Getting Lost in Vague Fears

I often feel that at the very heart of anxiety is a feeling of being helpless or powerless. When I think of times I’ve felt anxious, I felt as if I was afraid of having no control over something really important to me. Sometimes I’m not even sure of what it is I’ve no control over. It could be the future or what others are thinking of me. Or I could be ruminating excessively over something that has happened, analyzing it to the nth degree.

So as my mind begins to create worst case scenarios I experience what I’ve come to refer as getting lost in vague fears through continually overthinking and catastrophising. Sometimes I forget what it is I was catastrophing as it becomes more a terrible fear of the fear rather than any actual consequence.

One thing I found helpful was to ask a simple question – ‘What is the worst that could happen’. When I ask that I take a bit of time to feel the fear and anxiety rise as I explore the scenario but subside as I either find solutions, or just realize how unlikely that scenario really is. A few moments of clarity can help reframe many a situation or perspective, and in turn save a lot of energy and stress.

Another thing I found, if you notice quite often what you’re worrying over is never the disaster you thought it was. It’s rarely as scary as we’d imagined it anyway.

If you would like to arrange an appointment or if you’d like any further information on anxious thinking please contact Sentient Counselling in Belfast.

#fear

Tags: anxiety, anxious thinking, belfast, counselling, reframing, sentient counselling, vague fears