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Mental Health HomepageConditions LibraryConditions CategoryConditions CategoryHow to Get Rid of Anxiety: Separating the Good from the Bad
Table of Contents:OverviewDeveloping a Realistic Attitude About Dealing with AnxietyThe Types of Anxiety You Should Accept Rather Than Get Rid Of (The Good)The Types of Anxiety You Should Get Rid Of/ReduceHow to Get Rid Of/Reduce This Bad AnxietyYou Don’t Need to Do It Alone
Anxiety DisorderRead Time: 5 Minutes
Published On: May 17, 2017
Updated On: January 25, 2024
OverviewAnxiety is keeping us alive right now, yet we often want to know how to get rid of it. It’s not as much of a conundrum as you might think. The key is separating the good anxiety from the bad anxiety. You need the kind that keeps you alive and functioning, but you can reduce the rest.There are many research-backed methods of reducing the prevalence ofanxietyin your life. Nonetheless, this is sometimes different than “getting rid of it.”
Overview
Anxiety is keeping us alive right now, yet we often want to know how to get rid of it. It’s not as much of a conundrum as you might think. The key is separating the good anxiety from the bad anxiety. You need the kind that keeps you alive and functioning, but you can reduce the rest.
There are many research-backed methods of reducing the prevalence ofanxietyin your life. Nonetheless, this is sometimes different than “getting rid of it.”
Developing a Realistic Attitude About Dealing with AnxietyWhen people want to “get rid of anxiety,” they often ascribe different meanings to the phrase, such as:Reducing anxiety symptoms to the point where it is not a significant burdenLearning to better cope with anxietyStopping themselves from feeling anxietyCompletely eliminating their sources of anxietyThe first half of the above solutions are viable; the second half is not. In this sense anxiety is not something to “get rid of.”
Developing a Realistic Attitude About Dealing with Anxiety
When people want to “get rid of anxiety,” they often ascribe different meanings to the phrase, such as:
The first half of the above solutions are viable; the second half is not. In this sense anxiety is not something to “get rid of.”
The Types of Anxiety You Should Accept Rather Than Get Rid Of (The Good)Anxiety might always be with you, and that’s OK. Having it is normal and healthy. It’spart of our evolutionary make up, a leftover instinct from when our ancestors were at the mercy of wild animals that could kill them in an instant.“Anxiety keeps us alive,” saidDaryl Cioffi, a therapist and professor of neuropsychology. “It’s what stops us from crossing the street without looking or walking down a dark street and not looking at our surroundings.”Besides aiding us in staying physically intact, anxiety is a practical emotion that helps us be responsible. If you have a deadline for work, you might experience a little anxiety about missing it. It will motivate you to get the work done on time. Or maybe you have kids and worry about their safety. This is simply part of being a responsible parent.Anxiety is also useful in helping us determine what psychological issues we need to address. Think of how physical pain tells us which areas of our body need attention and care. Anxiety is similar.“If fear and anxiety are like physical pain, then their natural purpose must be to call your attention to the deeper emotional and mental wounds that cause them,” saidanxiety expert Dr. Friedemann Schaub, Ph.D.
The Types of Anxiety You Should Accept Rather Than Get Rid Of (The Good)
Anxiety might always be with you, and that’s OK. Having it is normal and healthy. It’spart of our evolutionary make up, a leftover instinct from when our ancestors were at the mercy of wild animals that could kill them in an instant.
“Anxiety keeps us alive,” saidDaryl Cioffi, a therapist and professor of neuropsychology. “It’s what stops us from crossing the street without looking or walking down a dark street and not looking at our surroundings.”
Besides aiding us in staying physically intact, anxiety is a practical emotion that helps us be responsible. If you have a deadline for work, you might experience a little anxiety about missing it. It will motivate you to get the work done on time. Or maybe you have kids and worry about their safety. This is simply part of being a responsible parent.
Anxiety is also useful in helping us determine what psychological issues we need to address. Think of how physical pain tells us which areas of our body need attention and care. Anxiety is similar.
“If fear and anxiety are like physical pain, then their natural purpose must be to call your attention to the deeper emotional and mental wounds that cause them,” saidanxiety expert Dr. Friedemann Schaub, Ph.D.
The Types of Anxiety You Should Get Rid Of/ReduceOnce anxiety becomes intense to the point of making you suffer and inhibiting the fullness of your life, it’s no longer useful. Here are someexamplesof what this type of anxiety can do to you:Constantly feeling restless or on edge despite there being no apparent causeBecoming lost in a rabbit hole of worrySleep problemsDifficulty concentrating and clearing the mindMuscle tensionIrritabilityBecoming easily fatiguedPanic attacksSocial isolationRather than focusing on rational issues such as childcare and deadlines, these types of anxieties often cause people to ruminate on a series of irrational fears, including:Fear of imminent death or bodily harmSudden fear of embarrassment or illnessWorries about everything in your life being wrongConstantly imagining worst-case scenario situations, asking a chain of “What if (insert negative outcome)?” questions
The Types of Anxiety You Should Get Rid Of/Reduce
Once anxiety becomes intense to the point of making you suffer and inhibiting the fullness of your life, it’s no longer useful. Here are someexamplesof what this type of anxiety can do to you:
Rather than focusing on rational issues such as childcare and deadlines, these types of anxieties often cause people to ruminate on a series of irrational fears, including:
How to Get Rid Of/Reduce This Bad Anxiety
Here are some research-backed methods you can use to reduce or get rid of the negative aspects of anxiety in your life:
Psychotherapy: Changing Your Thinking to Reduce Anxiety
There isclinical evidencefor some forms of psychotherapy being able to reduce burdensome symptoms of anxiety.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy[CBT] has been particularly effective because it spends a lot of time targeting the negative beliefs that tend to cause anxiety. Therapy catalyzescognitive changes that cause the brain to restructureso it can’t produce as much anxiety as before.
If you want an option that might be more convenient and cost-effective for you than traditional therapy, tryonline therapy. It can be effective in treating anxiety, according to astudyof online,text-based therapy.
Below are some examples of cognitive strategies your therapist might work with you on to reduce anxiety. You can try these on your own, too.
Note: Many therapists incorporate or recommend the below techniques as part of their work. They can also teach clients how to use them effectively.
Mindfulness
Deep Breathing and Meditation
When you suffer from ananxiety attack, you might think, “I need to calm down.”Mindful breathingand meditation can help you do that and lower your stress, according to theMayo Clinic.
Exercise
Diet
Having a healthy and balanced dietcan help you cope with anxiety. Here is a quick summary of a balanced diet that could help make you less anxious:
Medication
You Don’t Need to Do It AloneOnce you better understand anxiety and can separate the good from the bad, you’ll be able to take steps toward getting rid of the bad anxiety. Remember, you don’t need to be alone in this process. Licensed therapists can help you lift the burden and live a less anxious life.
You Don’t Need to Do It Alone
Once you better understand anxiety and can separate the good from the bad, you’ll be able to take steps toward getting rid of the bad anxiety. Remember, you don’t need to be alone in this process. Licensed therapists can help you lift the burden and live a less anxious life.
Joseph RauchStaff Writer at Talkspace
Staff Writer at Talkspace
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