It's Worrying - An Article On The Background Factors For Worry

A recent YouGov survey found that almost one in five people (20%) feel anxious all of the time or a lot of the time. This reflects the continuing trend towards increased anxiety and chronic worry.

So Where Does Worry Start?

Whilst there are a number of biological and genetic factors that potentially predispose us to a more anxious or fearful personality, our earlier life experiences play a major role in our ability to cope effectively with increased uncertainty, potential risks, personal challenges and demands.

You don't have to have been locked in the coal shed and beaten with rope to develop a fearful and vulnerable perspective!

Whilst it's human instinct to protect our children, teach them about danger and guard them against potential harm, wrapping them in cotton wool and creating an unrealistically perilous view of daily life, can be as psychologically and emotionally damaging as neglect itself. We also know that over-protective parenting interferes with the early development of individuality, autonomy and independence.

Parents can inadvertently transfer their own irrational and anxiety provoking beliefs about caution, danger and risk, emotionally disguised or packaged as love, concern and protection. "I'm only teaching him how bad the world can be," " "it's always better to be safe than sorry," "it will all go wrong," "something bad will happen to her".

Whilst we are certainly not advocating a careless or irresponsible approach to risk, the problem is that hyper-caution is often at the root of many of the most common anxiety disorders. Early formed beliefs about danger and threat often lead to dysfunctional assumptions about limited coping and an unrealistic estimation of the potential threat.

Problems such as generalised anxiety, panic disorder, social phobia, OCD, or just the repetitive habit of continuous worry, are often rooted in unhelpful beliefs about inflated risk and received assumptions about our inability to cope with the problems and demands of daily life.

We learn to focus on the potential risk associated with the unknown and the possible consequences of failure. Psychologists sometimes refer to these early cognitive patterns as the "Negative Filter" and "Catastrophic Thinking."

This is not about reacting to the terrible events perpetrated by terrorists over recent times, it's about perceived threats to our sense of personal value, our self-image, social standing and our ability to tolerate and cope with the everyday problems that life presents.

Coping problems, stress, anxiety and social withdrawal can all stem from a learnt predisposition to hyper-vigilance, risk aversion, unrealistic expectations and worry about avoiding threat or failure.

So What Do We Do?

Well the answer is actively role model a balanced and realistic perspective. Don't just set the example, be the example.

It's about adopting a personal philosophical shift. We can learn to take a more balanced perspective, to see the situation realistically, to exercise our choices rather than placing unrealistic demands on ourselves and others, to move from risk aversion to risk tolerance and to practice emotional proportionality.

If you are experiencing distress, ask yourself –

What do I notice about my thoughts - step back and just observe what's happening? What's the hard evidence that this is accurate? What's the worst that will happen? What's a more realistic interpretation? How does negative thinking help me?

Of course, these changes are easier to say than do. A tendency towards anxiety and worry is long-term and often engrained.

This is where Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help.

CBT is the recommended treatment of choice for common anxiety problems and disorders. The research evidence shows that CBT is effective in de-escalating or changing the thinking and behavioural patterns that maintain distress and impose personal limitations.

At Think CBT we specialise in the use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for a wide range of anxiety and mood related problems, providing our clients with the support, tools and techniques to make and sustain personal change.

If you are affected by worry or continuous background anxiety, you can talk to us about how a structured programme of CBT can help develop improved emotional resilience and reduce avoidance in your daily life.

Contact Think CBT