Everyone experiences feelings of fear about a negative outcome (that may or may not occur) as it relates to health, safety, income stability, and sociopolitical events, et cetera. Most everyone also recognizes that these negative feelings and emotions are probably not productive, and that they should “snap out of it” whenever they manifest to disrupt an otherwise pleasant day. However, a number of people lean into in these negative feelings and emotions because of an underlying suspicion that the negative outcome they are concentrating on will indeed occur if they let their guard down and allow themselves a moment to be calm and happy.
It’s an irrational way of thinking, because there is clearly no evidence suggesting that on its own, allowing anxiety about a looming threat can prevent the bad thing from occurring.
Despite the lack of scientific rationale, there is a semblance of logic to be made of this manner of thinking. Some people focus on foreboding because as they see it, it emotionally prepares them for the worst case scenario. The pain felt by the arrival of a negative event can feel less acute when prepared for it, versus the sharp pain experienced when something bad occurs while going about one’s days with a sense of calm and positivity. On the other side of the coin, if the feared event doesn’t happen, relief is experienced, which reinforces the faulty belief that worrying is beneficial and necessary for protection. The search for this relief is problematic in that it can be habit forming, as a specific part of the brain’s dopamine system is activated by signals that predict the end of aversive stimuli, illustrating the link between relief and dopamine. Crudely stated, one can become “addicted” to chasing the relief that comes when a negative event does not arrive in the anticipated timeline.
The problem with the above strategy, is that an individual goes through life melancholically without experiencing sustainable joy. And in the likelihood that an anticipated negative outcome does not arise, or that if it does, it’s more manageable than anticipated, imagine all the time spent loitering through life instead of living it to the fullest. But this is just a cursory look at what might be going on. Read ahead for more insight.
Overview of Why You May be Afraid to Let Go of Your Anxiety, Why Intervention is Needed, and What Can be Done to be Free
I. Why You’re Afraid to Let Go of Anxiety
You’re Experiencing a Form of Anxiety Disorder
The belief that if you stop worrying something bad will invariably happen is a cognitive distortion. A cognitive distortion is an inaccurate and/or exaggerated pattern of thinking that can adversely bias your perception of reality. Research confirms that this, among other cognitive distortions, are often seen in people with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and other types of anxiety disorders listed here. If an anxiety disorder it present, the cognitive distortion will not likely go away on its own. Counseling (sometimes combined with medication) is generally required to treat anxiety disorders, with psychotherapy being a highly effective and recommended first-line treatment.
Cooccurring Mental Health Issues Could Contribute
The cognitive distortion that you’re living with may not just be associated with an anxiety disorder. It also frequently co-occurs with mental health conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). As with anxiety, counseling is required to manage these mental health conditions (where applicable) and the associated belief that you need to maintain a negative thought pattern to protect yourself.
II. Why Intervention is Needed
Something Bad May Happen, if You Persist in Anxiety
The anxiety and excessive worry that you are living with will likely be accompanied by the following:
- Avoidance
- Irritability
- Restlessness
- Difficulty focusing
- Avoidance
- Shortness of breath and rapid breathing
- Muscle tension
- Trembling and sweating
- Headaches and migraines
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
All of these can compromise your ability to optimally function and focus on relationships, your health, career aspirations, and passion projects. This can directly lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy, with your anxiety that something bad will happen if you stop worrying being the catalyst to the bad thing happening. It’s an unfortunate irony.
III. How You Can be FREE
Find Confidence in Being Prepared to Manage Emotions in the Face of Potential Events
We’re not going to tell you that negative things can’t and won’t happen. It’s a part of life. But you can let go of the overwhelming anxiety you feel about it, and the irrational feeling that you should not let it go. You can accomplish this by acquiring skills and tools that have proven to be effective in providing people with healthy responses to life’s negative events. Once you have acquired them, you gain confidence that should negative events arise (i.e. a health scare, job loss, broken heart, etc.) you will be prepared to manage your response to them in a clear, calculated, and productive manner. In recognizing that these skills are your disposal, you won’t be apologetic for allowing yourself to navigate life with a happy disposition. So what are these skills?
A) GROUNDING EXERCISES
Grounding exercises are activities that leverage your senses to reconnect your mind and body to the present moment. They can help you calm distress from the overwhelming thoughts and emotions that we’re addressing here today. There are many examples of grounding exercises, but some of the more common ones are detailed below for your quick reference.
i) 5-4-3-2-1 Method.
This technique involves identifying: 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. When you lock-in and focus on each, the process shifts your focus away from racing thoughts about the future and into your immediate environment.
ii) Deep Breathing
Breathing exercises can stimulate the healthy release of dopamine and help reset your brain in a positive direction. While a counselor (more on this below) can walk you through optimal techniques, you can practice the following as soon as you conclude this article:
- Sit or lie-down in a comfortable space and close your eyes.
- Place one hand on your chest and the other hand on your abdomen.
- Inhale through your nose for approximately 4-seconds as you feel your abdomen expand.
- Hold your breath for 2-seconds, then exhale slowly and steadily through your mouth for about 6-seconds.
- Repeat the process from anywhere between 5 and 15 minutes. Your mind and body will let you know when you have calmed down sufficiently to move on to the next step.
iii) Mindful Meditation
Mindful meditation is a clinician-guided practice that involves focusing on the present moment without judgment, often through techniques such as sensation observation and deep-breathing exercises. A counselor will help you train your attention and become more aware of your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations as the urge to remain focused on potentially negative outcomes. It takes time to become adept at mindful meditation, especially when triggers to worry infiltrate your life, but when working closely with a counselor you will develop the skills to overcome.
B) WORRY POSTPONEMENT
Worry postponement is a term used to aptly describe the process of scheduling a specific time to think about concerns, rather than letting them intrude throughout the day. It requires that you write down these concerns as they occur so that you can leave them on that piece of paper (or digital notepad) and come back to them at the predefined time. This method is known to lower the frequency and duration of worry, and improve emotional regulation. Research has found that worry postponement with a metacognitive rationale (justification for using a particular thinking or learning strategy based on an understanding of one’s own cognitive processes) can be effective in reducing worry in participants which struggle with anxiety.
C) CONNECT TO A CBT COUNSELOR
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) can help break the cycle of having anxiety that something bad will happen, if you stop worrying, by changing thought patterns and shifting focus to the present. As a primary form of anxiety-related treatment at Kindbridge Behavioral Health, CBT has demonstrated both short-term and long-term positive effects for clients. CBT can be effectively delivered via virtual (online and by-phone) private one-on-one sessions.
D) CONNECT TO A SUPPORT GROUP
Group therapy, particularly using CBT, has shown to be effective for addressing the belief that stopping worry will lead to something bad. Led by a counselor, support groups can help you identify the unproductive nature of worry and teach you to challenge your negative beliefs by examining evidence, learning to tolerate uncertainty, and developing new and healthier coping mechanisms. Coping mechanisms will be shared by a group counselor, but also by members of the group, which can increase engagement for all involved.
Want to Let Go of Anxiety, But Worried About How to Do It?
CALL +1 (877) 426-4258
OR
Email help@kindbridge.com
