Читать книгу Anxiety For Dummies - W. Doyle Gentry, Laura L. Smith - Страница 63

So many of our clients seem to think that they’re the only people in the world who struggle with anxiety. But we let them know that many millions of Americans suffer from anxiety. Perhaps you won’t feel quite so alone if you consider some of the famous people throughout history who’ve suffered from one or more of the various anxiety disorders discussed in this book.

Reportedly, Albert Einstein and Eleanor Roosevelt both suffered from fears of social situations. Further, Charles Darwin eventually became a virtual hermit because of his disabling agoraphobia (see Chapter 2). Robert Frost also battled anxiety.

Prince Harry went against royal tradition and admitted to having problems with mental health, including panic attacks. After losing his mother at the age of 12, he attempted to avoid suffering by failing to deal with stress and trauma in his life. Unfortunately, avoidance usually just makes anxiety worse, and it did for Prince Harry, until he sought professional help. Revealing his own struggles was a brave act, and he now works to encourage others to seek help for their emotional difficulties. Finally, a search on the internet shows you that hundreds of celebrities reputedly suffer from all kinds of severe problems with anxiety. Use a search engine and type in “famous people and anxiety.” You’ll be surprised by what you discover. But be aware that the internet is also full of foolish, incorrect information. So, view what you find with a critical eye.

Gavin’s story illustrates how reviewing the causes of your anxiety, followed by asking yourself those important questions, can help you acquire self-acceptance.

 Gavin has developed panic disorder gradually over the past couple of years. His attacks of feeling breathless, nauseous, dizzy, and thinking he’s going crazy have increased recently. He feels shame that someone like him has this problem. When he starts having panic attacks at work, he seeks help. He tells his psychologist that a real man would never have this kind of problem. His psychologist helps Gavin to be more self-forgiving. He asks Gavin to write down the causes of his anxiety. He tells him to thoroughly review his life and come up with as many contributors to his anxiety as he can. Table 4-1 shows what Gavin comes up with.

 By reviewing the causes of his anxiety and asking himself the questions listed earlier in this section, Gavin moves from self-abuse to self-acceptance. Now he’s ready to work on overcoming his anxiety.

TABLE 4-1 Gavin’s Anxiety Causes

Possible Genetic Influences	Parenting	Events: Old and New
My Aunt Mary hardly ever leaves her house. Maybe she has something like I do.	Well, my father had quite an unpredictable temper. I never knew when he’d blow.	When I was 6, we had a terrible car accident, and I spent three days in the hospital. I was very scared.
My mother is very high-strung.	My mother’s moods bounced all over the place. I could never tell how she’d react when I asked her for something.	My middle school was in a terrible neighborhood. Gangs ruled. I had to look over my shoulder at every turn.
My cousin Margarite seems very shy. Maybe she has a lot of anxiety.		My first marriage ended when I caught my wife cheating. Even though I trust my new wife, I worry too much about her faithfulness.
My brother worries all the time. He seems totally stressed.		Two years ago, I was diagnosed with diabetes. I worry a lot about my health.