Psychologist Reid Wilson states that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and other anxiety "Wins," i.e. maintains and gets stronger, by making the rules of the "game." By making the rules, it always wins. He sees the rules as:
1. Be careful or you might cause a horrible problem OR you have already harmed
someone.
2. If a fearful thought ("content") occurs, take it seiously.
3. You MUST feel ABSOLUTELY certain.
4. Use your anxiety as a gauge. If you feel uncomfortable, then there IS danger.
5. ALWAYS act defensively. Avoid, worry, escape, and do rituals.
In order to stop the anxiety from continuing to win, he suggests the following NEW RULES:
1. Don't pay attention to the "Content," i.e., the specific obsessions and
fears.
2. Accept the obsession when it pops up - "It's fine that I just had that
thought."
3. Tell yourself "I WANT to be anxious and STAY anxious. It's NOT about the
content." It's purposefully choosing to feel the generic sense of
uncertainty and anxiety.
4. If necessary, make rules and follow them, i.e., "Here is how I am going to
wash my hands, check doors, etc." This means what procedures and limits will
be used, as opposed to doing those things until they "feel right."
On first take, this is counter-intuitive - and sounds impossible to anyone struggling with significant anxiety. The natural response to this type of anxiety is to avoid and try to escape. Avoidance and escape is how anxiety maintains itself and gets stronger.
By this logic, if you have your fingers in a Chinese finger trap, you pull your fingers apart. The result is the finger trap becoming tighter on your fingers, making escape impossible. The only escape is pushing your fingers together, just as Dr. Wilson suggests accepting and inviting the anxiety.
What happens when you accept and stay with the anxiety is that over time, it diminishes. This is called habituation. I have often seen anxiety decrease (not totally go away) in a matter of mainutes. It is important to note that this may take longer. It is routinely suggested to spend an hour for exposure practice. Habituation generally occurs most quickly when you perform exposure frequently, you accept a higher level of anxiety, and you stay with it for longer periods of time.
Here are some ways he suggests responding to various "content:"
When obsessive doubts occur, responding to them with statements like "I'm glad that I'm having these doubts." "I'm not answering that question."
"If I imagine something inappropriate, then it means I'm a bad person - AND I CAN handle that."
"If I imagine something inappropriate, then it means Ill feel uncertain and anxious - AND I CAN handle that."
"If I don't check the stove, it will be my fault that the house will burn down - AND I CAN handle that."
"If I have a "bad thought," it means that I really feel that way - AND I CAN handle that."
"If X does/not happen, something bad will happen and it will be my fault - AND I CAN handle that."
The more you "play" by the new rules, the weaker the anxiety will become. Maintaining the anxiety rules, maintains the anxiety and makes it stronger. Several videos are available for viewing on Dr. Wilson's website (www.anxieties.com) or YouTube.
Showing posts with label anxiety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anxiety. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Affirmations for Anxiety and Worry
An affirmation is simply any positive statement that you say to yourself. Repeating these statements can help facilitate reprogramming your brain away from automatically going to and accepting negative thoughts. Affirmations are something that you use when you aren't especially anxious. Coping statements can be very similar, but are used more when you are especially anxious. Read through the list below and see if any seem to be a good fit or even where you would like to get to. If saying “I'm safe” is something you can't believe at this time, change the statement to “I'm working toward accepting the reality that I'm safe.” Better yet, for all of these statements, change the wording that may better fit YOU! Better still, write your own!
There are a number of ways to practice affirmations. Practice is the key. The more you practice, whether writing them out, saying them to yourself or out loud, the more you will benefit. Best to practice throughout the day. For further suggestions go to http://ezinearticles.com/?Anxiety-Help---Power-Of-Affirmations&id=578024
I am safe
I let go of my “What If” thoughts.
I find it easier and easier to let go of my “What Ifs.”
I accept that Life = Uncertainty.
I find it easier and easier to breath through my anxious feelings.
I let go of all the things of which I have no control.
I fear not.
I find it easier and easier to let go of the worries that come to my mind
My symptoms are nothing more than a false alarm.
I refuse to let finances (or whatever...) determine my state of mind.
I trust in God. (If you don't, ignore this one)
Best wishes,
Mike
There are a number of ways to practice affirmations. Practice is the key. The more you practice, whether writing them out, saying them to yourself or out loud, the more you will benefit. Best to practice throughout the day. For further suggestions go to http://ezinearticles.com/?Anxiety-Help---Power-Of-Affirmations&id=578024
I am safe
I let go of my “What If” thoughts.
I find it easier and easier to let go of my “What Ifs.”
I accept that Life = Uncertainty.
I find it easier and easier to breath through my anxious feelings.
I let go of all the things of which I have no control.
I fear not.
I find it easier and easier to let go of the worries that come to my mind
My symptoms are nothing more than a false alarm.
I refuse to let finances (or whatever...) determine my state of mind.
I trust in God. (If you don't, ignore this one)
Best wishes,
Mike
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Steps to Stop Worrying
Mark Twain said, “I’ve had a lot of problems in my day - most of which never happened.” It has also been said that worry is interest paid in advance on a debt you may never owe. Worry is a significant problem for many people. It is the major component of all anxiety disorders. It is also something that all of us do, to varying degrees.
Some talk about "good" and "bad" worry. I feel that a clearer conceptualization is between concern and worry. I differentiate between the two in that concern reflects realistic attention to things in our lives and leads to constructive efforts to deal with them. It is certainly in one's best interest to be concerned enough to watch a young child when they are around traffic, pay your taxes, exercise, etc. It is NOT in one's best interests to incessantly dwell on all the possible dangers in the world for a child, incessantly worry about tax issues, incessantly be hyper-focused on what is going on in one' s body, etc. Worry almost always leads to catastrophizing about dire potential outcomes and generally assuming those outcomes WILL occur, especially if one does not worry about them.
Dr. Robert Leahy points out that worriers usually have mixed feelings about their worries. On the one hand, worries are bothersome and difficult to get out of your head. But there is a way that these worries make sense. For example, many think:
Maybe I'll find a solution.
I don't want to overlook anything.
If I keep thinking a little longer, maybe I'll figure it out.
I don't want to be surprised.
I want to be responsible.
Many also feel that worrying gives them a feeling of being in control. Many have a hard time giving up on their worries because the worries are perceived to have been working.
There has been an increasing recognition that worriers generally have an intolerance of uncertainty. Ask yourself the following questions and write down your responses. See if you can come to an understanding of the disadvantages and problems of being intolerant of uncertainty.
Is it possible to be certain about everything in life?
What are the advantages of requiring certainty, versus the disadvantages? Or, how is needing certainty in life helpful and unhelpful?
Do you tend to predict bad things will happen just because they are uncertain? Is this a reasonable thing to do? What is the likelihood of positive or neutral outcomes?
Is it possible to live with the small chance that something negative may happen, given its likelihood is very low?
At the cognitive level, all worry will begin with a "What if," followed by a catastrophic thought. An example is “What if there is a traffic delay and I'm late? I just KNOW that I will get fired!” Monitoring for and recognizing the exaggerated negative possibilities is the first step. Ask yourself:
What’s the evidence that the thought is true? That it’s not true?
Is there a more positive, realistic way of looking at the situation?
What’s the probability that what I’m scared of will actually happen?
If the probability is low, what are some more likely outcomes?
Is the thought helpful? How will worrying about it help me and how will it hurt me?
What would I say to a friend who had this worry?
Frequently, worry also is strongly shaped by “Emotional Reasoning,” i.e., I FEEL so strongly that I will fail the test, therefore I KNOW I will fail the test. This may be in spite of having a strong command of the material, aced the quizes, put in the study time, etc. When this is a frequent event, it is extremely helpful to monitor for this, as well as to remind yourself that, “Feelings are NOT facts!”
Monitoring your "What ifs" can be a powerful and necessary tool in getting increasing control over your thoughts. This is one way to nip the worry in the bud. It is also easier to tell yourself, "STOP!!!", “SHUT UP!!!,” or to shift your focus," at this point. This is referred to as “thought stopping.” Someone once told me, "It's easier to stop when you are going 5 mph than when you are going 60 mph." The thoughts will often come back, but each time you use such interventions, you are becoming stronger and the worry becomes weaker.
Another powerful intervention is to schedule a “Worry time.” This may sound silly, but when worries come to mind, refuse to think about them until the time scheduled to do so. If a worry comes to mind at 3 PM and the worry time is at 6:30 PM, you tell yourself you will not think about that matter until 6:30 and continue to chase the thought out of your mind.
Exercise is often helpful. It generally shifts one focus off the worries. It can also give release to some of the tension most worriers carry. Yoga, relaxation exercises, guided imagery, and meditation can also be beneficial.
Regardless, in order to decrease worries, one must monitor themselves for worry. If one remains passive, the worries will win every time. With increased awareness and effort, YOU CAN beat worry.
Best wishes,
Mike
Some talk about "good" and "bad" worry. I feel that a clearer conceptualization is between concern and worry. I differentiate between the two in that concern reflects realistic attention to things in our lives and leads to constructive efforts to deal with them. It is certainly in one's best interest to be concerned enough to watch a young child when they are around traffic, pay your taxes, exercise, etc. It is NOT in one's best interests to incessantly dwell on all the possible dangers in the world for a child, incessantly worry about tax issues, incessantly be hyper-focused on what is going on in one' s body, etc. Worry almost always leads to catastrophizing about dire potential outcomes and generally assuming those outcomes WILL occur, especially if one does not worry about them.
Dr. Robert Leahy points out that worriers usually have mixed feelings about their worries. On the one hand, worries are bothersome and difficult to get out of your head. But there is a way that these worries make sense. For example, many think:
Maybe I'll find a solution.
I don't want to overlook anything.
If I keep thinking a little longer, maybe I'll figure it out.
I don't want to be surprised.
I want to be responsible.
Many also feel that worrying gives them a feeling of being in control. Many have a hard time giving up on their worries because the worries are perceived to have been working.
There has been an increasing recognition that worriers generally have an intolerance of uncertainty. Ask yourself the following questions and write down your responses. See if you can come to an understanding of the disadvantages and problems of being intolerant of uncertainty.
Is it possible to be certain about everything in life?
What are the advantages of requiring certainty, versus the disadvantages? Or, how is needing certainty in life helpful and unhelpful?
Do you tend to predict bad things will happen just because they are uncertain? Is this a reasonable thing to do? What is the likelihood of positive or neutral outcomes?
Is it possible to live with the small chance that something negative may happen, given its likelihood is very low?
At the cognitive level, all worry will begin with a "What if," followed by a catastrophic thought. An example is “What if there is a traffic delay and I'm late? I just KNOW that I will get fired!” Monitoring for and recognizing the exaggerated negative possibilities is the first step. Ask yourself:
What’s the evidence that the thought is true? That it’s not true?
Is there a more positive, realistic way of looking at the situation?
What’s the probability that what I’m scared of will actually happen?
If the probability is low, what are some more likely outcomes?
Is the thought helpful? How will worrying about it help me and how will it hurt me?
What would I say to a friend who had this worry?
Frequently, worry also is strongly shaped by “Emotional Reasoning,” i.e., I FEEL so strongly that I will fail the test, therefore I KNOW I will fail the test. This may be in spite of having a strong command of the material, aced the quizes, put in the study time, etc. When this is a frequent event, it is extremely helpful to monitor for this, as well as to remind yourself that, “Feelings are NOT facts!”
Monitoring your "What ifs" can be a powerful and necessary tool in getting increasing control over your thoughts. This is one way to nip the worry in the bud. It is also easier to tell yourself, "STOP!!!", “SHUT UP!!!,” or to shift your focus," at this point. This is referred to as “thought stopping.” Someone once told me, "It's easier to stop when you are going 5 mph than when you are going 60 mph." The thoughts will often come back, but each time you use such interventions, you are becoming stronger and the worry becomes weaker.
Another powerful intervention is to schedule a “Worry time.” This may sound silly, but when worries come to mind, refuse to think about them until the time scheduled to do so. If a worry comes to mind at 3 PM and the worry time is at 6:30 PM, you tell yourself you will not think about that matter until 6:30 and continue to chase the thought out of your mind.
Exercise is often helpful. It generally shifts one focus off the worries. It can also give release to some of the tension most worriers carry. Yoga, relaxation exercises, guided imagery, and meditation can also be beneficial.
Regardless, in order to decrease worries, one must monitor themselves for worry. If one remains passive, the worries will win every time. With increased awareness and effort, YOU CAN beat worry.
Best wishes,
Mike
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Long-term (6-year) follow-up of children and adolescents who received Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders.
A six year (6.17 average) follow-up was reported from Queensland Australia for anxious children and teens who were treated with CBT. Fifty-two clients (aged 14 to 21 years) who had completed treatment an average of 6.17 years earlier were reassessed, using diagnostic interviews, clinician ratings, and self- and parent-report measures. After receiving CBT, 85.7% no longer had any anxiety disorder. These gains held at both 1 year follow-up, as well as after 6 years. Both CBT, as well as CBT plus family management were equally effective at the follow-ups.
This study strongly supports the long-term effectiveness of using CBT in treating children and adolescents with anxiety disorders. As other research shows that most anxious adults were first anxious children, this is very good news. Further, treating these conditions early on would prevent years of misery and often, medical treatment.
Two excellent books written FOR kids are What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety by Dawn Huebner and Bonnie Matthews and What to Do When You're Scared and Worried: A Guide for Kids by James J. Crist. An excellent book for parents is If your Adolescent has an Anxiety Disorder by Edna Foa and Linda Wasmer Andrews. These books are recommended whether or not the child is receiving counseling.
Many kids respond quickly to CBT counseling. When presented in a more concrete way than to most adults, kids can understand which thought makes them “feel bad” and which thought makes them “feel good,” as an eight year old boy said to me today. Helping them develop mastery over their emotions can be powerful, to all involved.
The original study was by Barrett PM, Duffy AL, Dadds MR, Rapee RM and was titled “Cognitive-behavioral treatment of anxiety disorders in children: long-term (6-year) follow-up.” It was reported in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2001 Feb; 69 (1): pp. 135-41.
Best wishes,
Mike
This study strongly supports the long-term effectiveness of using CBT in treating children and adolescents with anxiety disorders. As other research shows that most anxious adults were first anxious children, this is very good news. Further, treating these conditions early on would prevent years of misery and often, medical treatment.
Two excellent books written FOR kids are What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety by Dawn Huebner and Bonnie Matthews and What to Do When You're Scared and Worried: A Guide for Kids by James J. Crist. An excellent book for parents is If your Adolescent has an Anxiety Disorder by Edna Foa and Linda Wasmer Andrews. These books are recommended whether or not the child is receiving counseling.
Many kids respond quickly to CBT counseling. When presented in a more concrete way than to most adults, kids can understand which thought makes them “feel bad” and which thought makes them “feel good,” as an eight year old boy said to me today. Helping them develop mastery over their emotions can be powerful, to all involved.
The original study was by Barrett PM, Duffy AL, Dadds MR, Rapee RM and was titled “Cognitive-behavioral treatment of anxiety disorders in children: long-term (6-year) follow-up.” It was reported in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2001 Feb; 69 (1): pp. 135-41.
Best wishes,
Mike
Monday, February 9, 2009
Get on Your Feet
If you are dealing with anxiety and/or depression, exercise is something that you should begin, increase, or continue. There is 40 years of research that exercise is not only be very helpful, but some studies indicate they work better than anti-depressant medications, especially in follow-up studies! The self-help group Recovery, International (formerly Recovery Inc.) has taught for over 70 years that when depressed to "move your muscles.” Sleep quality and insomnia often improve with exercise.
It is best to consult with your physician before beginning a mild to moderate exercise program. Often, walking is a great place to begin. No special equipment is necessary and you can do this year round. In winter, many go to indoor malls to walk. Start at a comfortable pace and don't over do. Even 10 minutes has been shown to be beneficial.
The trick is to find something that you don't hate and preferably enjoy. Studies generally utilize 20 to 60 minute sessions at least three times a week, although you may not be ready to begin at that length of time. Nor do you necessarily have to join a gym. Finding someone to exercise with can be very helpful, but should not be an excuse to not exercise. Consider walking with your spouse or a friend. Bike ride with your kids. Consider exercise classes.
Having different things that you sometimes do can help keep things from getting boring. However, if you say love and want to primarily do one activity, Great! Changing where you walk, run, bike, etc. can also help keep things more fresh. Another advantage of sometimes doing different things is using different muscles.
Exercise is not guaranteed to beat your anxiety or depression alone, but it frequently is very helpful.
Best wishes,
Mike
It is best to consult with your physician before beginning a mild to moderate exercise program. Often, walking is a great place to begin. No special equipment is necessary and you can do this year round. In winter, many go to indoor malls to walk. Start at a comfortable pace and don't over do. Even 10 minutes has been shown to be beneficial.
The trick is to find something that you don't hate and preferably enjoy. Studies generally utilize 20 to 60 minute sessions at least three times a week, although you may not be ready to begin at that length of time. Nor do you necessarily have to join a gym. Finding someone to exercise with can be very helpful, but should not be an excuse to not exercise. Consider walking with your spouse or a friend. Bike ride with your kids. Consider exercise classes.
Having different things that you sometimes do can help keep things from getting boring. However, if you say love and want to primarily do one activity, Great! Changing where you walk, run, bike, etc. can also help keep things more fresh. Another advantage of sometimes doing different things is using different muscles.
Exercise is not guaranteed to beat your anxiety or depression alone, but it frequently is very helpful.
Best wishes,
Mike
Sunday, February 8, 2009
What is Your Recovery Plan for Anxiety and Depression?
What is your recovery plan? What is it that you will do to get past your depression, anxiety, or whatever? This may be a foreign concept to you. Many may wonder, “What is it that I CAN do to improve my anxiety, mood, or whatever? Non-medication possibilities include (but are not limited to) exercise, self-help reading, tracking and challenging negative thoughts, self-help group involvement, facing your fears, affirmations, diet, spiritual practices, relaxation exercises, yoga, and journaling.
Whether or not you are seeing a therapist, generally, the more you do the kind of things just mentioned, the more quickly you get better. If you are working with a therapist, it is best to check your activities with them. Most of the time, you will get encouragement and possibly tips. Many to most therapists will gladly make suggestions of thing they think you will find helpful.
If you have experienced a lot of trauma and/or very severe trauma, then trying to recall memories and some self-help reading may take you at a faster pace than you can manage. In these cases, it is better to go too slow than too fast. However, it does not preclude you from doing most of the other activities listed above.
Activities that are often suggested and helpful are to think about different things related to what you want to change, to notice the times when things are actually better, as well as trying to picture in your mind how you would like things to be.
Best wishes,
Mike
Whether or not you are seeing a therapist, generally, the more you do the kind of things just mentioned, the more quickly you get better. If you are working with a therapist, it is best to check your activities with them. Most of the time, you will get encouragement and possibly tips. Many to most therapists will gladly make suggestions of thing they think you will find helpful.
If you have experienced a lot of trauma and/or very severe trauma, then trying to recall memories and some self-help reading may take you at a faster pace than you can manage. In these cases, it is better to go too slow than too fast. However, it does not preclude you from doing most of the other activities listed above.
Activities that are often suggested and helpful are to think about different things related to what you want to change, to notice the times when things are actually better, as well as trying to picture in your mind how you would like things to be.
Best wishes,
Mike
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
