The Path To Healing Anxiety
Anxiety is a natural response of our bodies and minds to a threat. When we sense something dangerous or potentially stressful, we might begin feeling tense, and worried. Another word for anxiety is fear. It is a natural emotion that all human beings experience in response to danger. Its purpose is to protect us.
However, if we feel anxious (fear) for an extended period of time even if there is no imminent danger, and if the feeling of fear begins to impact daily functioning and the quality of life, then in medical circles this experience may be classified as an “anxiety disorder”.
Different Types of Anxiety
According to western medicine, there are several different types of anxiety disorders. Each of these have their own specific diagnostic criteria. What they all have in common is a persistent feeling of anxiousness, fear and worry that is often irrelevant or disproportional to the situation that an individual is currently in.
Examples of different anxiety disorders include: generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Diagnosing Anxiety
It is important to note that a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder can only be made by a psychiatrist. The diagnosis is based on the symptoms a person reports. In Ireland, a GP may prescribe anxiety medication, if they believe a patient may need it, however, for the official diagnosis, one may be required to visit a psychiatrist.
To be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder according to the DSM-5 ( one of the diagnostic manuals used by psychiatrists), a person must experience symptoms such as: excessive fear and anxiety, avoidance behaviours, and physiological symptoms such as increased heart rate, muscle tension, or restlessness. These symptoms must be experienced for a specified duration and cause significant distress or have a negative impact on a person’s daily functioning.
Body Psychotherapy: Different Understanding of Anxiety
Many psychotherapists believe that anxiety is NOT a disorder. Even when it feels overwhelming, irrelevant or excessive, anxiety remains a natural response of your bodymind to something that you experienced.
Anxiety is seen as a build-up of worry and fear in the body. The energy of worry and fear entered your body at some point and did not leave, it became stuck. In that sense, anxiety is a result of the blocked flow of energy. It develops in response to the energy of fear that comes with muscular tensions and postural patterns that restrict the natural flow of this energy. If fear enters the body and is not discharged, it accumulates and results in anxiety symptoms.
The Path To Healing Anxiety
Our minds, just as our bodies, have an organic tendency to move towards healing. When we remove obstacles from our way, we will naturally move towards wholeness. This is true also for anxiety. We may believe that anxiety is causes by irrational thoughts and beliefs, by a dysregulated nervous system, biological imbalance, build-up of fear, or all of the above. Regardless of our beliefs, anxiety is a signpost that directs our attention towards places within us that need more attention. The path to healing starts from opening up to this experience, looking into it, and exploring it on the level of mind (cognitive), body, emotions, and sometimes even on the spiritual level.
Removing obstacles to healing can require identifying and challenging our false beliefs, regularly looking after our nervous system or going into the fear, rather than away from it, to allow it to move through the body.