Anxiety is
being afraid. The more fearful you are, the more likely
it is that you'll develop anxiety as a disorder.
Anxiety disorders occur because we either
have more fears than others or we experience fear at higher
degrees than others, or both.
Those who develop anxiety disorders do
so because they have become afraid of one or many things.
For example, last time we asked you to send us your fears.
We extend a special thanks to all of those who took the
time to respond to this request.
Here are a few of the fears submitted.
We'll be adding to this list next time, too:
Fear of being trapped and not able
to escape (such as flying, going to the dentist, being
stuck in an elevator, being stuck in traffic)
Fear of losing control
Fear of dying
Fear of being rejected
Fear of having a panic attack
Fear of failure
Fear of having stomach problems in
public
Fear of passing out
Fear of having a heart condition
Fear of having an irreversible mental
condition
Fear of being alone
Fear of losing control of your actions
Fear of harming a loved one
Fear that a close loved one will die
Fear that a close loved one will leave
Fear of throwing up in public
Fear of looking foolish in public
Fear of turning red around important
people
Fear of having a serious health condition
Fear of developing MS, Parkinson's,
or schizophrenia
Fear of going bankrupt, being destitute,
being homeless
Fear of making mistakes
Fear of what people think of you
Fear of having a never ending panic
attack
Fear of the strong feelings of anxiety
and panic
These are just a few of the submissions
we received. All of these are common fears that cause anxiety
to elevate. Again, we'll be adding to this list next time.
New
to the member's area: SKYPE LIVE
Call-In sessions.
Members can now talk with Jim Folk using
Skype (a free software program that allows you to use your
computer like a telephone.)
During these live Skype sessions, members
can ask Jim questions, as well as interact with others
in group discussions. Many of our members have already
commented on how helpful these discussions have been.
If you missed a session, you can hear
past discussions in the SKYPE LIVE Call-In sessions audio
archives. This feature was started in January 2009, so
there are a number of archived audio clips available. Future
conversations will be archived there as well.
The next SKYPE LIVE
Call-In session is Tuesday, March 3 at 10 AM MST. For
more information, see the members home page.
I'm a major
worrier. Can therapy help me not worry so much? It's ruining
my life.
Worry is at the root of the majority of
anxiety disorders. Addressing this habit is an important
part of lasting recovery.
Yes, just as we've learned how to worry,
we can also learn how NOT to worry. But for many people,
it's not an easy habit to break.
There are many reasons why people worry,
so learning not to worry is often more complex than most
people realize. That's why an experienced therapist is
often required to make healthy change.
But again, yes. People can break their
worry habit with the right help and support. Breaking this
habit is well worth the effort.
