What is and how can you manage anxiety?

Copyright @ Razvan Tulai

“Anxiety” – a term that enters our lives more and more via television, radio or newspapers and magazines. Even the overuse of this word can cause uneasiness or increase one’s worries. But what is anxiety anyway and how can we manage it?

The psychological state of mind characterized by unpleasant feelings such as fear, excessive worries and dread is called anxiety. Although it seems there’s nothing to be desirable about it, anxiety’s influence upon our lives can be both positive and negative. How can that be? We start from the point where we accept that anxiety is a part of our lives, our normal lives. It is a reaction to stress that enables us to deal with difficult situations and avoid danger. Basically it helps us cope with tense situations, such as exams, public speeches, problems at work. This is the positive anxiety, which comes into action when real danger or problems occur. When the state of fear and dread is present even in the absence of external dangerous stimuli, we talk about a “negative anxiety” that can influence our daily activities. Being constantly afraid and worried, thinking about all the bad things that could happen and letting this thoughts escalade into unrealistic fears: these are the main characteristics of a person suffering from generalized anxiety disorder or GAD. Usually, these persons also present the symptoms of other anxiety disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder (often panic attacks), post traumatic stress disorder, phobias or depression.

The cause of generalized anxiety disorder is not exactly known, but studies have shown that factors like genetics, brain chemistry or environment can influence the development of the disorder. Regarding genetics, this means that the tendency to develop GAD can be transmitted in families. Lack of balance in the levels of neurotransmitters can cause messages in the brain not to travel properly, which may also mean the appearance of anxiety. As for the environmental factors, they include traumatic events, sudden changes in life, the loss of a loved one, the use or withdrawal of addictive substances (such as nicotine or alcohol). All of these can worsen the symptoms of anxiety.

Who can suffer from generalized anxiety disorder?

Basically, anyone can develop an anxiety disorder but it is more likely for it to begin during childhood or adolescence and it’s more common in women than men.

When to ask for professional help?

Worrying and feeling overwhelmed in certain moments of our lives is perfectly normal. However, if symptoms like excessive worry, unrealistic fears, palpitations, insomnia, nightmares or recurrent episodes of panic attacks persist and interfere with your everyday activities, a therapist can guide you to discover the root and help you in order to overcome these unpleasant moments. One should also know that anxiety in its various forms affects an increasing number of subjects every year and that talking to your medical doctor or therapist about it means a huge step towards regaining your happy life.

Depending on the root of the anxiety, different methods of treatment can be used. If the cause is a physical one (Example: Overactive thyroid gland), it is important to eliminate the ailment. When the cause is psychological, it is very important to discover the factors that produce the symptoms and try to control them. For example, if we are talking about anxiety attacks that occur rarely, before an exam or a public speech, the treatment can involve relaxation techniques, positive thinking or other methods, things that you can do on your own, at home. If the cause is a deeper one, the symptoms persist for a long time (usually over 6 months) and your daily activities are disturbed by them, cognitive-behavioral therapy or other type of psychotherapy can provide the needed support. Changing the irrational thoughts and beliefs that maintain the unrealistic fears will ameliorate the symptoms. Medication is also used in the treatment of anxiety disorders.

One of the most important steps in order to manage anxiety and diminish the influence it has upon a person’s life is to recognize the symptoms and seek professional help.

And keep in mind that you also have the power to choose the feelings you will have. So why plunge into unpleasant thoughts when there is a huge pool with positive ones just waiting for you?

Article by Lucia Grosaru

Hypochondria: An illness at all times

Illustration by Chas Creek

Hypochondria or hypochondriasis is a psychosomatic disorder that refers to one’s persistent belief that physical symptoms (minor or insignificant) are signs of a serious disease, despite the reassurance received from medical doctors or medical evaluation.

The diagnosis of hypochondria must be given with caution and only when medical exams fail to point a real illness.

An increased number of visits to the medical doctor, requests for second or third opinion regarding a disease the client believes is the cause of his symptoms (despite test results that show no relevant problems) or exaggerated preoccupation towards one’s health (nor sustained by medical data) can be indicators of hypochondria.

The signs and symptoms of hypochondria may be: an increased fear of illness, misinterpretation of normal bodily functions or harmless symptoms (such as a running nose, heart beats, sweating, small sores etc.), symptoms that shift or change, vague or specific symptoms, no apparent physical disorder that can explain the symptoms, at least six months of persistent disturbance.

Although the exact causes of this illness are not known, the risk factors include having a serious disease during childhood, the loss of a loved one, anxiety disorders, knowing persons with serious health problems, the belief that being in good health means that you are free of all physical symptoms and sensations, having members of the family that suffer from hypochondria and feeling vulnerable to illness. Also, looking up (in books or over the internet) information on different symptoms or disease reinforces behaviors that make hypochondria persist or evolve. This disorder affects both men and women equally.

Hypochondria may be associated with other psychiatric disorders, such as major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder. It affects men and women equally.

Usually, this is a chronic disorder due to the fact that the client addresses first to medical doctors and only later seeks psychological help. However, starting the treatment earlier in the evolution might increase the rate of success. The options of treatment are psychotherapy and medication. Studies have shown that cognitive-behavioral therapy is more effective for hypochondria. Understanding and recognizing the false or irrational beliefs that cause the health anxiety are key-points in the process of healing. The client will also learn to stop those behaviors that increase anxiety level, such as body vigilance (constantly paying attention to your bodily functions and problems that might occur). Antidepressant medication may help during the treatment, but must be used with caution because the side effects can actually increase health anxiety.

The impact hypochondria has on your life can be reduced by early recognition of the problem and getting the proper treatment method (and sticking to it!).

Article by Lucia Grosaru

Psychotherapy: A variety of choices!

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Psychotherapy, as a method to re-establish one’s psychological equilibrum, has a variety of forms and types, each of them providing solutions for a wide range of problems. There are many ways to classify the forms of psychotherapy, but I chose to present you the most common of them.

Psychoanalysis

Founded by austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud in the 1890’s, psychoanalysis is the first therapeutical approach that has been labeled as psychotherapy in Europe. One of my personal favorites, psychoanalysis is constructed around the concept of “unconscious mind”, which is the part of the mind capable of storing repressed memories. Psychoanalysts see current mental problems as consequences of past experiences that have been repressed for either being too painful, embarrassing, not in accordance with morals or norms of society, etc. The therapy involves sessions of dialog between the therapist and the client aimed to reveal those hidden memories and feelings. Hypnosis and verbal free association are often used to unlock contents. The number of sessions varies from 1 to 3 fifty minutes sessions per week. The psychoanalytical cure is known to be a long-term form of therapy, that might last around two or three years. Psychoanalysis guides you through a long journey within yourself, but don’t worry, it will be a comfortable one : the use of the sofa in therapy sessions has been introduced by father Freud also. You only need to relax and get ready to meet your inner self!

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Albert Ellis is a pioneer in the development of cognitive-behavior therapy, also known as CBT. This type of psychotherapy combines the cognitive and behavioral approaches. The therapists and the client will focus on modifying specific behaviors and negative patterns of thinking using goal-oriented, systematic procedures. The time needed for this type of therapy is shorter and preferred in the treatment of certain mental problems, such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders etc.

Gestalt therapy

Gestalt therapy places the client in the “here and now” concept. One must be responsible for all decisions and aware of all kinds of relationships and connections made with others and also with the environment. The founders of this type of psychotherapy are Fritz Perls, Laura Perls and Paul Goodman.

Classic psychodrama

Psychodrama has been developed by Jacob L. Moreno and promotes the idea of acting out your emotions and interpersonal interactions on stage. The client is the protagonist and the therapist is seen as the director. Although the client might interact with other actors, the whole play is focused on him and the exploration of his internal conflicts through several techniques, such as doubling, mirrors, role reversals etc.

Ericksonian Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is a great method to modify segments of behavior that interfere with one’s healthy psychological lifestyle. Through hypnosis you can get rid of bad habits, such as nail biting or smoking. Ericksonian hypnotherapy, unlike “classic hypnotherapy”, uses more indirect suggestions than direct ones. This is what makes it efficient even when the client has a high level of resistance to suggestions. Milton Erickson is known as the father of modern hypnotherapy and his form of hypnosis is one of the fastest growing branches of hypnotherapy today.

Integrative Psychotherapy

In order to describe this form of therapy, I will use the metaphor my trainer used in our first course: Integrative psychotherapy is like drawing using all the crayons in the box, instead of just one. Integrative psychotherapy supports the idea that a psychological issue can be seen from different angles, using a variety of approaches and that for therapy one may choose the adequate techniques, irrespective of the orientation they belong to, but are considered most effective for the client. An integrative psychotherapist might use techniques from the following approaches: psychoanalysis, cognitive-behavioral therapy, client-centered therapy, gestalt therapy, neuro-linguistic programming, ericksonian hypnosis, transactional analysis, etc.

Now you know some of the most common branches of psychotherapy and you might consider these information when choosing a therapist. You have the right to know which kind of training the therapist in front of you has taken and you can choose if it fits your needs or not. However, certain types of psychotherapy are indicated for specific problems, so do not be shy and talk to your therapist about this matter.

Keep in mind that the way towards a healthy, happy life is always in front of you and all you need to do is take time to enjoy every step of the journey!

Article by Lucia Grosaru

Do you have what it takes to be a psychotherapist?

Photo source: www.ubergizmo.com

Being a psychotherapist is one of the very few things you cannot actually learn , unless you already are. Despite all the books you might read, all the theories you might learn and the behavior you might exercise in the mirror, there are some things that can’t be taught or learned. I am talking about the inner structure (the feelings, thoughts and behaviors) that makes you more proned to choose a career in humanities rather than natural sciences and also about those skills required to be -not only- a therapist, but an efficient one.

Here are some traits effective therapists would exhibit:

Authenticity. The level of authenticity and mental health are vital to the therapeutic process.

Confidence. Have trust in yourself as a human being along with your skills and abilities needed for therapy.

A clear identity. A psychotherapist knows who he is, he is aware of his potential, what he wants from life, everything that is essential to him.

Self-Respect and Self-Appreciation. Therapists know their own value, and beyond that they can offer and receive help and love.

Accept changes in life. They are not afraid to leave the familiar behind and embrace the unknown.

Always expanding their knowledge. They will tend to understand themselves and others better and also the world they live in.

Accept and tolerate ambiguity. A certain level of ambiguity will always remain part of our existence and therapists know and accept that.

Your own style in counseling and therapy. Although the theories of psychology and psychotherapy are available to all therapists, each and every one of them will develop an unique way of using them into their practice. Also, that style is in accordance with the therapist’s life experience.

Life enthusiasts. All actions should be oriented towards life and activity.

Sense of humour. They are capable of considering some aspects of life in a more light manner.

Communication.A therapist should find it easy to communicate with his clients and say everything in a diplomatic manner.

Admit your own mistakes. Your own mistakes are resources for further learning.

Live in the present! Psychotherapists mostly live “here and now”, rather than drown themselves in the past events or future desires.

Make decisions. Therapists are not afraid of making decisions that change or shape their lives.

Real interest in the welfare of others. Therapists manifest respect, care, understanding and trust towards others.

Respect for the role of culture. Culture affects the way humans develop and the diversity of values needs to be respected and understood.

These are only a few qualities a therapist has, but the list can go on and on…

Do you have what it takes to be a psychotherapist?

Article by Lucia Grosaru

Mind Over Matter

Photo source: www.neuro-linguistics.net

“What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when we bring what is within us out into the world, miracles happen”.
- Henry David Thoreau -

Mind Over Matter means different things to different people. Generally the phrase implies that human beings may be able to exert an observable influence upon the physical world — simply through the power of intention. It is the belief that the mind is more powerful than the body. This idea is no longer exclusively reserved for only those adept in spiritual practices, but for all of us, as science now proves that our minds create our personal realities.

I created the Mind Over Matter process which is now available on CD. This recording is designed to connect you with your own inner resources and deeper intelligence to deal effectively with most of life’s challenges. It will enable you to improve intuition and self awareness. Essentially it is one of the Authentic Self Empowerment processes that I teach at our training events and use to assist my clients to overcome perceived obstacles so that they can move with greater ease in the direction of their desires and emotional freedom.

Although you don’t need to have a problem to benefit from listening to the Mind Over Matter recording, it can be used as a tool to help you in times of uncertainty, indecision and emotional turmoil. Any crisis or dilemma which results in anguish, procrastination or panic can be alleviated using this innovative audio product.

Part of the Mind Over Matter process is based on the experience that we’ve each had – that times heals. In other words you experienced a problem in the past, learned the appropriate lessons, gained greater perspective and moved on. You’re now older and wiser, and therefore aren’t bothered by that old issue any longer. So what if you could have known back then what you know now? Would that have been useful? The Mind Over Matter process on this recording is designed to provide you with your future learnings and perspectives so that you can deal more effectively and resourcefully with your current situation.

This process is also based on the fact that at a sub-conscious level, time does not even exist. It recognizes and respects how our minds order time in terms of past, present and future, and utilizes this metaphor to positively influence our present mental, emotional and physical state. When our unconscious thoughts jump to scenes in the past that are painful or unresolved, or leap into the unknown future causing us stress and anxiety, then our current state is negatively affected because of our failure to be conscious in the present.

Here and now is the only moment that we truly experience, however we can harness the mind’s tendency to traverse time and thereby learn to consciously access potential future experiences in a similar way to recalling memories from the past. This is likened to imagination, however when done in the optimal state of consciousness and following the process used in this recording, you can have the experience of vividly perceiving your wiser future self and thereby gain useful personal insight.

After all, it was Albert Einstein himself who said that imagination is the greatest creative force in the universe. In one sense, based on the fact that we experience our external reality through our personal neurological filters – everything is imagination! Your thoughts and mental images are the blueprint from which your world is built.

The Mind Over Matter process however is very different from imagining possible outcomes in the future and acting now in accordance with superficial speculations. It’s a more constructive and rewarding process, as it connects you with your more authentic inner resources, intelligence and creativity.

This may seem too good to be true, but there is much speculation in respected sciences these days which point to the possibility that there are deeper levels of consciousness where time does not exist and therefore we can have epistemological access to information that may seem to be reserved for the future. Quantum physicists talk about the possibility that our current experience is what we’re going through in order to have the future experience that awaits us. This theory clashes with the more popular view that we are merely the result of our memories, but perhaps both are true.

To me what matters are results. Different schools of thought have contributed to the development of this Mind Over Matter process and in the end it proves to be an effective way of developing intuition and harnessing more of your potential.

I find that if we leave our pre-conceived ideas and beliefs aside for a moment, and remain open to new perspectives and creative energy – then doors open to a whole new world of opportunities. I’m not suggesting that you can have a completely unconditioned and free mind, but if you could as much as possible, leave your map of reality with all its opinions, out of the way for a while, and allow this Mind Over Matter process to inspire your current view of what is possible – then you’ll be well on your way to experiencing more of who and what you can be.

Mind Over Matter is a completely safe and natural process, and you are the one in control. On the CD I assist you to enter the optimal level of relaxation so that your mind is at ease and able to more easily conceive of your future awareness in the present, thereby becoming self-motivated for meaningful action.

Truly intelligent and creative thinking is brought about through harmony between your thoughts, emotions and actions. When your thoughts, emotions and actions are aligned – anything is possible!

Article by Affiliated Author Jevon Dängeli