| If the '20's were known as "Roaring," the
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| | the breeze, it will send a message to the
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| '60's were about "Flower Power," and the
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| | amygdala to "stand down." The only
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| '80's were the "Me Generation," then the
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| | problem with the system is that the Fear
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| 2000's will go down as the "Age of
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| | switch is much easier to turn on than it
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| Anxiety." Even the June 10, 2002 cover of
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| | is to turn off. In fact, what scientists
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| TIME Magazine is entitled: "Understanding
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| | are beginning to learn is that some
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| Anxiety: Now more than ever, we are
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| | people have switches that are stuck in
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| worrying ourselves sick!" It's true!
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| | the "on" position (namely chronic
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| About a third of my practice deals with
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| | sufferers from anxiety disorders, like
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| what I am required by Texas State Law to
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| | panic attacks, generalized anxiety,
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| refer to as "habitual worry." (The term
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| | phobias, and obsessive-compulsive
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| "anxiety" is reserved for the medical
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| | disorder to name a few.)
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| profession... or preachers or lawyers!?)
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| | So what can you do if you're one of those
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| The TIME article goes on to state: (1) We
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| | people who suffer from "excessive fear
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| live in a particularly anxious age. (2)
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| | and worry?" First, if you're reading this
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| Eight months after the 9/11 crisis nearly
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| | magazine, you're probably not interested
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| two-thirds of Americans still think about
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| | in a pharmaceutical approach. At best,
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| the attack several times per week. (3)
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| | anti-anxiety medications can help you
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| Nineteen million Americans are affected
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| | temporarily while you rebuild your
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| by anxiety disorders, but less than 25
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| | adrenals and the rest of your coping
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| percent ever seek treatment. My own
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| | mechanism. If you do decide to try
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| theory about why so few seek help stems
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| | pharmaceuticals, be sure to ask your
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| from the comments I hear from those who
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| | physician lots of questions, and I
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| do show up, like "Oh, thank God! (when I
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| | recommend reading the drug section of The
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| tell them they are not alone) "I thought
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| | Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, by Edmund J.
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| I was going crazy!" Why are we as a
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| | Bourne, Ph.D. Many of these drugs have
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| nation so scared? And what can we do
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| | serious side effects and some are highly
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| about it?
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| | addictive.
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| First things, first. I believe a number
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| | From what I've seen, what works best for
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| of factors play into the "excessive
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| | each person is highly individualized. So,
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| worry" epidemic. We are literally
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| | I usually suggest a multiple-prong
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| overloaded, bombarded, with information
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| | approach: (1) Essential oils like
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| daily. This "information crush" has the
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| | lavender can have fairly instantaneous
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| effect of short circuiting our own
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| | calming effects. A few drops in the bath
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| electrical systems. Then, too, people in
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| | or a foot soak or dabbed behind the ears
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| general have less quiet time and very few
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| | work wonders. (2) Borrowing from the
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| understand how to get it. Solitude acts
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| | Behaviorists, one of the best treatments
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| as a safety valve to let off "excess
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| | "fearful" people can give themselves is
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| information" steam. Exercise, especially
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| | usually the hardest for them to follow.
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| meditative types like Yoga, Tai Chi, and
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| | To reduce anxiety and worry, remove as
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| Pilates, and solitary pursuits like
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| | much disturbing stimuli as you can from
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| walking or running alone, can serve the
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| | the environment. Change jobs or take a
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| same purpose.
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| | vacation. Cut back on the amount of
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| Processed foods-- really little more than
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| | activities you try to cram into a week
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| conglomerations of chemicals with refined
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| | and get more sleep. Delegate. Ask for
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| sugar added-- also overload the central
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| | help. (3) Spend more time exercising.
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| nervous system. (Review research at And,
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| | Exercise produces endorphins, nature's
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| any toxins, including food additives,
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| | antidepressants. (4) Breathe--deeply.
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| overload the liver and make it work
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| | Oxygen is the #1 ingredient your body
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| harder to keep the body functioning
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| | needs to survive and thrive. (5) Try the
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| properly. More heavy demands are made on
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| | cognitive approach. Practice becoming
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| the body by stress, which overload the
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| | aware of negative self talk and
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| adrenal glands. Eventually the body just
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| | transforming it to positives. According
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| wears out and the coping mechanisms break
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| | to Dr. Bourne, worriers tend to imagine
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| down, sometimes completely. The body
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| | the worst possible scenarios all the
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| processes "fear" in a two-phase approach.
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| | time.
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| When fearful stimuli are perceived, one
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| | One of the best ways to change negative
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| circuit goes through the amygdala,
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| | self talk is at the subconscious level.
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| otherwise known as "fear central." The
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| | My primary tool is hypnosis. After all,
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| amygdala is the tiny almond shaped
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| | all habits, including the habit of being
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| portion of the brain that doesn't take
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| | afraid, are stored in the subconscious
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| time to discriminate or reason things
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| | mind. The particular hypnotic techniques
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| out. It just sends out messages to the
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| | I use in working with "excessive
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| "fight-or-flight" mechanism that say
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| | worriers" include: releasing root causes;
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| "Hey, get us out of here!!"
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| | parts therapy (negotiating with the
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| And the body responds blindly. Digestion
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| | fearful part and getting it to agree to
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| and reasoning are shut down as blood is
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| | relax); desensitization to the fear
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| moved away from the brain and stomach and
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| | producing stimuli; anchoring a "safe
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| toward the arms and legs so we can "run
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| | feeling" button; providing post hypnotic
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| like crazy" or stand up and fight. A
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| | suggestions that work automatically to
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| second, slower route is through the
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| | keep the person calm; and translogic,
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| cerebral cortex. This portion of the
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| | which helps move the anxious thinking
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| brain takes time to analyze the situation
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| | from the emotional right-brain to the
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| and come up with a game plan. If it
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| | logical left brain. Once the person can
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| decides, for example, that the "ghost"
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| | begin to see the problem logically, they
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| was only some sheets "Grandma" hung
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| | can begin to take the actions to heal
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| outside to dry that are now flapping in
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| | themselves.
|
