What is the Anxiety Formula?
One way of looking at anxiety disorders is through the “Anxiety Formula” or “Anxiety Equation” lens. Coined by Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, author, and psychologist Christine Padesky, PhD, it is a helpful tool to describe the anxiety process.
Anxiety Equation = Overestimation of a perceived threat / Underestimation of our ability to cope.
Anxiety goes something like this:
· We experience a negative thought (worry)
· We experience an emotion (i.e., fear, insecurity, self-consciousness)
· We likely experience a physical sensation in our body (i.e., heart rate, dizziness, breathing changes)
· To reduce distress, we act on our emotions (avoidance or another maladaptive pattern)
At first, avoiding the anxiety trigger provides relief. Avoidance reduces distress and makes us feel safe. Yet overtime, avoidance does just the opposite. Avoidance and “safety behaviors” in the long run actually strengthen anxiety. Rather than learning we can tolerate and get through the negative thoughts or situations at hand, avoidance strengthens the belief in our inability to successfully cope. The good news is anxiety is treatable.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is often the first go to for therapists treating anxiety disorders and worry. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on how our thoughts impact our emotions, which in turn affect our behaviors. Anxiety Therapy can be individualized and CBT Skills can be practiced throughout the day, often wherever you are located. But most importantly, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy skills help us to rewire our brain’s neuropathways. As thoughts are challenged and new behaviors are practiced, habits develop and confidence is built.
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) , Certified Dialectical Behavioral Therapist (C-DBT) and Anxiety Therapist in Pennsylvania, I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to treat anxiety disorders. Learn more about CBT in the next blog.
Source: Mooney, Katheen A.; Padesky, Chrtine. Strengths-based cognitive-behavioral therapy: a four-step model to build resilience. National Library of Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22653834/
In case of a mental health emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department.
This post is not medical or therapy advice.