Anxiety
Anxiety is experienced by all people, it is a normal reaction to stress, conflict, fear, change, threat, & etc or more usually there is no apparent reason for it to occur. When a person becomes aware, conscious or subconscious, that something is wrong or different, anxiety is triggered. But remember the actual cause may not be identifiable by you or anyone else.
- Anxiety can be regarded as a signal that change or action is needed. It can be an energy source to find the right solution and overcome inertia and make changes.
- Anxiety can occur in different strengths. It can cause a nudge, nag, demand, panic, or a ‘kick in the backside’, a ‘knock on the door’, or a major stress in life, a ‘rock bottom’.
However anxiety reactions can have good and bad effects. It may result in action or denial.
Addicts, alcoholics and compulsive gamblers are no more anxiety ridden than other groups in the community. The difference is in the way each person deals with anxiety. Addicts, alcoholics and compulsive gamblers try to escape the discomfort, while many others try cope with their anxiety.
Drug addicts, compulsive gamblers and alcoholics often don’t recognise anxiety, label it incorrectly or deal with it in inappropriate ways. Responses to anxiety may be deliberate, unconscious, conscious, manipulating or habitual & etc. This may cause many problems.
Compulsive gambling, alcoholism and drug addiction is not caused by anxiety. Anxiety causes anxious people.
Anxiety is, in one sense, opposite to denial.
- Denial stops or prevents action by preventing awareness or putting it off till later. For example if a person does not ‘look’ at the lawn they will not know it needs mowing.
- Whereas anxiety can energise and motivate action. When a person becomes aware and accepts that the lawn needs mowing they can decide to mow it. Anxiety about the untidy lawn may have motivate them to do something about it.
When anxiety is denied the denial generates more anxiety because the ‘problem’ has not been dealt with. The person denying, may feel better but has only postponed the problem. This ‘feeling better’ gives a false and temporary impression of being OK.
Thus anxiety cannot be reduced by alcoholic drinking, addictive drug use or compulsive gambling. All of these things will only reduce the immediate uncomfortable feelings. The anxiety returns, probably more powerfully, after the addictive practice.
Too much anxiety can become toxic, poisonous or crippling. Overpowering anxiety is usually the result of not dealing with it appropriately.
The symptoms of toxic anxiety can include:-
- restlessness, being keyed up, on edge;
- a feeling of being easily tired;
- a difficulty in concentrating, mind going blank, irritability;
- sleep disturbances;
- avoiding issues, ruminating, worrying;
- ritual actions;
- craving, acting out impulses, the dry drunk syndrome;
- depression, despair;
- shame, guilt, defeat;
- too stressed out to function, immobilised.
It can also include physical symptoms like sweating, rapid heart beat, muscle tension, indigestion, rapid breathing,
Toxic anxiety tends to build up until it explodes. Exploding anxiety often happen at the wrong time, wrong place, and at the wrong people.
Anxiety generates energy to flight, fight or, focus and function. Fighting or fleeing anxiety can be the result of denial. To focus on the anxiety enables a person to function which is usually more appropriate and spiritually sound. Thus anxiety used for its intended purpose can help define any problem, push aside denial and find an appropriate way to deal with it.
Anxiety can be telegraphed to other people by the person with it, through tone of voice, body language, aggressive behaviour, silence, shouting, stares, fast driving, drinking, drugging, gambling, & etc.
Acting out the impulse of anxiety discomfort without dealing with it, can generate negativity and criticism from other people. Thus more anxiety is the result of rejection by others.
Reactions to anxiety are learned and thus can be unlearned and managed.
The paradox of anxiety is that it can be both a solution to problems and a source of anxiety.
Related Reading:
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Recovery Is Sexy.com
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Vital Signs - Study Ties Alcohol to Recurrence of Breast Cancer - NYTimes.com
Drinking alcohol can increase the risk of developing breast cancer, and a study suggests that breast cancer survivors who consume just a few drinks a week may be more likely to experience a recurrence than nondrinkers.
Vital Signs - Study Ties Alcohol to Recurrence of Breast Cancer - NYTimes.com
Drinking alcohol can increase the risk of developing breast cancer, and a study suggests that breast cancer survivors who consume just a few drinks a week may be more likely to experience a recurrence than nondrinkers.
Vital Signs - Study Ties Alcohol to Recurrence of Breast Cancer - NYTimes.com
Drinking alcohol can increase the risk of developing breast cancer, and a study suggests that breast cancer survivors who consume just a few drinks a week may be more likely to experience a recurrence than nondrinkers.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Canadian Al-anon | Recovery Is Sexy.com
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Helping Young People Cope with Alcoholics
Alcoholism is a worldwide issue, causing problems not only for the drinker but for everyone else connected with that person as well.
Every alcoholic affects at least 4 other people, many of them children troubled by their parents’ drinking. Often, these young people have nowhere to turn for help. ...
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Women like Skills & Abilities in Men not Dominance
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Depression Video
Permalink
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders are 100% Preventable
FASDs are 100% preventable if a woman doesn't drink alcohol while she is pregnant.
Learn more about the cause, signs, and treatments and what you can do if you think your child might have an FASD.
The Story of Iyal...
Note: Cross posted from Recovery Is Sexy.com.Permalink
Dysfunctional Rules of Co-dependency
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Alateen’s Purpose
Alateen is part of Al-Anon, which helps families and friends of alcoholics recover from the effects of living with the problem drinking of a relative or friend. Alateen is a recovery program for young people. ...
Note: Cross posted from Recovery Is Sexy.com.Permalink
Al-anon Works in India
Fighting the spirits with spirituality
Michelle was an angry woman.
Often, when her husband returned from work, she would slam doors, swear and shout. Once, when he was asleep, she even poured a bucketful of water on him and later regretted drenching the mattress she shared with him. There were even times she secretly wished for a call informing her that her husband had fallen into a gutter somewhere. That was her idea of justice. Michelle did not hate her husband. She hated him when he was drunk. As the wife of an alcoholic, she had slowly imbibed the drunkard’s lack of self-control herself. ...
Note: Cross posted from Recovery Is Sexy.com.Permalink
Addicted Family Roles
Little Parent, Hero, Mascot, Chief Enabler, and Lost Child
When a parent is addicted to alcohol or drugs, the entire family is set up around the addict and their addiction.
Children tend to follow designated roles as the family acts out the drama of addiction. Children develop these roles due to family dynamics. For a child in an addicted household, he or she will usually only fulfil one role. The parents and family will not acknowledge any behavior outside this family role. In a more functioning household, children often move fluidly between roles. These roles are generally known as codependent roles. ...
Note: Cross posted from Recovery Is Sexy.com.Permalink