. I have a passion for learning about anxiety even though it has caused me so much grief in my life. This past year I feel I can finally go day to day with minimal anxiety. Not no anxiety, minimal. That being said I still want to flee a room or use the bathroom excuse when out for dinner but hey I’m out for dinner and most of the time I’m enjoying myself. Enjoying myself used to happen minimally in my life and now it is my life. I used to wish for the “ah ha” moment but today it almost feels better to know that I got to learn and listen and try to understand to get to where I am. And I have you to thank for your podcasts and for feeling the need to share with us!!! You are doing so much for others, probably more than you know.
So anyways on to today’s topic. When I think about my first real panick attack, it was traumatic to me. I never really thought of it in a traumatic way and could see how addressing aspects of that day could really help me to move away from being sensitized to this experience. To this day (approx 9 years later) I still get many physical sensations that can be looked at as being learned from that day. This being said I just feel like this podcast proves what I said earlier that continuously learning about anxiety helps me to get better. I would love to research for therapists who specialize in these therapies around me. I think it could really help.
Melinda
anxiety feeds on fear. the more afraid you are the more anxious you get. embrace you fears let go of trying to get rid of fears. it starves anxiety to death. there is no other solution folks!
Hey Paul, I’ve just discovered your podcast. I totally agree with the trauma related anxiety. I had a mentally abusive partner for 7 years and that’s where my anxiety is linked from. That first panic attack and being so afraid I had no idea what was wrong. Listening to this podcast about trauma makes so much sense to me! Thank you
I agree with Melinda’s comment above. I can trace back my strides and accomplishments towards overcoming abnormal anxiety through the knowledge, expertise and facts that Paul has provided graciously here on this site. I am beginning a new course of treatment ( EMDR) in a couple of weeks, I was told to research it, to which I verbally affirmed to the intake person that I already had knowledge of it through Anxiety Guru.Net, and am enthused to begin that course of action.
Thanks Paul.
Shell F.