Anxiety Part 4

Alcohol, smoking, drugs, droning oneself with long hours and being compulsive about work; the inordinate need for sleep; and engaging in sexual activities might serve as a safety valve through which anxiety can be released. Unfortunately, these provide only short-term fixes and do not address the underlying psychodynamic issues. Performing rituals is another escape mechanism, as evidenced when watching a professional baseball player at-bat. When the hitter steps out of the batter’s box, he loosens or unties and then re-fastens his batting glove numerous times before getting back into the batter’s box. This behavior is done over and over again and operates automatically.

Another common way to escape anxiety consists of avoiding all situations thoughts or feelings, which might arouse anxiety. If one is conscious about the fear of driving in the mountains, then one can avoid it. Sometimes one is not aware of the anxiety. In this case, one attempts to avoid it by procrastinating and experiencing difficulty in making decisions. Sometimes this avoidance operates automatically and the phenomena of inhibition arises. In addition, inhibition is the inability to do, feel or think certain things without dysfunction. It’s an attempt to avoid anxiety which would arise if the individual attempted to do, feel or think these things.

We’re certainly living in the age of anxiety. It’s a definite problem of our times. With the multitude of external threats and unresolved psychodynamic underlying issues, there are numerous individuals with poor mental, physical health; addictive disorders; economic inequities; and homicidal and suicidal behavior and deaths. Further, as evidenced by the bitterness, verbal aggression and hate expressed on social media, radio and TV, suggests that we have an epidemic of anxiety in our culture. Furthermore, there’s talk “they are going to take away my guns; changing the Second Amendment; I have to protect my family” which is like adding fuel to burning embers. Those rationalizations do not mitigate or solve the underlying issues. Having a gun, or guns does not remove insecurity. Owning a gun does not resolve the real issue. Not only that, providing more weapons to anxious individuals is dangerous and counterproductive.