You may be quite familiar with the anxiety cycle, and yet have never heard it called by name. In essence, he describes the loop of anxiety symptoms, which continue one after the other, consecutively. One symptom is reconciled and another appears to take its place. After a while you realize that you have not lived a day of the year free of some anxiety symptom.
Here is a good example of the anxiety cycle. You struggle with an intrusive symptom, such as dizziness or a nervous stomach. You constantly think about it. It interferes with your quality of life. It is always there and is always at the forefront of your thoughts. You despise it and feel like it will never go away, but somehow, sometime, it really does. The symptom is reconciled with an effective coping method, or perhaps you have become involved in something interesting in life, taking yourself out of the circle. You breathe a sigh of relief, happy to finally get over this intrusive behavior and return to your normal life again. Everything seems to be going well with the world UNTIL… out of nowhere (it seems) another symptom appears, completely different from the original, causing the same concern, the same concerns and the same obsessive fears as the first. THIS IS THE ANXIETY CYCLE IN ACTION.
This loop of symptoms is frustrating and continues UNTIL it is Recognized, admitted, understood and resolved.
Recognition: Acknowledgment is noticing how this ongoing habit of intrusive symptoms always seems to occupy the center of your life, encompassing all your thoughts and time. No matter the day, month, or year, a symptom begs for your attention, demands your attention, and keeps a calm mind on guard, anxious, and upset. One looks back over weeks or months and it is easy to recognize this cycle. The pattern is strong and very noticeable. The symptoms occur in consecutive order, one taking the place of another. One as intense as the previous symptom. You wish you could shake your head and break this pattern, freeing yourself from this loop, experiencing even a week of no symptoms.
Recognition: Recognizing that this is a habit, and nothing more, is also critical. Recognizing that this behavior has a purpose, to distract, is also another step out of the circle. Acknowledging that this habit is tricking you is also a step in the right direction. It will lead you to the truth about these symptoms. They are just there to distract.
Comprehension: Understanding is everything when it comes to breaking the cycle of anxiety symptoms. When a symptom closely follows a reconciled symptom, it’s because the symptoms not only serve a purpose, but they distract you from something bigger going on in your life, like an unresolved problem or emotion. How could you look at anything more painful than these symptoms when you are completely distracted by them in the most intrusive way? How can you notice a strong emotion being overlooked or an unresolved problem when these symptoms feel all-encompassing? The truth of the matter is that these symptoms are your brain’s way of covering up and distracting from more painful emotions and issues.
Resolution: Solving this problem is not difficult. It’s all about LOCATING THE EMOTION. When one is trapped in the Anxiety Cycle it is because there is a strong emotion such as fear, anger or sadness that the brain considers overwhelming. To divert attention from this painful emotion, the brain presents instances of ongoing anxiety and sometimes physical symptoms in an effort to divert attention from the initial problem. That is why the symptoms feel so strong and annoying. They are working! They are doing their job distracting you from the more painful emotion. They are effectively blocking you from dealing with your unpleasant or painful emotions or problems. When you locate the emotion and face it squarely, you will find that this serves to break the cycle of anxiety, the constant loop of symptoms.
The next time you notice a loop of symptoms, ARRESTand take a moment to ask yourself a few questions:
– What is happening in your life that could be creating an emotional response?
– Are you angry, sad, fearful or frustrated by a situation, event or person in your life?
– Do you suppress your emotions to “keep the peace”, procrastinate, or maintain the status quo?
It’s clear, if you answer yes to the above questions, that your mind is creating symptoms on a loop to effectively distract you from a larger emotion that is too painful to address or because you don’t feel comfortable stepping out of your comfort zone.
Tea background solution it is identifying your emotions, examining them deeply, and choosing ways to express yourself safely and comfortably.
Once you begin this journey of digging through your emotions and locating the real issues, you’ll be well on your way to breaking the cycle of anxiety and moving forward in your life.
If, in the future, you find one symptom creeping in, followed by another after reconciliation, keep an eye on this cycle. Understand that you have the power to break this loop and get back on track. Always, slow down, find your problem, locate your emotion, and deal with it effectively. There will be no need for distractions (symptoms) to blur the problems/emotions if they are addressed in an appropriate and timely manner.
Once you apply these steps, you will have successfully demonstrated that the cycle of anxiety can be effectively broken as you regain control of your life again. You have the power to achieve it and it is not difficult when you approach it correctly.
