Don’t Believe Everything That You Think!

     A patient gave me a desktop sign that summarizes some of what she learned in therapy.  It has the pithy saying, “Don’t believe everything that you think.” This sign addresses the dilemma that many anxious adults and children face-What do you do when your body is signaling danger and fear and your mind reacts by assuming that whatever you are about to do must therefore be really terrible?  It is difficult to override raw anxiety and panic with reason.  We are used to listening to our body’s signals to tell us how to respond.  When you have an anxiety disorder, however, the signals that your body sends are false.  Panic and anxiety represent a mistaken alarm.  This is akin to what happens when a smoke detector goes off but there is no fire.  Learning to recognize your anxiety for what it is, just a symptom of an anxiety disorder, as opposed to a reason to avoid, doubt, or escape, can go a long way in helping you to overcome your fears.  I often tell my patients to remember the acronym F.E.A.R.  F=false, E=evidence, A=appearing, R=real.  What we think is very important because it influences the choices we make and the emotions that we will experience.  Learn to challenge your anxious thinking so that when anxiety is talking in your mind you do not believe everything that you think.

The Disorders We Treat

The Anxiety and Agoraphobia Treatment Center treats many disorders. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder With and Without Agoraphobia, Specific Phobia, Health Related Anxiety, Social Anxiety Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Trichotillomania and Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (Compulsive skin picking, nail biting, cheek biting, nose picking), Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Selective Mutism, Separation Anxiety Disorder. Call us today (847) 559-0001.

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