The anxiety It is one of the most frequent psychological consultations today, but there are still many doubts about what causes it and how to deal with it when it appears. For the psychologist Elena Puig Guitartunderstanding that anxiety is not the problem itself, but the consequence of something deeper, is the first step in learning to manage it.
During a conversation on the program The first stoneled by Noemí Pollsthe specialist used a very graphic comparison to explain this process.
«Anxiety is like smoke in a fire. We see the smoke, but not what is burning. Anxiety would be the same, it is the consequence of something that is happening and is not seen, and the interesting thing is to explore it,» he explained.
According to Puig Guitart, Anxiety is a completely natural response of the body. «It is a natural reaction of the body to possible risks, an anticipatory fear of dangers that we consider real,» he said.
In that sense, remember that this emotion is part of the human survival mechanism, since it keeps the body on alert when it perceives a possible threat. The problem appears when that fear is directed towards situations that will probably never happen.
The avoidance mechanism that fuels anxiety
The psychologist explains that one of the most common effects of anxiety is the so-called avoidance mechanism, which consists of moving away from what generates fear.
«If I am afraid that the subway will have an accident, while I am on the platform the anxiety escalates to a point that is not sustainable and I end up fleeing. Then, when we leave what we think is a danger, the anxiety goes down, we relax and we end up becoming addicted,» he said.
Although leaving the situation produces immediate relief, this behavior ends up reinforcing the fear and causes the anxiety to reappear with more and more intensity.
Gradual exposure as a tool
Against this pattern, Puig Guitart recommends moving progressively towards that which generates fear.
Following the example of the subway, he explains that it is not necessary to face the most difficult situation all at once. The proposal consists of starting with small steps, such as taking a short trip accompanied by a trusted person.
«Little by little I can increase the exposure to feel more and more safe,» she said.
In this way, the brain learns that the situation does not represent a real danger and the anxiety loses intensity over time.
Another message that the psychologist considers essential is to stop constantly fighting anxiety when it appears.
To do this, he proposes recognizing its presence instead of trying to eliminate it immediately. «You have to call out the anxiety,» he summarizes.
And it adds a calming message for those experiencing anxiety attacks.
«No one dies from an anxiety attack. It will last 5, 10 or 20 minutes, but it will happen to me. We have to accept that state because this reduces the struggle. And then we dedicate ourselves to something that distracts us,» he recommended.
According to the specialist, temporarily accepting this state helps reduce fear and prevents the episode from prolonging due to the resistance that many people generate in the face of their own physical sensations.
An «anxiety epidemic»
Puig Guitart He also drew attention to the increase in anxiety problems in today’s society.
The psychologist considers that economic difficulties, uncertainty and prolonged stress are behind a good part of the cases that come to consultation today. «Continuous stress ends up leading to anxiety,» he concluded.
For the specialist, understanding the origin of this anxiety and working on the root causes is much more effective than focusing only on relieving the symptoms when they appear.
