My favorite way to talk about anxiety and the brain is to think of the brain as the ultimate survival resource. The brain is going to do everything it can to stay alive. That means, sometimes, being a bit out of control around threats....the fight or flight response. Also known as a panic attack. The burst of adrenaline causing rapid breathing, sudden thoughts of impending death, the urge to move fast. Doesn't help much when you're in a car going at 60 miles per hour. But your brain is just trying to keep you alive. Your anxiety about the upcoming meeting, your finances, your fight with your partner combines to trigger the panic response.
We tend to think of anxiety as this awful disorder. The treatment for panic attacks centers on working with the anxiety pre attack first. The brain needs to feel safe. How safe do you feel on a daily basis? Do you feel safe in your car? In your home? The less safe you feel, the more your brain resists relaxation. Its not safe! Think predator and prey; the ancient thinking of the lower brain....You are a Zebra wandering in a grassland. Ahead is a clump of trees. Something is moving but you can't quite see it. Do you bend your head and eat the tasty grasses? No. There might be a lion staring at us in those bushes. You run and find the rest of the herd. Your brain says its not safe! Don't just stand there!
So, first think about safety. Then think about those anxious thoughts you are dismissing too often. Minimizing sometimes leads to an increase in anxiety symptoms. Maybe, you are more anxious than you think about the upcoming meeting. Okay yes, the guy running it...I think he always seems to call on me when I don't know what to say. He doesn't like me. I look stupid. No this is crazy. Its not that bad. I should have prepared more. might be some of your thoughts. Try this. Okay yes, I'm worried about that. But I'm on my way to this meeting. I'll be back at the office by noon. ( It's temporary) I'll make a note to overprepare next time and see if that helps. Maybe I'll sit in another part of the room. I always sit in the front. I'll sit next to Joe. He makes me laugh. It's one meeting, not the end of my career. (perspective). Take some deep slow breaths. Put on calming music. Listen to your anxiety so that it doesn't have to scream at you. Like the Zebra, live to eat grasses another day.
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Have you been trying to change a constant downward spiral of negative thinking? That is one of the hardest symptoms of depression and anxiety to overcome alone. Therapy can help you challenge your negative thoughts and increase your ability to motivate yourself. Learn how to overcome habits like procrastination, emotional eating and feeling stuck in your life. Figure out better ways to communicate and increase positive relationships with others. Give yourself the gift of therapy.
I treat failure-producing anxiety in social situations and at work. I also treat grief and loss. I use the whole person model. The client and I develop, test out and fine tune strategies and develop skills so, going forward, successes and life-satisfying changes and goals are more easily reached.
I have a certificate in personal coaching to better work with the many people experiencing transitions in career and relationships. I enjoy helping people learn how to self motivate and cope with discouragement. My training has helped my work with corporate clients wanting to change work relationships and be better leaders.
The Brain on Anxiety