This is a great question and for many something at some point in one's life that is faced.
The cycle of anxiety and fear is a vicious cycle. One that is reoccurring and significantly impacts a persons daily life.
Living in a constant world of threat and potential threat has been reported by many stuck in this cycle of anxiety and fear.
For many avoidance contributes to this cycle and because an individual feels anxious they tend to avoid going to different situations and in hand this cycle grows and gradually works to other parts of the persons life, becoming very distressing.
So how do we reverse the cycle of anxiety and fear? Here is some helpful tips on ways to break the vicious cycle.
Coping skills is key, learning alternative ways of reducing anxiety in situations gives a good chance of eliciting structure and halting the cycle of fear and anxiety.
Reality checks, cognitive restructuring or questioning is another way to break the cycle, when ever something stressful arises, or fear triggers an anxiety response, so a reality check. Ask your self questions like how valid is this fear? How true is this thought? Is there immediate danger. Most of the time, the thought or stressor is fear driven proving to have no reality or truth to it, in hand breaking the cycle.
Mindfulness is another great tool to break the cycle, focusing more on the here and now, vs the what if and the future can help to eliminate fears, rumination and intrusive thoughts about the future.
Exposure is another way to halt the cycle, exposure is like undoing or unlearning a fear, by doing this an individual is practicing response prevention. Exposure helps to break the cycle by eliminating the reliance of inefficient anxiety reduction tools, changing the pattern, ending the cycle.
The anxiety and fear cycle is vicious, however breaking just one link can help to breaking the cycle and living a happier, anxiety free life.
If you or someone you know is dealing with anxiety and fear, reach out to New Day Vitality Psychotherapy, private practice in Larchmont NY, the anxiety experts are here and ready to help.