HELP FOR GENERALIZED ANXIETY
(THE WORRY WART)
Generalized anxiety involves worrying that is excessive, unrealistic and out of proportion to the circumstances producing the concern. Worriers don’t just worry about one topic. Worry itself has become the problem. They ride the worry train, worrying about illness, financial problems, the health and safety of loved ones, etc. Many worriers “topic shift.” Every time you try to focus them on solutions for one of their worries, their minds move to another worry. And then another worry. Their antennae are up, always trying to fend off danger, always changing the worry topic because they are afraid of being blind-sided by a worry that is not getting enough attention.
What is Worrying?
Worrying is a broken record of catastrophic thinking. Catastrophic thinking or “catastrophizing” occurs when you tell yourself that something awful is going to happen: “If my boss yells at me, my life is over.” “If my boss gets mad, it will be awful, horrendous.”
The same way a needle gets stuck on a record player (Do you remember record players?), your thoughts can get stuck and repeat over and over. Worrying occurs when your mind’s needle gets stuck on the catastrophizing song: “If my boss yells at me, it will be the end of the world. It will be awful, if my boss yells at me. What will I do if my boss yells?” It will be so awful...” round and round, on and on.
What is Problem Solving?
Worrying is the opposite of problem solving. Worrying gets you nowhere. You just rehearse the feared consequence in your mind over and over. Problem solving gets the needle unstuck
Problem Solving The Right Way
Every one of us deals with problems, many of them, every single day. But very few people (adults or children) know how to problem solve the right way. As a result, we all walk around handicapped.
Problem solving is done in steps. A therapist trained to manage generalized anxiety and worry will teach you how to problem solve the right way.
What Helps?
The approach used to help people with worries and generalized anxiety is a package approach. First, you will learn how to problem solve properly and how to switch over from worrying to problem solving. You will learn to identify your “hot thoughts.” Hot thoughts are your scariest thoughts that make your anxiety level spike to the ceiling when you think them. Thoughts like: “…and then everyone will look at you like you’re a fool…” or “and then your wife will die and you’ll be alone…”
Worriers tend to dance around the hot thoughts in a circle and stay far away from thoughts that even hint of the hot thoughts. The same way people with phobias avoid elevators and trains, worriers avoid hot thoughts. To resolve the worry process, you will need to confront the hot thoughts and problem-solve them. For example: if your fear comes true and everyone looks at you like you’re a fool, what will you do? You can’t break the vicious circle of worry without problem-solving your hot thoughts.
You will also learn a set of relaxation techniques to calm the chronic, hyperaroused state created by constant worry. These techniques will help break the vicious cycle of worry and help you to achieve peace of mind.
Cognitive Therapy
You will also need to learn how to change the anxiety producing thought process with “cognitive therapy.” Cognitive therapy involves learning to appreciate the profound impact thoughts have in creating worry and generalized anxiety. Cognitive therapy will teach you how to challenge your distorted thinking and bring your anxiety under control.
Finally, “exposure therapy,” a technique that helps you to face your fears, will be employed. Worriers avoid a lot. They avoid situations that trigger their worries. And, as described above, they also avoid “hot thoughts.” Avoidance makes your worries grow. Exposure therapy helps you to gradually face your worry triggers and hot thoughts and to use problem solving, cognitive therapy and relaxation techniques to manage the anxiety triggered by the exposure.
Finding A Qualified Therapist
To find a qualified specialist in your area, visit
http://www.adaa.org.
Do not assume therapists claiming to be qualified have the appropriate training. When interviewing a therapist, on the phone, ask the following questions:
1) Can you describe how you help people with generalized anxiety?
2) Could you describe how you were trained to help people with generalized anxiety?
3) Approximately how many people suffering from generalized anxiety have you worked with?
4) What is your success rate?