According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Over 40 million adults (19.1%) in the United States have dealt with an anxiety disorder in the past year, making anxiety disorders the most common mental health condition in this country. And this figure only takes into account those who seek help and receive a formal diagnosis from a clinician, not the millions of other people who face anxiety every day.
However, according to Luana MarquezIt’s not the anxiety that holds us back, but how we react to it, says Dr. Roberts, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. According to her, many people react to this type of stress by: psychological avoidance. Here’s what you need to know about psychological avoidance and how to deal with it. that.
What is psychological avoidance?
Psychological avoidance refers to people’s reactions to perceived threats in ways that make them feel good in the moment, but ultimately have negative consequences.
According to Marquez, who coined the termthree common signs of psychological avoidance are retreating, reacting, and remaining.
How to deal with psychological avoidance
in CNBC Make It ArticleMarquez offers the following strategies for dealing with the most common forms of psychological avoidance.
Withdrawing
When dealing with anxiety, we tend to think in terms of “fight, flight, or cowering,” but Marquez says withdrawal is a more subtle version of flight. This includes having a glass of wine (or several) to temporarily escape the stresses of everyday life, or calling a sick patient.o Avoid presentations at work.
Instead of retreating, Marquez recommends identifying one thought or fear that’s causing your anxiety and asking yourself, “What data do I have to support this?” or, “What would my best friend say in this situation?” “Any empirical evidence you come up with can help you break out of that harmful mindset,” she says.
Reacting
This includes dealing with anxiety with ad hoc, immediate reactions, such as jumping off the handle during a meeting, if you feel attacked and want to immediately defend yourself. Marquez suggests taking a step back and taking a breath (or a few) before responding to the situation. “The first step is to pause and work through the discomfort rather than trying to get rid of it,” she says.
rest
This is equivalent to a “freeze” anxiety response. “We tend to want to stay in uncomfortable situations, such as unhealthy relationships or mentally and physically draining jobs,” Marquez explains.
But instead of trying to convince youWe believe that everything is fine and normal and will get better in the end, but it’s better to “identify what’s really important to you and take small steps every day to move in that direction.” she says.
