Anxiety and Resilience
There are two mental remedies for anxiety. Much like a swim on a hot day, a long awaited letter sent from a relative from Nigeria (remember letters before emails and texts), or a pay raise, mental remedies can bring relief. But, relief can easily be confused with happiness, which is different. More than relief, mental remedies can enhance understanding, increase happiness, and reduce anxiety.
There are two mental remedies: cognitive therapy principles (CTP) and positive psychology principles (PPP).
Example of a CTP = Normalizing can help you to stop catastrophizing danger. In the past, you believed a panic attack would lead to death. This never happened. You got yourself out of the panic attack. Panic attacks are difficult, but not awful.
Example of PPP = The Resilience factor is in your life. The experience of your recent adversity actually producing a “buffering effect” in you; you are more likely to handle future life challenges and anxiety producing situations. Embracing adversity can build resilience.
I have seen firsthand the resilience required in overcoming adversity. It is interesting to see people on the verge of building resilience and it is interesting to see individuals who have already built resilience.
A few years ago, I spent time with a professional athlete who injured himself in 1990. Following the injury, he played with pain for several years but became addicted to opiates. By 1998, his anger ruined some of his close relationships. His life led to legal problems. Now, more than 15 years after his professional playing days ended, he is fighting for understanding. His adversity has been both external and self-inflicted. Now, he suffers from an anxiety disorder and is strongly seeking an ability to recover from his adversity - resilience.
Those who spend time with the poor, homeless, and individuals from the inner city, know how hard it is for teenage mothers to consider adoption for their newborns. I recently marveled at the resilience of a young woman who walked through an open adoption with a European couple (who flew here to meet the mother and adopt). She shared with me about how praying helped her know she made the right decision. In this woman, through her anxiety, I could see the resilience that buffered her decision-making skills at a young age.
Resilience, the ability to recover from adversity, is a critical positive psychology principle. Resilience is like a muscle, it needs to be worked out through life experience. But, life with its ups and downs, will do that for us all.
There are two mental remedies for anxiety. Much like a swim on a hot day, a long awaited letter sent from a relative from Nigeria (remember letters before emails and texts), or a pay raise, mental remedies can bring relief. But, relief can easily be confused with happiness, which is different. More than relief, mental remedies can enhance understanding, increase happiness, and reduce anxiety.
There are two mental remedies: cognitive therapy principles (CTP) and positive psychology principles (PPP).
Example of a CTP = Normalizing can help you to stop catastrophizing danger. In the past, you believed a panic attack would lead to death. This never happened. You got yourself out of the panic attack. Panic attacks are difficult, but not awful.
Example of PPP = The Resilience factor is in your life. The experience of your recent adversity actually producing a “buffering effect” in you; you are more likely to handle future life challenges and anxiety producing situations. Embracing adversity can build resilience.
I have seen firsthand the resilience required in overcoming adversity. It is interesting to see people on the verge of building resilience and it is interesting to see individuals who have already built resilience.
A few years ago, I spent time with a professional athlete who injured himself in 1990. Following the injury, he played with pain for several years but became addicted to opiates. By 1998, his anger ruined some of his close relationships. His life led to legal problems. Now, more than 15 years after his professional playing days ended, he is fighting for understanding. His adversity has been both external and self-inflicted. Now, he suffers from an anxiety disorder and is strongly seeking an ability to recover from his adversity - resilience.
Those who spend time with the poor, homeless, and individuals from the inner city, know how hard it is for teenage mothers to consider adoption for their newborns. I recently marveled at the resilience of a young woman who walked through an open adoption with a European couple (who flew here to meet the mother and adopt). She shared with me about how praying helped her know she made the right decision. In this woman, through her anxiety, I could see the resilience that buffered her decision-making skills at a young age.
Resilience, the ability to recover from adversity, is a critical positive psychology principle. Resilience is like a muscle, it needs to be worked out through life experience. But, life with its ups and downs, will do that for us all.
