Welcome To the Age of Anxiety: How to cope with the World Spinning out of Control

If the '20's were known as "Roaring," the '60's were about "Flower Power," and the '80's were the "Me Generation," then the 2000's will go down as the "Age of Anxiety." Even the June 10, 2002 cover of TIME Magazine is entitled: "Understanding Anxiety: Now more than ever, we are worrying ourselves sick!" It's true! About a third of my practice deals with what I am required by Texas State Law to refer to as "habitual worry." (The term "anxiety" is reserved for the medical profession... or preachers or lawyers!?)

The TIME article goes on to state: (1) We live in a particularly anxious age. (2) Eight months after the 9/11 crisis nearly two-thirds of Americans still think about the attack several times per week. (3) Nineteen million Americans are affected by anxiety disorders, but less than 25 percent ever seek treatment. My own theory about why so few seek help stems from the comments I hear from those who do show up, like "Oh, thank God! (when I tell them they are not alone) "I thought I was going crazy!" Why are we as a nation so scared? And what can we do about it?

First things, first. I believe a number of factors play into the "excessive worry" epidemic. We are literally overloaded, bombarded, with information daily. This "information crush" has the effect of short circuiting our own electrical systems. Then, too, people in general have less quiet time and very few understand how to get it. Solitude acts as a safety valve to let off "excess information" steam. Exercise, especially meditative types like Yoga, Tai Chi, and Pilates, and solitary pursuits like walking or running alone, can serve the same purpose.

Processed foods-- really little more than conglomerations of chemicals with refined sugar added-- also overload the central nervous system. (Review research at www.radiantrecovery.com) And, any toxins, including food additives, overload the liver and make it work harder to keep the body functioning properly. More heavy demands are made on the body by stress, which overload the adrenal glands. Eventually the body just wears out and the coping mechanisms break down, sometimes completely. The body processes "fear" in a two-phase approach. When fearful stimuli are perceived, one circuit goes through the amygdala, otherwise known as "fear central." The amygdala is the tiny almond shaped portion of the brain that doesn't take time to discriminate or reason things out. It just sends out messages to the "fight-or-flight" mechanism that say "Hey, get us out of here!!"

And the body responds blindly. Digestion and reasoning are shut down as blood is moved away from the brain and stomach and toward the arms and legs so we can "run like crazy" or stand up and fight. A second, slower route is through the cerebral cortex. This portion of the brain takes time to analyze the situation and come up with a game plan. If it decides, for example, that the "ghost" was only some sheets "Grandma" hung outside to dry that are now flapping in the breeze, it will send a message to the amygdala to "stand down." The only problem with the system is that the Fear switch is much easier to turn on than it is to turn off. In fact, what scientists are beginning to learn is that some people have switches that are stuck in the "on" position (namely chronic sufferers from anxiety disorders, like panic attacks, generalized anxiety, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive disorder to name a few.)

So what can you do if you're one of those people who suffer from "excessive fear and worry?" First, if you're reading this magazine, you're probably not interested in a pharmaceutical approach. At best, anti-anxiety medications can help you temporarily while you rebuild your adrenals and the rest of your coping mechanism. If you do decide to try pharmaceuticals, be sure to ask your physician lots of questions, and I recommend reading the drug section of The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, by Edmund J. Bourne, Ph.D. Many of these drugs have serious side effects and some are highly addictive.

From what I've seen, what works best for each person is highly individualized. So, I usually suggest a multiple-prong approach: (1) Essential oils like lavender can have fairly instantaneous calming effects. A few drops in the bath or a foot soak or dabbed behind the ears work wonders. (2) Borrowing from the Behaviorists, one of the best treatments "fearful" people can give themselves is usually the hardest for them to follow. To reduce anxiety and worry, remove as much disturbing stimuli as you can from the environment. Change jobs or take a vacation. Cut back on the amount of activities you try to cram into a week and get more sleep. Delegate. Ask for help. (3) Spend more time exercising. Exercise produces endorphins, nature's antidepressants. (4) Breathe--deeply. Oxygen is the #1 ingredient your body needs to survive and thrive. (5) Try the cognitive approach. Practice becoming aware of negative self talk and transforming it to positives. According to Dr. Bourne, worriers tend to imagine the worst possible scenarios all the time.

One of the best ways to change negative self talk is at the subconscious level. My primary tool is hypnosis. After all, all habits, including the habit of being afraid, are stored in the subconscious mind. The particular hypnotic techniques I use in working with "excessive worriers" include: releasing root causes; parts therapy (negotiating with the fearful part and getting it to agree to relax); desensitization to the fear producing stimuli; anchoring a "safe feeling" button; providing post hypnotic suggestions that work automatically to keep the person calm; and translogic, which helps move the anxious thinking from the emotional right-brain to the logical left brain. Once the person can begin to see the problem logically, they can begin to take the actions to heal themselves.

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