Pathological anxiety is like a room that gradually runs out of oxygen, it’s like getting lost in a dead-end maze and walking down a slope without really understanding why you can’t come back, this psychological state is, as you can imagine, the basis of anxiety disorders.
But why do we do this: Why is it so easy for the human mind to create such distressing situations?What we need to understand is that anxiety is, in fact, the cognitive component of anxiety, this is what feeds it and makes it so resilient. Ignore another aspect: worries feed on fears.
- We tend to worry when we’re not sure what’s going to happen.
- When we tell ourselves that something bad is going to happen.
- Or when.
- In our attempt to fix a problem.
- We doubt almost everything.
It could be inferred that behind all this lies negativism. However, we would be wrong; Behind negativism lies, in fact, the shadow of fear.
Anxiety, when pathological, becomes a mental anguish. In this psychological scenario, don’t ideas and desires grow, not even hope. Therefore, we need to detect such mental patterns to disable them. Let’s look at some other aspects on this topic.
“The disaster that so often worries you ends up being less terrible in reality than in your imagination. “-Wayne W. Dyer-
Anxiety itself is a normal psychological process. Its goal is to solve a problem, a concern that, for whatever reason, takes away our calmness.
This cognitive, emotional and psychophysiological activation leads us to use, under normal circumstances, certain coping strategies to reduce uncertainty, fears and solve such an event.
It is also interesting to know that in recent years science’s interest in concerns has increased considerably; until recently, the focus was almost exclusively on how much?Humans are concerned and how this has affected their anxiety.
However, in recent years, studies such as that conducted by Dr. Mark Freeston of the University of California in the United States have tried to identify the sources of concern common to almost everyone.
According to the work of Dr. Freeston and his team, most of our concerns have two origins:
Excessive concern leads to pathological concern. These are states in which the mind continues to think about the same things, anticipating negative results, it is a type of ruminity that, far from solving a problem, aggravates it, also intensifying emotional suffering.
On the other hand, it is important to consider one aspect: pathological anxiety is caused by a curious feedback circuit between our amygdala and the prefrontal cortex.
The amygdala is the region designed to detect risks and send an alarm message to the brain, a signal that results in a specific emotional state: fear and anxiety.
In this way, our prefrontal cortex is unable to think logically and thoughtfully to give more precise answers to our concerns.
What can we do under these circumstances?
One way to reduce the pathological anxiety and negative energy that our brains feed is to talk. Verbal strategies are known to act as cathartic mechanisms to reduce suffering.
So do not hesitate, for example, to dialogue with someone who knows how to listen, understand and be close, talking to others we will be able to identify our irrational ideas and approaches that actually fuel more suffering.
The second is to achieve a peaceful spirit. In a calm mental scenario, emotions are balanced, the brain breathes, ideas flow and anxiety loses strength. To achieve this ideal inner state, there are interesting strategies such as relaxation, walking or practicing mindfulness.
The third step is to stop obsessing over the problem and focus on solutions, no matter how we got there. Moreover, the last thing we need to do is anticipate what may or may not happen, the key is to objectively define the problem and think about coping strategies.
In conclusion, we can point out one aspect: when we are continuously subjected to a state of pathological concern, it is advisable to consult specialized professionals, there are very effective therapies to generate change and improve well-being, do not forget.