If you suffer from hypervigilance, you may be engaging in an exhausting, never-ending strategy of scanning your environment for evidence of danger. Hypervigilance is not a disorder in and of …
Healing Hypervigilance
OCD Distortions (And Who Says They’re Wrong)
Authorship Confusion.Daniel M. Wegner uses the phrase “authorship confusion” to describe how people mistakenly assume responsibility for causing an event, simply because the thought preceded the occurrence. Believed-In Imaginings.Theodore Sarbin …
Searching for Bad News: The Circuitous Path of Obsessive Thinking
I Believe Something Terrible. Many people are invested in “proving” the existence of something they are terribly worried about. Even though this would be the worst news imaginable – that …
Automatic Thoughts
What just happened? (Just quickly relay the facts). Was I already in a difficult space before this even happened? How come? (What was the context?) What went through my mind …
Who Says I’m Wrong?
Cognitive-behavioral therapists typically present a list of “cognitive distortions” that describe the common errors we make at the level of our thoughts. (You are likely to find a list of …
Treating Panic Disorder
TREATING PANIC DISORDER: A COUNTER-INTUITIVE APPROACH. If you suffer from “anxiety sensitivity,” you may be interpreting certain arousal states in your body to be threatening when in fact they are …
Suggestions for Supporting the Anxious Person
Dear Supportive Person, The following are some suggestions that may benefit both you and the anxious person during difficult times. Check in with your own feelings first, and notice your …
Look — You Are Not Your Mind
“You are not your mind,” I tell my clients. “You aren’t.” This statement is usually followed by a mixed look of skepticism and pity: “She’s a psychologist, and she doesn’t …
Cognitive Restructuring
This process is recommended to help you restructure your thoughts and gain some healthy perspectives when you are feeling anxious. It is best to do this in the moment when …
Anxiety and Co-Dependency
A Sign of Co-Dependence: Compulsive Giving. Anxious people tend to be co-dependent, often possessing a great capacity for empathy, a strong sense of responsibility, and a longing to channel their …