The Worry Trap

[sabbath92001]

Is social anxiety just worrying about socializing? Our we in a worry trap and the more we struggle the more trapped we become? It's only natural to struggle when trapped. But our trap is psychological.

There's a cool new book out called The Worry Trap: How to Free Yourself from Worry and Anxiety Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. I got it a couple of weeks ago and it seems pretty good.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) uses mindfulness and values to help guide us. In ACT we try not to control our thoughts or feelings. We try to increase our willingness to feel whatever comes our way and still be response-able.

I've been using ACT for almost 2 years now and I can recommend it over medications and/or CBT. Before learning about ACT I tried prozac, paxil, wellbutrin, zoloft, klonopin, celexa, serzone, etc. I also tried CBT in group and alone. But ACT is the only thing that has really stopped my downward spiral. I'm not totally cured yet but I've made lots of progress.

There are some free articles on ACT at www.actmindfully.com.au

 

[LittleMissMuffet]

I'm curious about the same thing.

And I'm also keen on 'mindfulness' as a strategy.

Yesterday, I saw a book on ACT, that I remembered you had mentioned, and I almost bought it -I bought books on meditation instead. But since ACT uses Mindfulness, the two are probably similar. I will read up about ACT soon though.

As for you question: Are we in a worry trap and the more we struggle the more trapped we become?

...my intuition tells me that, yes. I think that the problem is that we struggle because we can't see what to do. I think that Mindfulness and ACT and Bhuddist thinking in general, are techniques with which to handle trouble when we come across it. It gives a positive and helpful thing to do when we are lost and distressed.

I am reading-up on Meditation, Bhuddist beliefs and the Mind ....so some day in the near future I would very much like to answer questions like yours as to just what has been happening and what is the difference between what works and what doesn't work.

One thing that I do recall reading is that Mindfulness and meditation place a person at a position of calm, and from this position it is easiest to see what to do and do what is needed. ...Maybe it is like being in quick sand: struggling and striving make us sink deeper, relaxing (quite hard to do without something like meditation) instead stablises us and we are not as stuck