Expert says avoiding anxiety-causing situations can be a ‘double-edged sword’

While one may think that avoiding anxiety-inducing situations is an easy way to get comfortable, one expert warns that this is a “double-edged sword” that could do more harm in the future.

Dr. Tracy Marks, a psychologist from Atlanta, Georgia, tells DailyMail.com that anxiety is a natural response to certain stressors, but if someone struggling with it doesn’t make an effort to overcome it, it will only get worse.

Anxiety has become more prevalent in America and around the world in recent years, so much so that some have described the situation as a crisis. While Marks believes that the number of people suffering from the condition is increasing, he also believes that the increasing acceptance and understanding of mental health in recent years has led many to feel more open about their problems and seek help in ways they would not have otherwise.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates that about one in five American adults suffers from clinical anxiety, and most people develop their first symptoms before age 21. Because the country also lacked therapists, many had to manage their stressors with little help.

“Why Am I So Concerned?” Talking about mental health in his new book, Marks, defines anxiety as the basic emotion of being distressed, whether it is an external or internal factor.

Fear has an evolutionary utility. It is activated when a person is in a potentially dangerous or precarious situation, giving him adrenaline and thus making him more conscious.

In the past, this could manifest as a person receiving a boost of alert when threatened by a large animal. In a more modern setting, someone who has to meet deadlines at work or school may start working faster because of the anxiety this causes.

Anxiety has a developmental benefit, helping a person stay alert and busy in times of high stress or danger. In modern times, it can be caused by stress factors at work or school, for example meeting deadlines (archive photo)

Some people will develop more unusual forms of anxiety, explains Marks: “[anxiety] It can be internal, as if people can simply be aroused by a sense of need and access, and this can express fear or anxiety, or even manifest as physical symptoms. “

Such inner fears can often become problematic and even debilitating in a person’s life. At this point it can be classified as a form of clinical anxiety.

Studies have found that the American population and worldwide fear have increased significantly in recent years.

Marks believes the reason for this spike is twofold. First, the current state of the world is eerie. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a trigger for some, but even before that, much of the social unrest and economic uncertainty faced by millions of people was enough to create a sense of need.

It is likely that there will also be an increase in reporting of symptoms included in the increase.

It is now more socially acceptable for a person to struggle with issues such as anxiety and depression.

Many celebrities such as Demi Lovato, Kendrick Lamar, and Kevin Love became famous for their struggles with the condition. As a result, the average person may better understand that they are in pain and feel less stigmatized when seeking help.

‘People [are] feel more comfortable talking about their experiences [with anxiety]said Marco.

Marks, Why Am I So Concerned? In her book, she states that improvements in diet, sleep, and exercise can help reduce a person’s anxiety every day.

“Because a lot of other people have it and they talk about it, they talk about it more easily, so it may seem like there’s more of it.”

According to Marks, there are many ways to deal with anxiety without going the prescription drug route.

On a structural level, a person can reduce some symptoms of anxiety by changing their diet, improving sleep, and exercising every day.

Explain that reducing the intake of sugar and processed foods in the body can reduce inflammation, which in turn can reduce anxiety levels.

About two and a half hours of moderate exercise a week, along with seven to nine hours of sleep a night, are also known to help limit symptoms.

Daily stresses, such as meeting deadlines at work or being pressured for some other reason, can be managed through mindfulness and meditation, she says.

He recommends mindful breathing, in which a person tightens his breathing and slows it down, calms down.

A bad way to deal with anxiety, which can make problems worse, is to avoid it.

While avoiding situations that you know are causing stress may work in some cases, a person cannot protect themselves from these problems forever.

“Avoiding is a kind of double-edged sword. Sometimes a person with social anxiety… their anxiety can stem from being around people or performing,” explains Marks.

“The more you avoid these things, the greater the fear, and eventually the harder it will be to do these things, some of which are very important.

“When you’re working, you can’t go into a meeting and talk forever.”

Advise a person to use techniques such as diaries to better understand their fears and gain insight.