Anxiety: what you need to do in times of crisis
- Anderson Cruz
- Feb 19, 2023
- 9 min read
Anxiety is a state of emotional calamity, lack of self-attention, a lack of attention to what happens that favors the facets created by restless minds...
We are all like a bomb ready to explode without realizing how much pain it will cause in ourselves, as well as in those around us. The world needs therapy and this is an emergency!
We live in denial
Have you noticed that, in this world, we are conditioned to demonstrate strength in the face of everything that happens to us? We are constantly required to ignore our weaknesses in order to assume a role that, when lived in its literality, only makes us live with palliative resources, which solves nothing, only exposes our pride.
I speak of the role of the “indestructible hero”, the one forged by psychosocial pressure, who presents resilience, persistence, faith and determination. However, what appears only for appearances does not reveal the real face of the human condition in which we find ourselves.
Due to imputed need, we seek to transform ourselves into this hero to overcome the idea of inappetence; perhaps, to serve as a good example for children and other admirers. However, where does the need to have this urge come from? Who (or what) demands so much from us that it makes us lose connection with who we really are? Was it the world itself?
The world has already defined us, but we insist on wanting to deny what we are: vulnerable due to an innate weakness.
The truth is that we are as easily oscillatable as Cyclotomy affecting the mood of those who have this disease; and the vulnerability that affects us due to the anguish of the instance (that is, of what is about to happen) hangs us in anxiety. But, for all intents and purposes, we have to be impeccable, assume a posture of indestructibility; and when we realize what is happening, we collapse in tears, on a shaky and unforgivable ground that dwarfs us in the face of emotional chaos.
The world speeds up and with it we walk in a hurry to get somewhere that we almost never know where it is. It seems to me a race in a quest for nothing but to make life more agonizing.
At Harvard University (to make matters worse), a survey found that human beings spend (approximately) 50% of their daily time lost in memories or worries, that is, conflict between past and future. A regrettable picture, but not surprising.
Such a scenario points to the affected mood that we are all subject to, further increasing the mental turmoil that we so want – without being able – to avoid.
This brief introduction serves to highlight how much this scenario has been strengthened these days and tends to get worse every time human beings do not learn to deal with anxiety attacks. That's why we need to talk about it.
The definition
Anxiety: what is it anyway?
We will start with the term itself, in the light of the psychologist Burrhus Frederic Skinner.
Anxiety, then, is a state of emotional calamity, lack of self-attention, a lack of attention to what is happening that privileges the facets created by restless minds. The common point is that we are all potentially restless and that makes us inevitably accelerated; some less, some more.
It is worth emphasizing here that the biggest problem is not having anxiety, since everyone is subject to it (in fact, many are surprised to see that even we – therapists – reach this state); however, it is serious when you are unable to identify the effects caused by anxiety and, therefore, become manipulated by the traps created in your own minds.
To be anxious, then, is to be in agony for an unwanted future. It is a feeling of apprehension that gives us the perception that something bad could happen, giving us unpleasant physical symptoms, such as changes in heartbeat and breathing rhythm, chest compression, muscle tension and unusual sweating (hyperhidrosis). . This sensation can last for minutes, days, weeks or even months; this depends on the existing threat level, even the imagined one.
According to psychologist and cognitive behavioral therapist Sarah Edelman, some studies reveal that 10% of the world's population suffer from an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Panic Disorder (PD), Agoraphobia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and specific phobias (such as fear of flying, heights and spiders). This shows the relationship between anxiety and various disorders and that this can even be considered common, especially in the time we live in, with cumulative tasks and daily stress.
When a person is anxious, for example, some signs are exposed that something is wrong with him, even if he doesn't say a word. It is at this moment that something has to be done and the guidelines are not always resolutive, which intensifies the feeling that the present state will not pass.
In order to help those who are in an anxious state, it is common to hear the saying that one needs to be attentive to the present moment, giving up the past and the future, which is true – although not as simple as that. However, where is this present, if every millisecond that passes becomes a new past? How to be in the present, if each step brings us a new present?
From case experience, I can say that dealing with this is not at all comfortable, even if you feel like the indestructible hero, because even a balanced movement can succumb to psychological pressure.
For reinforcement, it is worth mentioning:
"No well-formed behavior, favorable or unfavorable, is strong". (SKINNER, 1978).
Everything seems to be going well, and suddenly the tranquility gives way to the storm.
See the following:
You may find yourself at ease at some point. With that, he decides to sit down to advance a service on his computer. Even if work isn't for the day, something can happen; and it happens. Suddenly, the air reduces in your chest and, in a matter of seconds, you realize that you are panting. The malaise arrives and the feeling is that you will soon need medical attention, which can also be a real need.
When you are seen, you learn that your blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg; that oxygenation at 98%; and that her heart rate has returned to 70 bpm. You seem not to believe that everything is apparently normal, because what you felt was the assumption of something desperate.
And it is at that moment that we are driven to reject everything scientific that is shown to us, because none of this can be congruent with what we feel. What relief, then, can you have if the reason brought by science does not match the feeling?
However, the central point is right there: in the meaning you give to what you feel.
What we feel does not always accurately describe what is really happening. This is a presupposition for us to understand that phrases like “I feel like I'm going to be ashamed”, “I feel like they won't accept me”, or “I have the feeling that I won't make it”, only serve to awaken (in us) thoughts of prediction, which does not mean guarantee that it will happen.
Now, if necessary, breathe gently... Breathe... Breathe again... And, little by little, return to your balance point and realize that everything around you is flowing normally.
The meditative steps
In cases of crisis, it is common for you to seek various palliative interventions in order to alleviate the anguish. There are several methods for controlling anxiety. Breathing, music and smiles can – yes – alleviate emotional pain (this can never be refuted); however, if your search does not go further, it will only be remedies for symptoms without understanding the core of the case itself.
So what to do, in fact, for anxiety to be avoided?
Anything!
- "Like this?" – you might be wondering.
If we are dealing with something that is inherent in human beings, then the effort to avoid it is futile. All because it is not avoided, but you learn to deal with it; even because anxiety itself is natural and necessary.
So what can you do to manage anxiety? That's the correct question.
The first step is to accept that anxiety is a result of the human condition and that it arises among the silent disturbances of cognition, in relation to the lifestyle we adopt for ourselves. Therefore, the more we are stimulated by external factors, the more we are conditioned to become anxious by a mind that is capable of creating disastrous scenarios, when – perhaps – nothing else is about to happen, except in fantasy itself.
Second is to understand that meditating is a necessity. Contrary to what many people think, it's not just about relaxing, it's about organizing thoughts. But such an effort bothers you and leads you to do what you often don't want to do: slow down.
No matter how busy you are, you need to stop for a while, slow down, leave the environment you are in, talk about another subject and – mainly – breathe correctly (diaphragmatic breathing). This moment is fundamental for everything to slow down until you get it together. Upon returning, you will be in a new moment; in balance; in another vibration.
Meditating is an act of disconnection from the outside world, which contributes to the concentration of what is happening inside us. The word itself is rooted in Latin, whose term “meditatium” means “to ponder”; another version, also from Latin, comes from “meditare”, which means “to turn to the center”. Both complete each other, as weighting takes place in the center of things, that is, far from the extremities.
Therefore, “balance” is the central point for a meditation and it is towards it that we must walk. This means that, when meditating, you are looking for the peace that fights against your disturbances, in order to make order prevail within you. With that, when seeking balance, pay attention to how much you are mobilized by a meditation.
For this balance, diaphragmatic breathing is the secret. If you can, sit somewhere and keep your spine straight, with your hands resting on your thighs. Close your eyes, or leave them half open; take a deep breath (inhale through your nose, count to three and exhale gently through your mouth). Inevitably, you will relax and this is the most conducive time for your meditation.
During the emotional stabilization process comes the third step; From here, let's get back to talking about the present moment.
The teacher and therapist Amanda Dreher is one of the references in Brazil regarding meditative practices and, in one of her works, she said:
“The meditative process takes place when the mind is disidentified from thoughts, detached from worries and disordered desires, without any struggle, neither in the past nor in the future, only in the present moment”. (DREHER, 2016).
However, time is intangible and therefore difficult to perceive. How is it possible, then, to be in the present?
In a previous paragraph, I said that – with each step taken – we have a new gift, which makes it difficult to understand the term “now”. You can be still, relaxed and thinking about everything that is happening inside and outside of you that, even so, each fact thought ceased to be present to become past.
Therefore, being present is accompanying each step. It's being in motion with due attention. Organizing your thoughts does not mean standing still and avoiding what happens around you; on the contrary, it means you slow down your movements so that you realize yourself and, with that, think less about what once was and what will probably happen.
Therefore, for an effective meditation, questions of questioning are fundamental; and there is the (not least important) fourth step. To get you started, here are some examples of necessary questions:
“What is actually attracting my attention?”; “Is it so catastrophic to make mistakes?”; “What can I change in my routine that contributes to reducing the effects of anxiety?”; “When can I stop to take a deep breath?”; “What do I want to happen instead?”
Questioning thoughts lead us to behavioral questioning, that is, you create confrontational questions and – consequently – react by facing the situation. As with fear, which one of the immediate solutions is to face it, so it is also with anxiety crises.
Conclusion
Walking towards inner peace is the way to deal with anxiety. Therefore, it is necessary to be aware of what happens in order to plan actions that contribute to personal growth, even in the face of catastrophic sensations.
Having this awareness, we realize that anxiety is a state that puts us in agony for an unwanted future. In this state, we abdicate paying attention to what happens to predict what may (or may not) happen, fueled by sensations that cause us more illusion than guarantees.
The attempt to avoid it, on the other hand, is an attempt doomed to failure, as this prolongs the agony. You can understand that everyone is subject - even those who are cognitively trained to such a state.
Therefore, it is learned that trying to avoid anxiety is the worst choice; while the quest to learn how to deal with it is the ideal path.
In this regard, we have seen some steps that help us:
1. Accept that anxiety is a result of the human condition and that it arises among the silent disturbances of cognition, in relation to the lifestyle we adopt for ourselves.
2. Understand that meditating is a necessity to obtain balance, the central point of meditation. Therefore, diaphragmatic breathing is necessary (inhale through the nose, count to three and exhale gently through the mouth).
3. Pay attention to the present moment, that is, follow each step you are taking, because being in the present is being in motion.
4. Ask questioning questions to get confrontational responses to anxiety.
Following the above steps until you make them habits, you will become a conscious being and, with that, you will have enough conditions to make important decisions in the face of crises, such as those caused by anxiety.
Finally, wanting to look like the indestructible hero only strengthens a sick mind, which insists on hiding reality. The truth is that we are – all of us – the problem and the solution, induced by the external environment, although influenced by the internal chaos.
Understand yourself and you will find a new way of thinking; therefore, anxiety will no longer control you.
References
NHAT HANH, Thich. Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness. Petropolis: Voices, 2019.
DREHER, Amanda. Meditate Transforms. Nova Petrópolis: Luz da Serra, 2016.
EDELMAN, Sarah. Just think different. São Paulo: Fundamento, 2014.
BORLOT, Elizeu. pepsic.bvsalud.org, 2008. Available at: pepsic.bvsalud.org
SKINNER, B. F. Verbal behavior. São Paulo: Cultrix, 1978.
Anderson Cruz.
Writer, therapist and graduate student in philosophy.
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