In this 28-minute video, we discuss the many strategies that our unconscious brain uses to trick (and self-sabotage) us into retreating from life through fear, worry, doubt and exhaustion with the condition we call anxiety.
Goal of video
In this video, we discuss the many strategies that our unconscious mind uses to sabotage us and trick us into retreating from life with the condition we call anxiety.
Key messages
Anxiety is the normal condition for certain personality types after long periods of worry or trauma.
It is the battle between who we feel we are and who we think we are/ought to be.
Who we feel we are is more true, and who we think we are can be changed.
You can live without your ego, but you can’t live without your body/pet!
Here are some more common anxiety disorders listed for you:
1. Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- Description: Ongoing and excessive worry about daily events and activities.
- Key Features: Persistent worry that feels uncontrollable, fatigue, and muscle tension.
2. Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)
- Description: Fear of being judged or humiliated in social settings.
- Key Features: Avoiding social situations, fear of public speaking, and physical symptoms like sweating.
3. Panic Disorder
- Description: Frequent, unexpected panic attacks with no apparent trigger.
- Key Features: Intense fear, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, fear of another attack.
4. Specific Phobias
- Description: Irrational fears of specific objects or situations, such as flying, heights, or animals.
- Key Features: Avoidance behaviour, immediate anxiety upon exposure.
5. Agoraphobia
- Description: Fear of being in situations where escape might be difficult.
- Key Features: Avoiding open spaces, public transport, or crowded areas.
6. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Description: Intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive actions (compulsions).
- Key Features: Fear of contamination, repetitive checking, ritualistic behaviours.
7. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Description: Anxiety and emotional disturbances following trauma.
- Key Features: Flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance of trauma reminders.
8. Separation Anxiety Disorder
- Description: Fear of being apart from loved ones or caregivers.
Key Features: Refusing to leave loved ones, distress when separated.
9. Health Anxiety (Hypochondria)
- Description: Preoccupation with having a serious illness.
- Key Features: Frequent doctor visits and constant self-monitoring for symptoms.
10. Substance/Medication-Induced Anxiety Disorder
- Description: Anxiety caused by substance use, withdrawal, or medications.
- Key Features: Panic, restlessness, irritability linked to drug use or cessation.
11. Selective Mutism
- Description: Inability to speak in specific social settings despite normal speech ability elsewhere.
- Key Features: Anxiety in certain environments like school, but speaking freely at home.
12. Performance Anxiety
- Description: Fear of performing tasks in front of others.
- Key Features: Trembling, sweating, or freezing during activities like public speaking or tests.
13. Eco-Anxiety
- Description: Anxiety related to environmental issues and climate change.
- Key Features: Feelings of hopelessness, guilt, or distress over ecological concerns.
14. Relationship Anxiety
- Description: Worry and insecurity in romantic or platonic relationships.
- Key Features: Fear of abandonment, jealousy, or overanalysing partner’s actions.
15. Perinatal or Postpartum Anxiety
- Description: Anxiety experienced during or after pregnancy.
- Key Features: Excessive worry about the baby’s health, fear of being a bad parent.
16. High-Functioning Anxiety
- Description: Anxiety that doesn’t hinder external performance but causes internal stress.
- Key Features: Over-preparation, people-pleasing, and perfectionism.
17. Caffeine-Induced Anxiety Disorder
- Description: Anxiety triggered or worsened by excessive caffeine consumption.
- Key Features: Restlessness, jitteriness, or panic attacks following caffeine intake.
18. Pharmacophobia
- Description: Fear of taking medications or their potential side effects.
- Key Features: Avoidance of necessary medications, obsessive researching of side effects.
19. School Anxiety
- Description: Anxiety specific to attending school or academic performance.
- Key Features: Refusal to go to school, stomach aches, or headaches before school.
20. Existential Anxiety
- Description: Fear or distress caused by thoughts about life’s purpose, death, or the unknown.
- Key Features: Rumination on the meaning of life, fear of mortality, or feelings of insignificance.
Final Thoughts
Each type of anxiety is unique, though they share common themes like fear, avoidance, and physical symptoms. Understanding these variations is crucial for tailoring treatment plans and coping strategies to individual needs. If anxiety significantly impacts your daily life, this course will help you enormously to understand how it functions so you can cleverly factor it out of your life.