What is anxiety? Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness or unease that is typically associated with an imminent event or an uncertain outcome. For people who suffer from chronic pain, anxiety often can be associated with worrying about the future. Overwhelming anxiety for chronic pain sufferers could be associated with the following questions:
- When will my pain end?
- Will my doctor listen to me about my pain?
- What will my friends, family, or coworkers say about my pain?
This overwhelming anxiety is often focused on future issues and does not allow us to live in the present. Many people who are dealing with anxiety are afraid of the future because they have no control over it.
Pain and Anxiety Are Taking Over My Life, When Will I Be Me Again?
Anxiety is an accumulation of fear, which can be overwhelming and consume you. When this happens, your body is signaling to you that the environment you’ve created for yourself needs attention – it has become like a pressure cooker that needs to release so that the environment can be eased.
To help you through the process:
- When you feel like anxiety and pain are getting the best of you, you can tell yourself: “I create from the present moment where I am in control.”
- When you feel like the anxiety is too much, you can tell yourself: “I am the driver of my life, not the passenger.”
What Happens When You Can’t Cope?
No matter how bad the anxiety may be, there is always a way through it. Whether it’s overwhelming anxiety at the petrol station or if you’re like Jade, who suffered from anxiety at the age of 10 and left uni, anxiety and fear are irrational and they must be dealt with before they get out of control. No matter how long, intense, and severe the emotions are, they can be overcome.
Telling Yourself “I’m Over It” and Doing Something About It
There comes a point when you need to acknowledge your fear and anxiety and do something about it. For example, with pain, it means dealing with the cause of that pain and choosing not to live with it any longer, including the negative emotions that pain produces. There are a few steps that will help you get over your feelings of pain and anxiety:
- Acknowledging your anxiety and fear and doing something about it.
- When you do something about your anxiety and fear, you will feel more present and in the moment.
Once you do this, you will be able to discern between what is perceived and real. You will also be able to trust yourself to heal.
