Anxiety Series: Part 4. For those who have anxiety (of any kind)
The Broken Record…
can also be referred to as an anxious feedback loop since it generally feeds into itself and makes you feel stuck. From working with many people with anxiety over the years, what I have noticed is a self-defeating feedback loop that either spirals and gets worse or it repeats itself without much opportunity for relief.
This is How the Cycle Works
You have a worry or a fear. Example: “What if I get cancer?” or, (insert some other fear), and you try to do something about it. For example, you research “how do I NOT get cancer,” or you stay away from anything that could possibly be related to cancer. So, you start to spend a lot of time investigating on google or avoiding things, such as no plastic, no sun, or no [insert other potentially related things here]. And this makes you feel slightly better for a moment. Until the fear pops back up again and then you must either do something, or avoid something, and around again we go.
With time and repetition…
you start to think that this is the only way to deal with this issue because that’s been your experience, and so, this becomes your reality. Rather than dealing with the fear itself, you avoid it, attempt to control it, or excessively plan for it, which just reinforces the idea that it is something to be feared. Another way of looking at it is that the problem is more about your fear/anxiety about experiencing anxiety. Below is an illustration of this using the example, a Fear of Elevators.
The Broken Record of Anxiety
Example: Fear of Elevators
Last Thoughts
Your individual anxiety may not be quite as obvious or as pictured above. There may not even be a feedback loop that you can identify. No matter what form your anxiety takes, there are ways to manage it. For more on this, take a look at the last post in this series (coming soon!), Part 5: Getting some relief!
The contents of this blog are for informational purposes only. This blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment that can be provided by your own mental health practitioner. If you have any specific concerns about your mental health, you should consult your doctor and you should not delay seeking medical advice, or treatment for your mental health, because of information on this blog.
© Counseling Works NYC
Sabrina Tropper, LMHC
Sabrina Tropper, LMHC is a therapist and the founder of Counseling Works NYC. She works with individuals in New York who are experiencing relationship troubles, life transitions, or trauma.