Dr LeCrone
03-24-2006, 02:01 PM
Perhaps one of the most important assets an individual can possess is the ability to control anxiety. Most of us experience anxiety of one sort or another almost everyday. Some individuals, however, allow anxiety to control their lives. They are worrying about something from the time they get up until they go to bed, and many, in fact, even wake up in the night to worry more.
Anxiety can be a complete psychological problem and certainly should not be overly simplified or brushed off as simply being a sign of weakness, immaturity or lack of confidence in oneself. Frequently it accompanies other psychological problems and oftentimes requires treatment by mental health professionals. But many types of anxiety can be controlled and even overcome by the use of self-control techniques.
Jim works in a job where there is a great deal of stress and tension. Over a period of time his nervous system has become tense and irritable and his ability to enjoy most of life’s pleasures is almost non-existent. He feels as though he is wandering around in a daze half the time and lives by the adage, “Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.” He goes to work expecting problems and comes home expecting to find another set of difficulties. His outlook on life has become rather cynical. Deep down he believes he has no control over his life.
Jim’s uptight outlook on life has made him approach everything as though it were going to be a struggle and a do or die situation. Jim’s wife and children have begun to dread his arrival home from work, having learned they need to be as inconspicuous as possible until he winds down. He falls into bed exhausted each night, but the quality of sleep he experiences is poor and very restless.
Mary, a wife and mother of three children, characterizes her life as “living from one crisis to another.” She seems to spend all of her time worrying about what might happen. In return, she accomplishes very little of significance during the day.
In reality, her problems are not insurmountable and she has a lot of good things going for her, such as a loving husband, good physical health, three fairly well-adjusted children and an adequate income provided by her husband. She indicates that she came by her outlook on life naturally. Her mother was a very uptight and nervous individual and Mary acquired her anxious tendencies. When she was asked to rate her ability to relax on a scale of zero to ten, her response was, “Is this awake or asleep? The only time I’m relaxed is when I’m asleep.”
Both research and clinical practice have shown that many individuals can learn to control anxiety, stress and tension by practicing significantly proven techniques that have been developed to help individuals with these problems.
Some of the proven methods available are:
• Yoga and transcendental meditation. Courses in these techniques are often taught in junior colleges as part of the continuing education program. They can be learned with the assistance of a qualified instructor or an individual basis.
• Relaxation exercises. Many different techniques are available to help individuals learn this self-control procedure. Most stress management programs emphasize these techniques as part of the training.
• Biofeedback. This approach emphasizes the use of mechanical equipment to inform the individual about certain body functions, such as muscle tension, thereby giving them the opportunity to alter the tension.
• Self-hypnosis. This technique is often useful in helping individuals learn to control certain types of anxiety and stress. When learned, hypnosis can become a part of the individual’s arsenal to combat lack of emotional control.
For an individual desiring to learn these techniques, a certain amount of motivation is required. Daily practice is important, but for most people the effort is worthwhile as the rewards of being anxiety free are lasting.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1984
Anxiety can be a complete psychological problem and certainly should not be overly simplified or brushed off as simply being a sign of weakness, immaturity or lack of confidence in oneself. Frequently it accompanies other psychological problems and oftentimes requires treatment by mental health professionals. But many types of anxiety can be controlled and even overcome by the use of self-control techniques.
Jim works in a job where there is a great deal of stress and tension. Over a period of time his nervous system has become tense and irritable and his ability to enjoy most of life’s pleasures is almost non-existent. He feels as though he is wandering around in a daze half the time and lives by the adage, “Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.” He goes to work expecting problems and comes home expecting to find another set of difficulties. His outlook on life has become rather cynical. Deep down he believes he has no control over his life.
Jim’s uptight outlook on life has made him approach everything as though it were going to be a struggle and a do or die situation. Jim’s wife and children have begun to dread his arrival home from work, having learned they need to be as inconspicuous as possible until he winds down. He falls into bed exhausted each night, but the quality of sleep he experiences is poor and very restless.
Mary, a wife and mother of three children, characterizes her life as “living from one crisis to another.” She seems to spend all of her time worrying about what might happen. In return, she accomplishes very little of significance during the day.
In reality, her problems are not insurmountable and she has a lot of good things going for her, such as a loving husband, good physical health, three fairly well-adjusted children and an adequate income provided by her husband. She indicates that she came by her outlook on life naturally. Her mother was a very uptight and nervous individual and Mary acquired her anxious tendencies. When she was asked to rate her ability to relax on a scale of zero to ten, her response was, “Is this awake or asleep? The only time I’m relaxed is when I’m asleep.”
Both research and clinical practice have shown that many individuals can learn to control anxiety, stress and tension by practicing significantly proven techniques that have been developed to help individuals with these problems.
Some of the proven methods available are:
• Yoga and transcendental meditation. Courses in these techniques are often taught in junior colleges as part of the continuing education program. They can be learned with the assistance of a qualified instructor or an individual basis.
• Relaxation exercises. Many different techniques are available to help individuals learn this self-control procedure. Most stress management programs emphasize these techniques as part of the training.
• Biofeedback. This approach emphasizes the use of mechanical equipment to inform the individual about certain body functions, such as muscle tension, thereby giving them the opportunity to alter the tension.
• Self-hypnosis. This technique is often useful in helping individuals learn to control certain types of anxiety and stress. When learned, hypnosis can become a part of the individual’s arsenal to combat lack of emotional control.
For an individual desiring to learn these techniques, a certain amount of motivation is required. Daily practice is important, but for most people the effort is worthwhile as the rewards of being anxiety free are lasting.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1984