Weekly Prompt #41: Are there any underlying beliefs or fears that fuel your anxiety?
Hello all and welcome back to another discussion,
A couple of weeks ago, we discussed what kind of behaviors anxiety has caused you to engage in. Thank you to all who participated and shared your thoughts with us. I appreciate you all. I hope all who may read it find it relatable, too. If anyone hasn't shared them yet, please share them here, and I look forward to reading and discussing them with you.
This week's prompt: Are there any underlying beliefs or fears that fuel your anxiety?
There are often underlying beliefs and fears that fuel anxiety and these can be categorized into a few key areas like core beliefs, fears, negative thinking patterns, etc. Let's start to discuss and share these behaviors and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences.
Did you join us in the Anxiety Support Chat? It is available every Wednesday for the entire day.
@ASilentObserver well as far as I’ve dealt with anxiety, it’s built off of my fears and things I DONT want to happen it’s just overthinking a lot about thinks you hate the thought of.
@E114zzzz I am sorry to hear that E11 but thank you for opening up with us. It seems it often stems from dwelling on fears and negative possibilities. Please know that is common to get caught in a cycle of overthinking and worrying about things we dread. Please know you are not alone in this. We are all here with you to listen to and support.
@ASilentObserver
Fear of being alone in the house causes me to be very fearful. Also If I am alone or people are in my home at night time causes me great fear. I can not sleep until I can see the daylight peeking through,
@WorkingitThrough2 I hear you how you are feeling this way. Please know you are not alone in experiencing these anxieties, and it is courageous to acknowledge them. It is important to be patient and kind to yourself throughout this process. We are all here with you to listen to and support you.
@ASilentObserver
I think most of the anxiety I go through is because of my insecurities, and it feels like I'm constantly comparing myself to others or worrying about not being good enough. It's exhausting, and sometimes I just wish I could stop those thoughts and feel at peace with who I am.
I wish I could do that, and I'm working it too
@BelieveinZephyra I understand and hear you. It takes a lot of courage to acknowledge those insecurities. It can be draining. But please know everyone's journey is different. Also social media often shows a highlight reel, not the reality. Please be mindful of the content you consume and how it makes you feel. And please be kind and gentle to yourself. We are all here with you to listen to and support you.
@ASilentObserver
This is a great prompt for the Anxiety
Support Chat! Here are some possible underlying beliefs or fears that
might fuel anxiety, along with some examples:
Core Beliefs and Automatic thinking
"I'm not good enough." This can lead to anxiety in social situations, performance anxiety, and fear of failure.
I'm not safe." This can manifest as generalised anxiety, social anxiety, or phobias (like fear of flying or heights).
I'm out of control." This can contribute to anxiety about health, finances, or relationships.
Fears:
Fear of rejection: This can lead to social anxiety and avoidance behaviors.
Fear of failure: This can impact academic performance, career choices, and social interactions.
Fear of the unknown: This can contribute to generalized anxiety and difficulty making decisions.
Negative Thinking Patterns:
Catastrophising: Exaggerating the potential negative consequences of events.
All-or-nothing thinking:Viewing situations in black-and-white terms.
Overgeneralisation:Drawing broad conclusions based on single events.
It's important to note that these are just a few examples, and everyone's experience with anxiety is unique.
I
encourage participants in the Anxiety Support Chat to reflect on their
own experiences and share any underlying beliefs or fears that they
believe might be contributing to their anxiety. I also use resources
such as automatic thinking worksheets to analyse negative thinking
patterns. I also use the sia strengths test to refocus individuals if
perhaps for self reflection- anxiety around addiction recovery for
example .
This exercise can be a valuable step in understanding
and managing anxiety. By identifying these underlying factors,
individuals can begin to challenge them and develop healthier coping
mechanisms.
I hope this prompt sparks some insightful discussions in the Anxiety Support Chat!
My anxiety sometimes comes out of nowhere. I have a fear of something bad is going to happen. I've been through a lot of challenging situations in my life...a lot of trauma. I've been through every bad thing a human being can endure. Health conditions, divorce, incarceration, and I feel sometimes that I really have no one in my life. I'm all alone. I'm trying to post something here to participate in this program in hopes that maybe this could help me or help someone else. I hope someone can relate to my fears that cause my anxiety.
@ASilentObserver .... the fear of failure ***. When you've been the exceptionally 'gifted' child, it makes it hard for you to accept your 'not so perfect' progress.
@ASilentObserver
I believe that in the coming days I may lose the love of my life, and this anxiety makes me unable to sleep
I get anxious when i see cats, although that's the only animal we see here in Kuwait. There are lots of street cats, my heart beat rises as soon as I see them. It feels like it will come and attack me, Although they are very human-friendly cats. I think I have a phobia with any four-legged animal. i would like to go through the desensitization technique to hopefully get over this fear someday.
I think my anxiety has been influenced a lot by bad experiences I've had in the past. Before I went through things like bullying and having no friends, I didn't really have social anxiety.
However, I think that for my general anxiety, it's just always been there without any specific reason. I remember being 6 years old and crying to my mom every night because I was so afraid a plane would crash onto our house or an atomic bomb would hit our city even without ever experiencing anything like that in real life. I'm just a naturally curious person and whenever I watched or read a story about something horrible, no matter how impossible it might be, my brain somehow turned it into a new fear of mine. It honestly sounds kinda ridiculous now that I'm reading this lol
@ASilentObserver
Yes, that AI will take over mankind ...
