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Anxiety

The three laws of emotional mastery

In this article, I discuss three laws you can follow to master your management of emotions. One of the most impactful articles I have read is The Three Laws of Emotional Mastery. Written by Noam Shpancer, PhD, it appeared in the May 4, 2021 edition of Psychology Today. I have used the concepts discussed in the article to help many clients with the challenging task of managing their emotions. In the following sections, I will discuss the three laws of emotional mastery and how they can benefit you in different areas of your life...[more]

2024-03-10T19:42:27-06:00By |Categories: Anxiety, Psychology|
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Exposure versus avoidance: Striking a balance

In this article, I discuss how to strike a balance between exposing yourself to challenging situations and avoiding those situations. For various issues in therapy, a go-to treatment is exposure. This entails repeatedly entering and remaining in challenging situations rather than avoiding them. Exposure works because, over time, the person learns that they can cope with the situation’s challenges. This is typically accompanied by experiencing a significant and lasting reduction in the intensity of emotions they experience in the situation. In contrast, avoidance spares the person from experiencing short-term discomfort but deprives them of the more substantial and lasting long-term benefits which come from exposure. So, it seems that choosing exposure over avoidance is a ‘slam dunk’. However, this is not necessarily the case. In fact, although exposure is ultimately preferred over avoidance, there are many instances in which it is wise to strike a balance between exposure and avoidance. In the following sections, I will use examples from several issues to illustrate this point...[more]

2023-11-05T18:22:39-07:00By |Categories: Anger, Anxiety, Relationships|
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Exposure and response prevention: It’s not just used to treat OCD

In this article, I discuss a therapy technique most commonly used as a treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder but which is also effective with many other issues. The go-to treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is exposure and response prevention (ERP). This treatment consists of two steps. In the first step known as exposure, the client deliberately exposes themselves to situations which lead them to have obsessive thoughts along with strong accompanying anxiety. In the second step known as response prevention, the client is prevented from performing their usual response to the obsessive thoughts and accompanying anxiety—engaging in compulsive behaviours to avoid thinking the obsessive thoughts and experiencing the strong anxiety.  Preventing the response of engaging in compulsive behaviours forces the client to sit with the anxiety stemming from their obsessive thoughts. Doing so over a prolonged period results in the intensity of their anxiety diminishing in a lasting way rather than seeing it diminishing only temporarily by performing the compulsive behaviours. The desensitization or habituation which results from prolonged exposure and response prevention is indicative of success in addressing OCD. Fortunately, there are many other therapy issues which can be addressed by using ERP. I will discuss how this treatment is used to address these issues in the following sections...[more]

2023-10-22T22:03:39-06:00By |Categories: Anger, Anxiety|
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How to prevent post-traumatic stress disorder following a traumatic event

In this article, I discuss cognitive and behavioural steps which can be taken in the aftermath of a traumatic event to decrease the likelihood of later being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. In my last article, I discussed the difference between someone experiencing a traumatic event and being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). During this discussion, I pointed to research indicating that over 90 per cent of people who experience traumatic events recover without eventually developing PTSD. I closed the article by stating that there are steps a person can take after a traumatic event which can make it even less likely that they will eventually develop PTSD. I will discuss these steps in the following sections...[more]

2023-01-29T21:56:15-07:00By |Categories: Anxiety, Trauma|
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Test anxiety: How to manage it and benefit from it

In this article, I discuss strategies you can use to manage and benefit from anxiety experienced leading up to and during tests and examinations. Using tests and examinations to assess people’s abilities in a multitude of endeavours is as pervasive today as it was when I was growing up. In my own experience, I have had to perform on tests in elementary school, junior high school, high school as well as in undergraduate and graduate school at university. I had to succeed on both written and oral examinations to become registered as a psychologist. I have also had to take examinations in non-academic endeavours such as karate and piano. Being able to succeed on these various tests and examinations has necessarily meant also being able to manage the anxiety which occurs before and during them. In the following sections, I will discuss various strategies which I have found effective in managing test anxiety for myself and with clients and which you can use in your life...[more]

2022-12-04T21:51:44-07:00By |Categories: Anxiety, Sport & Performance|
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Health anxiety: How to use cognitive and behavioural strategies to address it

Health anxiety: How to use cognitive and behavioural strategies to address it In this article, I discuss how the way a person thinks and behaves can affect the level of anxiety they have which is related to their health. Do have ongoing anxiety about your health even though your family doctor and one or more specialists has determined through extensive examination and testing that there is little to no evidence of health problems? Are you preoccupied with noticing and monitoring various parts of your body as possible signs or symptoms of illnesses or diseases? Do you regularly seek reassurance from people close to you, from information on the internet and from doctors that there is no cause for concern? Does this reassurance-seeking decrease your anxiety briefly only to have it return to the high levels you experienced prior to seeking reassurance? If you answered ‘yes’ to one or more of the preceding questions, then you may be dealing with issues involving health anxiety. Fortunately, there are tried-and-true strategies which you can use to address health anxiety which focus on changing the way you think and the way you behave in relation to your health. I will discuss these strategies in the following sections...[more]

2022-10-23T18:36:33-06:00By |Categories: Anxiety|
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Is it good to be a perfectionist? It depends on how you define it

In this article, I discuss different meanings of perfectionism and how this influences whether it is beneficial or detrimental to be a perfectionist. Few terms create as much confusion and ambivalence as perfectionism. On many occasions, it is used in a positive manner. Usually, this happens when someone is describing a conscientious worker, athlete or other performer who keeps working hard or practicing until they can perform a task at a high level. Some of the most successful, respected and admired individuals in a variety of domains are referred to as perfectionists. And these same people typically wear the perfectionist label as a badge of honour. In contrast with the flattering portrayal of perfectionism which we often hear in public discourse, the term is often discussed in a negative manner in clinical and counselling psychology. In fact, perfectionism is listed as one of the symptoms of a disorder found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). How do we make sense of these vastly different meanings of the same term? In the following sections I will discuss these different meanings of perfectionism and their implications...[more]

2022-09-25T21:43:35-06:00By |Categories: Anxiety, Psychology|
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Dealing with computer issues: A chance for this psychologist to use stress management strategies

In this article, I discuss how I dealt with an unexpected significant stressor by using the strategies which I teach to my clients. For the last several years, I have written and posted a blog article every two weeks without interruption. That streak came to an end last Sunday when I did not write or post an article. The reason for my not writing or posting is the focus of this article.  On the morning of Thursday, September 8th I realized that the computer which I used to write and post blog articles was not working. This realization and the many events which ensued created significant stress for me. And although I would have preferred that I did not have to face the adversity associated with these events, it gave me an opportunity to apply the strategies for dealing with stress which I teach to my clients. Given that I am now experiencing the relief of having emerged from this challenging series of events by having successfully applied these strategies, I thought it would be both cathartic and educational to discuss how I used these strategies...[more]

2022-09-18T22:08:38-06:00By |Categories: Anxiety, Stress|
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Facing down the demons on the boat

In this article, I discuss a metaphor for the benefits of accepting challenging emotions and thoughts which you encounter while engaging in valued activities. Engaging in activities and pursuing goals in different spheres of our lives is fundamental to having a meaningful, purposeful and happy existence. These activities and goals are typically pursued in the domains of work and education, relationships, personal growth and leisure. Although these activities and goals can be immensely rewarding, there are many challenges to be dealt with along the way. These include unpleasant thoughts and emotions we experience. The prospect of having to face these cognitive and affective obstacles can be so daunting that it often leads people to abandon their valued activities and goals or even not to get started on pursuing them. Fortunately, there is an excellent metaphor for how to think about these thoughts and emotions in a manner which will make it easier for you not to let them deter you from engaging in activities and pursuing goals which are consistent with your values. I will discuss this metaphor in the following sections...[more]

2022-05-08T20:16:59-06:00By |Categories: Anxiety, Psychology|
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