Are you feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope? Struggling with anxiety is not uncommon and millions of people do it. But new research shows that most people are dealing with anxiety all wrong, and changing it could be life-changing. New research shows that many people have the wrong mindset about dealing with anxiety, and changing it can make a big difference. “I’ve had anxiety for as long as I can remember,” said Jennifer Carney, a local mother who is juggling her 1-year-old son and a new role at work. “It was like a tingling sensation, tightness in the chest, dizziness, shortness of breath.” For Carney, it all culminated when she ran her marathon in Boston in 2013. It was when I was there. “A runner with medals and foils walked toward us, and he was as white as a ghost,” she recalled. “He said, ‘There was a bomb. The race is over.’ Her family was there that day. Her parents were at the finish line.” It took hours, she said. “That’s when a lot of my anxiety really started to leave me.” Finally, a little voice kept getting louder and louder until I felt relieved. ”Kearney said. “I’m not fine,” she says audibly. I’m not feeling well. “She started therapy and learned new tools to manage her anxiety. When the pandemic hit, she worried that what she calls the ‘tornado in her head’ would strike again. . But that wasn’t the case. “I was pleasantly surprised at how well the patients did,” said Dr. David H. Rosmarin, a researcher at McLean Hospital. Over the course of the pandemic, he studied more than 700 cognitive therapy patients and found that those who had been treated before the world went into lockdown had no increase in anxiety during the most anxious period of their lives. did. He had only had four or five sessions with the therapist, and “there was no strategy to avoid anything,” he said. And for someone who was used to facing her fears and boldly putting herself in uncomfortable situations through therapy, this was just the next step in her journey. For Carney, that meant focusing on tools already in the mental health toolbox. This includes practicing breathing techniques, understanding the causes of her own anxiety, and identifying behaviors that make her anxiety worse. “It was mostly talking to a therapist about how to change the way I think. I have four walls and a roof over my head. I have an incredibly supportive partner. I have four walls and a roof over my head. I have a safe family,” she said. “Anxiety is part of my identity, but it’s also part of everyone’s identity.” That’s key, Rosmarin says. “Once you face the fact that anxiety is a part of life, stop trying to get rid of it, and learn how to deal with it, you can learn how to grow with it,” he says. See our anxiety resources for more information.
Are you feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope? Struggling with anxiety is not uncommon and millions of people do it. But new research suggests that the way most people deal with anxiety is completely wrong, and changing it could be life-changing.
new the study It has been shown that many people have the wrong mindset when it comes to dealing with anxiety, and changing that can make a big difference.
“I’ve had anxiety for as long as I can remember,” said Jennifer Carney, a local mother who is juggling her 1-year-old son and a new role at work. “I had a biting sensation, tightness in my chest, dizziness, and shortness of breath.”
For Carney, it all came to a head in 2013 when she ran the Boston Marathon.
“A runner came walking towards us with his medal and foil and he was as white as a ghost,” she recalled. “He said, ‘There’s been a bomb. The race is over.’
Her family was also there that day. Her parents were at the finish line. She said it took hours to make sure everyone was okay. ”
“That’s when a lot of my anxiety really started to leave me,” Carney said. “Eventually, that little voice started getting louder and louder, and I had to say it to be heard: ‘I’m not okay, I’m not okay, and I need someone to help me.'”
She began receiving therapy and learned new tools to help control her anxiety. When the pandemic hit, she feared the “tornado in her head” would strike again. But that didn’t happen. And it turns out she’s not the only one who feels that way.
“We were pleasantly surprised and amazed at how well our patients did,” said Dr. David H. Rosmarin, a researcher at the institute. McLean Hospital.
Rosmarin also anxiety center. Over the course of the pandemic, he studied more than 700 cognitive therapy patients. His research found that people who received treatment before the world went into lockdown had no increase in anxiety during the most anxious period of their lives. This included patients who had only had four or five sessions with their therapists.
“There was no strategy to avoid anything,” he says. “We had to face everything head on, and for people who were used to facing their fears through therapy and boldly putting themselves in uncomfortable situations, this was just the next step in the journey. was.
For Carney, that meant focusing on tools already in her mental health toolbox, including breathing exercises, understanding what triggers her anxiety, and identifying behaviors that make it worse.
“It was mostly talking to a therapist about how to change the way I think. I have four walls and a roof over my head. I have an incredibly supportive partner. I have four walls and a roof over my head. I have a safe family,” she said. “Anxiety is part of my identity, but it’s also part of everyone’s identity.”
Rosmarin says that’s the key.
“Once you face the fact that anxiety is a part of life, stop trying to get rid of it, and learn how to deal with it, you can learn how to grow with it,” he says.
For more information: anxiety resources.
