When Do Fear and Anxiety Become a Problem?
"The point where fear and anxiety start to interfere with our abilities to function in our lives certainly varies from person to person; however, there are clear indications when these emotions are becoming serious challenges and need to be addressed. Some of these are:
• "Frequently feeling overwhelmed and worried
• "Obsessive thinking, overanalyzing, and ruminating about the worst-case scenario
• "Overplanning and trying to control others and/or outside circumstances
• "Growing difficulties with work and relationships due to insecurity, doubt, and self-sabotaging behavior
• "Feeling paralyzed and stuck because of an inability to make decisions or move forward
• "Seeking distraction and instant gratification in addictive behaviors such as gambling, eating, sex, or work
• "Obsessive-compulsive behavior
• "Self-medication with alcohol, nicotine, or other drugs
• "Physical symptoms such as insomnia, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, chronic pain, and weight fluctuation
"What can you do? You've all seen the commercials. The setting: a lively party with many happy, good-looking people, The problem: a young man standing alone — his face tense, his expression worried — and isolated from all the others, who are having such a good time. A narrator's comforting voice says that you've probably felt that way before, too. And you think, 'Of course I have — whenever I'm about to meet new people, or when I need to talk to my in-laws, or when I try to make a good impression at my boss's party.' The soothing voice then says that a newly developed antianxiety medication can take care of your fear, depression, and isolation. The change is clearly demonstrated by the young man, who is now engaging in conversations, laughing, and seems very comfortable with himself. If a little pill can so easily solve your anxiety problem, doesn't it make sense to take it?
"Designed to relieve the symptoms of fear and anxiety, antianxiety medications are some of the most prescribed drugs in the United States. Every year people spend billions of dollars to escape these 'unproductive and unacceptable' feelings with the help of pharmaceutical products. These drugs are so widely used that residues have even been detected in our drinking water.
"On our path through life, fear and anxiety can appear as a wall, and all our efforts to overcome these emotions can feel as though we're trying to tear down that wall with a toothpick. Antianxiety drugs can then feel like the sledgehammer that is able to break down the wall. But are we treating the cause or the symptoms? In other words, is anxiety a physiological/biochemical problem that needs to be resolved medically, or does it have deeper root causes and meanings that need to be addressed and understood in order for us to heal and grow?"
