|
The Secret to Working with Anxious Thoughts
|
David Carbonell, Ph.D.
|
Jun 30, 2007 12:01 PDT
|
=======================================
THE ANXIETY COACH®
Helping People Thrive in an Anxious World
=======================================
Volume 8, Issue 6
IN THIS ISSUE
Dr. Carbonell suggests a way to working with anxious,
unrealistic thoughts.
=====
INDEX
=====
1. Dave's Note
2. The Secret to Working with Anxious Thoughts
3. About The Anxiety Coach®
==========
Dave's Note
==========
June 30, 2007
Dear Reader,
My workshop for professional therapists, "Treating Anxiety,
Panic, and Worry" comes to the following locations this
summer.
July 23: Trumbull, Connecticut
July 24: Farmington, Connecticut
July 25: Warwick, Rhode Island
August 8: Roseville, Minnesota
August 9: Eau Claire, Wisconsin
August 10: Bloomington, Minnesota
To see the full schedule for 2007, or to register, visit:
http://www.anxietycoach.com/lectures.htm
If you're looking to purchase a copy of my self help book,
Panic Attacks Workbook, you will find it at this link:
http://www.anxietycoach.com/book.htm
See you next month!
Dave Carbonell
=========================================
The Secret to Working with Anxious Thoughts
by David A. Carbonell, Ph.D.
=========================================
People who struggle with anxiety often think they need to
control their thoughts.
A man who frequently thinks "what if I have a panic attack?"
pinches himself in an effort to make the thought go away.
Another man, troubled by the thought that his children may
be in danger, has been able to stop driving by the school
for reassurance, but now sings songs to himself in an effort
to drown out the thoughts.
A young woman in excellent health fears a heart attack. Every
time she exercises, she experiences the thought "Am I having a
heart attack?", and interrupts her workout to review, once
again, the evidence.
People who are troubled by such thoughts often recognize that
the thoughts are "ridiculous" and "irrational". Yet all too
often they get into a fight with them, struggling to argue
the thoughts out of existence.
We all have a natural tendency to take all of our thoughts
seriously, and to think that our thoughts and our actions
always have to be consistent.
This is usally a mistake.
I've been spending more time in the gym lately, and found it
a challenge to stay on the cardiovascular machines - bicycles
and stairmasters and such - for the full 45 minutes of
exercise I want. I kept noticing how much time was left on
the timer. Then I'd think of reasons to leave early, and
leave without completing my goal.
I put a towel over the timer, hoping I'd forget about it, but
I kept thinking about it anyway. I'd try to figure out how
much time was left by sneaking a look at the wall clock. I'd
wonder if I had made an error in setting my exercise time.
Maybe I set it for 95 minutes instead of 45, and I'll miss an
appointment! I'd read a magazine for distraction, but found
I'd use my reading speed to estimate how much exercise time
was left.
I couldn't get rid of the thoughts about how I should cut my
exercise short. I talked to my trainer about this and learned
that many people just won't use cardiovascular machines in the
gym, because they get so irritated with such thoughts.
I finally came to realize that, if I live to be 100 and
exercise 45 minutes each day, I'll still have all these
thoughts about quitting early. If I stay the course and do
my full routine 1000 days in a row, I'll have the same
thoughts on each of those days, and on day 1001 as well. For
me, and for a lot of people who do this kind of exercise,
thinking about quitting early is as much a part of the
exercise as is sweating and increased pulse.
I don't have to get rid of the thoughts. I can just let them
be there as I keep exercising.
If you experience panic attacks or some other form of anxiety
pattern, you can do something similar. You can come to treat
the thoughts accompanying it as just another one of the
symptoms you experience. Those thoughts don't represent an
important message. They mean the same thing as the sweating,
the muscular tension, the stomach upset, and all the other
physical symptoms. They just mean "I'm nervous".
You don't have to get them to be more rational or reasonable.
Maybe you can just let yourself experience this particular
form of nervousness, and go on about your business the way
you want to.
Here's an exercise some of my clients have found helpful.
It gives you some practice experiencing thoughts that are
inconsistent with your behavior. It may improve your ability
to accept this inconsistency without arguing with yourself.
It may seem silly, so do it when you're alone.
Walk around your living room for 4 minutes, thinking to
yourself "My legs are broken, I can't move", even as you
continue walking. Just to see what that's like.
And, if you like, drop me an e-mail about your experience
with this.
++++++++++++++++++++++
THE ANXIETY COACH®
++++++++++++++++++++++
The Anxiety Coach® is a publication of the Anxiety
Treatment Center, Ltd. The Center is a small group of
clinical psychologists who specialize in the treatment of
anxiety problems. The Center has offices in Chicago and
several nearby suburbs.
Dr. Carbonell, a licensed psychologist, is the founder and
director of the Anxiety Treatment Center.
The information contained in this publication is not a
substitute for consultation with healthcare professionals.
Each individual's health concerns should be evaluated by a
qualified professional.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If you received this copy from a friend or colleague and
want your own (free) subscription, look for the blue
subscription banner at http://www.anxietycoach.com.
If you would like to see past issues of our newsletter,you
can find them in the archive. Visit the main site at
http://www.anxietycoach.com, click on the blue "Subscribe to
our free newsletter" banner, and click on the archive link.
To unsubscribe, follow the link at the very end of this issue.
++++++++++++++++++++++
CONTACT INFORMATION
++++++++++++++++++++++
David A. Carbonell, Ph.D.
Anxiety Treatment Center, Ltd.
E-mail: dcarb-@anxietycoach.com
Web: http://www.anxietycoach.com
5105 Tollview Drive, Suite 103
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
847.481.5251
© 2007, Anxiety Treatment Center, Ltd.
All rights reserved.
Anxiety Coach® is a registered mark of Anxiety Treatment
Center, Ltd.
Distribution Rights: The above material is copyrighted,
but you may retransmit or distribute it to whomever you
wish as long as not a single word is changed, added or
deleted, including the contact information. However, you
may not copy it to a web site without prior permission.
Reprint permission will be freely granted, upon request,
to periodicals and non-profit educational and service
organizations.
|
|
 |
|
