Do you feel like you’re struggling with too many worries? Do they interfere with your sleep and keep you from enjoying the life you deserve?
If so, know that you’re not alone! Millions of people in our country struggle with anxiety and worry. Because it is so common, a lot of research has been done to discover the sources of anxiety and how you can overcome it. Because it is so common, there is a lot of misinformation about the nature of anxiety
Learn more about anxiety and the myths that surround it.
1. Anxiety is not a real illness.
Although there isn’t a medical test you can take to see if you have anxiety, all of your worries and the physical consequences that go with them are very real. If your worries are negatively impacting your life, you can get help and take steps to treat it.
2. The best way to deal with anxiety is to avoid stressful situations.
There are a couple of problems with this avoidance strategy. One, it is almost impossible to avoid stressful situations. In fact, the reason a situation produces anxiety is because there is something about it that matters. You care about someone in your life, for example, so it is normal and natural to have some worries about them or the relationship.
Two, trying to avoid situations that cause stress can actually make anxiety worse. I tell you to relax and clear your mind. You can think about anything you want. All I ask is, please don’t think about chocolate cake. It’s hard not to think about chocolate cake, even if you haven’t thought about it for a long time.
It is the same way with anxiety. Trying to control the thoughts and feelings of anxiety can make them more present in your life. The goal is to mindfully be present to them so you can develop a different relationship with these thoughts and feelings.
3. Anxiety disorders are rare.
When your anxiety becomes so problematic that it begins to interfere with your daily living, you may develop a anxiety disorder. This could be a panic disorder, social disorder, or a generalized anxiety disorder.
If you have one of these disorders, you may think that there is really something wrong with you, but research tells us that as many as one in five people struggle with an anxiety disorder.
4. My anxiety will get better on its own.
It is easy to put off getting help for your anxiety because you are able to go about your daily life without too much issue. But let’s say you run into a friend you haven’t seen in a while and they ask you how you’re doing. Would you want to answer: “Well for the most part I am managing to keep my anxiety under control.”
You don’t just want to cope. You want to live a life that expresses your values and gives you meaning, even with the presence of anxiety. Learning some practices that help you develop a different relationship with your anxiety can do that.
5. Some people are just worriers and cannot be treated.
You may be a person who stresses or worries more than others. It is easy to come to the conclusion that this is just who you are, and there is nothing you can do about it. So your anxiety becomes something that you have to deal with for the rest of your life.
The goal of anxiety treatment is not to eliminate anxiety. You have anxiety because you are a person who has people and situations in life that matter. You do not have anxiety because you are good or bad. You have it because you are human. There are plenty of treatment options for all kinds of anxiety.
6. Anxiety treatment will take a long time.
The only way that dealing with anxiety can take a long time is if you try to just get over it. Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), I have seen people make dramatic improvements in just a few sessions.
My anxiety counseling page offers more information about how to develop a different relationship with your anxiety. Remember, you have anxiety because you care, and you can learn to develop a different relationship with it.