The Benefits of Worrying
If I were to tell you that you received a definite benefit from excessive worrying, would you believe me? Well according to a recent study there good reason to worry. However, some people worry more than others. And, when worry becomes excessive this can cause generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD.
How do you know if you have generalized anxiety disorder?
GAD is characterized by tension, persistent worrying and anxiety symptoms. However, you are not alone in your suffering. 22% of patients who visit their physician for anxiety have GAD.
Who is at risk?
There are a number of surprising risk factors including poverty, loss of a parent, separation, adverse life events, chronic physical and mental disorders.
The Benefits of Worrying for People with GAD
You may feel that your excessive worrying is just a bad habit. However, there is actually a very good reason to worry. You are worrying in an attempt to protect yourself. According to a recent study, people with GAD are hypersensitive to negative events and utilize excessive worry to preempt the pain and discomfort of potential future negative events. This strategy ensures that you can’t be surprised by a future negative event because you already feel bad. You can’t be surprised by something worse. The unknown future no longer seems so ominous because you can’t feel much worse.
So although this is a protective strategy, it is not exactly a positive or pleasant way of being. Luckily, there are two treatment approaches that have shown efficacy to change this negative pattern into a more positive, pleasant existence.
How Can You Develop a More Positive Coping Strategy?
Both Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Neurotherapy offer incredible benefits to developing a more proactive life strategy.
- CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help you change how you think (Cognitive) and what you do (behavioral). Rather than focusing on the cause of your problems it works in the here and now by breaking down your problems into smaller parts, seeing how they are connected and affect you. This empowers you to reframe your assumptions and feel better.
- Neurotherapy: With Neurotherapy (also called Neurofeedback), is a proven therapeutic protocol for anxiety. It helps you improve your brain function through intensive brain training exercises. With “brain training” you can learn to change your response to stress and develop the skills to reduce or eliminate anxiety in your life.The neuroplasticity of your brain enables Neurofeedback to ‘rewire’ the brains electrical circuits permanently. Neurofeedback enables the brain’s self-regulating ability to resolve brain-deregulation. The end result is less worry and fear.
Although the technology is complex, the process is simple, non-invasive and painless. It works by providing instantaneous feedback about changes in your brain’s electrical activity. Every half second, your brain activity is compared to your targets for change. You get a signal and “reward” when you meet the goal. No signal or reward when you do not. Your brain automatically responds and adapts to this process.