Even though anxiety is a normal experience to have, for some it can be challenging and problematic, so having various tools to help manage this feeling is beneficial. The ideas given below can be used individually, or more likely, in combination, to help work effectively with managing anxiety.

The first port of call with anxiety, in fact any feeling, is to acknowledge to oneself that its okay to have this emotion as it is easy to have a negative judgement about it and then try to push the anxiety aside through various avoidance strategies. Obviously there are times when any feeling is too much and taking a break through distraction is completely fine. However, persistent avoidance doesn’t solve the problem and probably only makes it worse in the long run. What we resist will persist, so cultivating our capacity to allow anxiety to have its day, so to speak, fosters our ability to tolerate difficult feelings like anxiety and fear. Resisting anxiety only increases its intensity and its hold on us, whereas allowing this feeling diminishes its potency. The technique that is effective in building tolerance for anxiety is mindfulness. The aim of mindfulness is to watch the play of our thoughts and feelings as though you were watching a drama production unfold. Like watching theatre you observe the feeling from a distance by not judging what is occurring, but simply noticing what happens in your experience. This takes practice, but the more we use this capacity to watch feelings and thoughts the less identified we become resulting in an increased ability to tolerate.

Being mindful can help with another strategy that helps with anxiety, that is, looking at the anxiety itself and the associated thoughts, and then apply a reality check to the situation. Anxiety has a tendency to blow some situations out of proportion, so its important to ask yourself is this situation really as bad as what my head and feelings are actually saying. This doesn’t mean the anxiety will disappear, but it may lessen the actual feeling and make it more manageable. It’s important to remember that anxiety is a normal emotion and it’s job is to communicate potential danger. If this danger is exaggerated and inflated out of all proportion to reality then anxiety can increase to the point of panic.

Anxiety generally has obvious physiological components such as raising heart, clammy skin and shortness of breath, especially when panic attacks are prevalent. The tip hear is slow breathing from the abdomen. There is a clear correlation between emotional states and the breath. Longer deeper breathing cultivates relaxation in the nervous system especially when the flight fight response is activated when anxiety is present. It doesn’t matter how intense the anxiety is, whether it’s a mild fear or a full blown panic attack taking slow deep breaths can lower the intensity to more manageable levels. Again this can be done mindfully by placing the hands on the belly and slowly counting to 3 or 4 as you breath in whilst feeling the belly rise. Then repeat, counting to 3 or 4, as the breath is released and the belly flattens. Abdominal breathing is important because many people only breath from the chest which doesn’t completely fill the lungs. When someone is having a panic attack this type of breathing is particular important because it readjusts the oxygen carbon dioxide balance in the blood stream. The rapid breathing of a panic attack hyperventilates the blood stream with too much oxygen producing the physiological responses described above.  

This blog has covered a few main strategies to help cope with anxiety, which will be discussed further in the next blog.
If you feel that you would like to contact one us to explore ongoing difficulties with anxiety then please feel free to contact one of our counsellors.

May this day find you well 

Counselling and Psychotherapy Team

Anxiety is a normal emotion which occurs when feelings of worry or apprehension are experienced. When these feelings of worry or apprehension becoming consistent and ongoing there’s the possibility of a potential anxiety disorder.

There appears to be no one specific cause for anxiety but a number of possible contributors or combinations of – these being environmental, substance use, genetics, stressful events, psychological, and physical determinants.

Environmental factors are the external events and experiences that are stressful such as trauma, stress at work, accidents, financial difficulties, issues in relationships such as marriage or bullying. There isn’t a firm understanding why some people can develop anxiety from these stressful situations and others don’t. It maybe that individuals who have better internal coping strategies and access to support have an increased capacity to integrate their experience.

Substance abuse of alcohol, amphetamines, cannabis and sedatives can lead to anxiety, especially during the withdrawal effects of these drugs. When a drug is used to counter the effects of withdrawal this can further exacerbate anxiety by making it worse. In general terms, the withdrawal from a substance is usually the opposite from the effect of the drug, so when a sedative is used, which provides a calming relaxed feeling, the withdrawal can be experienced as restlessness, agitation and possibly anxiety. 

Genetics has been suggested as a contributor to anxiety. Where there’s been a family history of mental health difficulties there is an increased propensity to the possibility. Twin studies have shown where an identical twin has anxiety there is an increased likelihood the other twin can also develop anxiety. It’s important to mention that there is no certainty if mental health difficulties are prevalent in one family member or a number of family members that future generations will develop the same difficulties.

With respect to physical factors certain medical conditions can generate anxiety such as asthma, heart conditions, hormonal imbalances and infections, to name a few. Stress from chronic or acute illness can lead to anxiety issues, as can the side effects of certain medications. 

Imbalances in certain neurotransmitters in the brain can also lead to anxiety. If certain neurotransmitters are not functioning correctly there can be a breakdown in the communication pathways within the brain that can lead to misinformation, which may play a role in the development of anxiety.

Psychological factors that possibly contribute to anxiety are negative thought processes where some schools of thought have postulated that particular personality types are more prone to anxiety such as being perfectionist or there is a need for high levels of control.

In Gestalt Therapy anxiety is viewed as the flip side of excitement where excitement usually leads to embracing life. Anxiety however, can lead to getting stuck in the completion of an experience. In Gestalt we describe experience occurring as a cycle. This cycle starts when we notice something through our senses via our awareness and this leads to a mobilisation of ourselves to attend to it, which then continues via an action of some sort. From here the cycle continues to the final stages of accomplishment and integration. What can happen when anxiety is present people can get stuck between the mobilisation and action phases. Fear and worry can stop the full integration and achievement of an experience which can lead to aspects of our personalities becoming fixed and stuck in particular beliefs and ways of being with oneself and others.  

Why this happens from psychotherapy perspective can relate to someone’s history and the development of particular beliefs and core themes, such as safety issues, which are played out in the present moment. An event/s from the past that has not been fully integrated can still have repercussions in the here and now. These echo’s from the past can be experienced as a nagging apprehension or a full blown panic attack. The causative factor is probably out of awareness taking up residence in the unconscious, but still exerting its influence in day-to-day situations. This maybe the reason why some people don’t have a rational reason for feeling anxious.

If anxiety is part of your experience and you would like support please contact one of our counsellors.

May this day find you well,

Counselling and Psychotherapy.