“Misconceptions About Anxiety Sufferers Have The Power To Energetically Hold A Person Back From Freedom.”
Anxiety is one of the most widespread mental/emotional conditions in not just America, but around the world. It’s vital that anyone currently supporting an anxiety sufferer understands the misconceptions that come with the inner and outer challenges. Let’s get to the 5 biggest misconceptions about anxiety sufferers…
1. Moderate to severe anxiety can’t be ‘snapped out of’
Simplistic answers by the anxiety support team of friends and family rarely ever conclude with something positive. Since anxiety is a manifestation of past emotional trauma, current conscious and unconscious pairings related to threat, and future catastrophic concerns, the subconscious mind has much more power than the conscious mind.
Telling an anxiety sufferer to stop worrying is just like asking someone with a broken hand to play basketball. Physical illnesses do not have such misconceptions and so should be the case with regards to mental and emotional challenges like anxiety. Having said this though, a person with mild stressors can possibly see through their irrational thinking, and reframe the moment. Anxiety though is a whole other ball game.
2. Anxiety sufferers just suffer from occasional bouts of excessive stress
An anxiety disorder is not similar to occasional episodes of stress. All of us feel anxious at some point in our lives; we may feel anxious and worried before appearing for an exam, or a job interview, etc. However, it is absolutely normal to feel anxious and worried during such times. But such anxiousness is not the same as living with an anxiety disorder, it’s worlds apart.
Having said that though, anxiousness can easily turn into an anxiety disorder if a person lacks the skill sets to deal with the situation, or continues to avoid anxious environments or scenarios. Anxiety disorders can be completely incapacitating and cannot be compared to occasional/temporary bouts of normal stress and worrying.
3. Anxiety sufferers show no physical symptoms or pain, so the answer must be simple
Even though an anxiety disorder is a mental/emotional/energetic condition, anxiety sufferers do experience some real physical effects (as I explain in this video). Some of the symptoms of anxiety are stomach pains, nausea, headaches, palpitations, migraines, and much more.
The symptoms are experienced differently by different anxiety sufferers. Just because the symptoms are not physically visible, it cannot be said that anxiety sufferers are not suffering from the adverse effects of internal challenges. The best thing an anxiety sufferers support group can do is start to educate themselves, and put themselves into the shoes of the sufferer.
4. Anxiety sufferers become anxious only in specific situations
Most of us tend to feel some level of anxiety and nervousness during specific events like an exam, etc. However, in the case of moderate to severe anxiety they can experience anxiety for no apparent reason at all. One of the most common symptoms of a specific type of anxiety disorder called GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) is feeling anxious with no obvious cause. The anxiety can take over the sufferer all of a sudden, out of nowhere, and wreck their daily life.
An apparent reason may not be present in all cases of anxiety. So much of the struggle, as mentioned is below the hood, within the internal model of the brain which is the reason why we must see each challenge separately, and not group each challenge in the same way. This is certainly one of the biggest misconceptions about anxiety sufferers.
5. Anxiety sufferers do not need to seek treatment and answers as anxiety sorts itself out
You do need to seek answers, clarity is key. A combination of understanding the right mindset and acquiring the right skill sets based on a proven method for anxiety will help. Anxiety sufferers are currently re-building their identity through this struggle. As they come out of it they will recognize how they’ve become 10 times the person they ever were, and be grateful for their struggle.
Conclusion
Anxiety is an awakening more than anything, An awakening to what memories are still causing the emotions you experience daily. This awakening will show you how to deal with these emotions in your everyday life. To learn how to become flexible in your thinking, not let the ego mind run the day, and act in an opposing manner to the impulsiveness of the survival brain is key to recovery.
I feel like saying to people I look so normal but inside I feel really bad , they just don’t see it and thats where social anxiety came in for me, great write up Dennis.
Appreciate it Lee.
You are a registered nurse and should have better understanding about your signs and symptoms.
As a downside, with this knowledge, my brain can think of all the worse case scenarios/ health anxiety related, which can then manifest as physical symptoms, making me further believe I have the worst possible diagnosis. It’s sad that many health care professionals just won’t understand it until they experience it themselves. This leads to lack of empathy, and lack of understanding that a panic attack is a true emergency to sufferers too!
You are just a worrier and should stop worrying about everything.
For some that realization is definitely enough.