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Don't Let Fears Fool You!
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David Carbonell, Ph.D.
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May 05, 2008 13:03 PDT
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THE ANXIETY COACH®
Helping People Thrive in an Anxious World
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Volume 9, Issue 4
IN THIS ISSUE:
Dr. Carbonell writes about what an old potato chip ad can
teach us about our fears.
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INDEX
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1. Dave's Note
2. Don't Let Fears Fool You!
3. About The Anxiety Coach®
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Dave's Note
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May 5, 2008
Dear Reader,
I'm now making plans for my summer class for fearful
fliers. This class takes place over a five week period,
and includes a group flight. If you want more information
about the class, please send a blank e-mail to:
fly-@anxietycoach.com.
Do you struggle with fears of public speaking? For a free
copy of my article, "Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking",
send a blank e-mail to publics-@anxietycoach.com.
If you're a professional therapist seeking continuing
education in the treatment of anxiety disorders, I will be
offering my day-long workshop, "Six Secrets to the Treatment
of Chronic Anxiety Disorders" at the following locations
later this year. For more information and registration,
visit: http://www.pesi.com.
July 21: Palm Springs, California
July 22: Rancho Cordova, California
July 23: San Diego, California
September 15: Cleveland, Ohio
September 16: Youngstown, Ohio
September 17: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
See you next month!
Dave Carbonell
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Don't Let Fears Fool You!
by David Carbonell, Ph.D.
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"Bet you can't eat just one!"
Maybe you remember that old potato chip ad.
They meant it as praise - that the chips were so good
you would want more and more. But I know, from my own
experience with food, that it meant more than that. It also
meant that if I opened a bag of chips with the idea that I
would only eat one, or two, or three, that I was fooling
myself. I would eat a lot of them - probably enough to undo
several days worth of exercise.
The same idea holds true for people struggling with addictive
behaviors. A person who quit smoking last week probably can't
"smoke just one". A member of alcoholics anonymous with two
weeks of sobriety probably can't "drink just one".
So a man came to my office the other day, a man who struggles
with episodes in which he gets real worried about his heart,
and other health matters.
He's actually in good health. Most times he recognizes that,
and enjoys his life. But once in a while, he'll read a story
about heart disease, or hear about an untimely death, and
instead of going to the gym, or his yoga class, or whatever
else he had planned that day, he goes home to lie down. He
often leaves work early for this purpose. He worries, and
avoids his usual activities. Next thing he knows, he's in
the middle of another two week episode of anxiety and
depression.
He was very frustrated, because 2008 had been a good year for
him till now, yet here he was, caught up in another episode.
"How can it happen to me again, when I was doing so well for
months?", he asked.
And I said, "You can't eat just one".
He thought he could take one day off to worry without
affecting his overall sense of well being, but he couldn't.
He thought he could limit it, thought "I'll cancel my plans
tonight, but I'll get back on track tomorrow." He thought
he could just skip one day without any tradeoff. He couldn't.
He couldn't eat just one.
Maybe this applies to you as you work with anxiety issues.
It doesn't mean that you can never take a day off, or have a
slip or a setback, as you work to overcome fears and phobias.
It does suggest your progress will be steadier if you don't
open up the bag of avoidance. But if that's what you have to
do, be mindful of how it works, and take it into account.
If you must avoid the highway (or meeting, mall, elevator or
whatever) today, don't just assume that you will pick up
without interruption tomorrow. Recognize that you will
probably have some urge to avoid it again tomorrow. And have
a plan in mind to overcome that.
++++++++++++++++++++++
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.
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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.
To unsubscribe, follow the link at the very end of this issue.
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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
© 2008, 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.
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