The Anxiety-Avoidance Cycle: Why Avoiding Anxiety Makes It Worse
Avoiding what makes us anxious can feel like relief—but that relief may be temporary. Learn how avoidance can reinforce anxiety and keep the cycle going.
When Life Feels Out of Control: Finding Peace in the Middle of Anxiety
We all experience anxiety at times, but what can we do about it?
Understanding anxiety and what is causing us to feel anxious is important to getting a handle on it. Anxiety is rooted in fear. A few examples include fear of current conditions, fear of the future, and fear of “what-if “scenarios. The question to ask yourself is, “What am I feeling anxious about?” Anxiety can be rooted in a desire to control a situation that seems out of control or something that is beyond our ability to control. Is it reasonable to expect yourself to control a situation that is not controllable? In other words, if something is not under your control, should you be anxious about it?