Can Lawyers Beat Anxiety?

Can Lawyers Beat Anxiety?

Excerpts from: Finding Serenity in the Age of Anxiety   by Robert Gerzon

Charlie Brown tells Lucy that he worries a lot. Lucy, as the world renown psychologist asks him why? He says: “I worry a lot about worrying a lot”. She adds: “Your anxieties have anxieties”.

Anxiety is the shadow cast by human consciousness. Anxiety is one of the most profound problems facing human beings. We are often anxious about the wrong things.

Peace of mind is not a static state, not something we find once and for all.

As a culture we lack accurate models and effective methods to help us deal with everyday anxieties. Not to mention the overwhelming existential ones. Anxiety and depression are closely related. Mixed anxiety depression and mood disorders are a rapidly growing diagnostic category. One out of five Americans will struggle with the hopelessness of depression during their lifetime. Anxiety can block our growth more effectively than anything else; more than poverty, illness, misfortune or any environmental factor. Why? Because anxiety affects the way we think.

In our society when someone is feeling tired and anxious and discouraged it is usually more socially acceptable to say “I'm stressed out” rather than “I'm feeling anxious”.

Anxiety comes in three varieties, Natural, Toxic, and Sacred.

Natural anxiety includes the positive protective kind of anxiety that instantly responds to an immediate danger and is quickly channeled into an effective response. Both proportionate and appropriate to the situation. Natural anxiety disappears as soon as the object of the anxiety has been acknowledged.

Toxic anxiety is a powerful self destructive force symbolized in myth and story by the image of a monster. It has been called the fear of fear itself, being anxious about being anxious, according to Lucy Brown. This is a form of anxiety that Freud called toxic anxiety that may affect us physically as chronic tension, pain, or illness. Toxic anxiety is antithetical to human happiness and the enemy of life and growth. It is a state of inner conflict. Humans try to suppress the anxious feelings by pushing them down inside in the hope that they will disappear after they are out of sight.

Sacred anxiety is the life and death dimension of anxiety. The awareness of our own death is the gateway from natural to sacred anxiety. Sacred anxiety confronts the unknown and uncertain future and life's ultimate questions. Sacred anxiety is the area where we relate to our most basic values and beliefs that is the very meaning and purpose of life. Sacred anxiety brings us into the realm of ethics, philosophy and religion. Sacred anxiety is the origin of all our fears and apprehensions.

Learning to distinguish among the three levels of anxiety is the first step toward mastering anxiety. We must learn to channel the powerful energy of anxiety into tangible achievements and spiritual growth. Natural and sacred anxiety are fundamental to human life. There is no escaping them.

Dealing with Anxiety

The A+ anxiety formula: Acceptance, Awareness, Analysis, Action, and Appreciation.

1. Acceptance: accept the anxiety or the problem as an opportunity to learn and grow.

2. Awareness: practice active awareness. Relax with the anxiety and bring attention to breathing with awareness. Step back and gain more self-awareness by compassionately observing your physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts. Detach from your habitual reactions and imagine new options.

3. Analysis: tell yourself the highest truth about the situation. Separate the strands of toxic, natural and sacred anxiety. Develop a clear picture of your situation. Decide on a “next step” strategy to deal with it, one that is goal achieving as well as anxiety relieving.

4. Action: Just do it! Put your awareness into action and take your next step. Becoming aware of the type of anxiety and its causes leads to action such as using anxiety mastering techniques, exploring inner emotional healing, taking steps toward a goal or letting go to your higher power. Channeling the energy of anxiety appropriately leads to events such as feeling calmer, learning about yourself, or achieving a goal.

5. Appreciation: review what you ever learned and accomplished. Appreciate who you are and what you have done. Choose an attitude of gratitude as you notice all of the blessings in your life.

The Don't s:

Don't ignore anxiety or use denial and distraction.

Don't try to fight anxiety. Fighting it just feeds it and makes it escalate.

Don't give in and let anxiety defeat you.

Don't obsess on anxiety or try to figure it out.

Don't criticize yourself for experiencing anxiety or get sidetracked by guilt and shame.

Read the Gerzon book for more on the subject!