Anxious But You Don't Know Why? General Anxiety Disorder: Rewiring the Anxious Brain Part 4

General anxiety disorder is a mental health condition where you feel anxious but you often don't know why. In this follow-up to Rewiring the Anxious Brain, I discuss four more reasons why you might be anxious but don't know why and four ways to develop skills when you might be experiencing general anxiety disorder.

Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC, and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.

About Me:
I’m Emma McAdam. I’m a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and I have worked in various settings of change and growth since 2004. My experience includes juvenile corrections, adventure therapy programs, wilderness therapy programs, an eating disorder treatment center, a residential treatment center, and I currently work in an outpatient therapy clinic.

In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC
----

[RollrGhostr]

Reasons why you might be anxious: (from part 3 and 4)
1. Micro threats (eg. being late to work, traffic, noise, etc…)
2. Habitual avoidance and distraction
3. How you think (cognitive distortions such as black and white thinking, mind reading, mental filtering, catastrophizing, ..)
4. You’re ready to face the past
5. The body (your physical health)
6. You’re not living your values

[melbournerepublic]

Hey there, I just watched the 4 part series and wrote 10 pages of notes. I can't thank you enough! After watching this I have definitely realised that I have been avoiding and distracting myself from emotions and anxiety as well as having disordered thinking patterns, for a very long time! I am so excited to now understand what I need to do, as I had felt lost and stuck for a very long time. Already I have worked through two occasions where I felt anxiety and stood and faced, acknowledged my feelings and sat with it until I returned to calm. If I continue with this I know it will change my life. Listening to this series made me feel normal and that I do have the power to fix things, this is not a lifelong character trait. Seriously thank you so much.

[adelinkostov]

You are a freaking blessing Emma, such an angel! Great job!

[TheBlackswede]

"you are ready to face your past, to heal and grow" these words of yours just bought tears to my eyes... you are an angel, Thank you for sharing these videos, god bless...

[sydneyjohnstone]

Just listening to you has eased my stress, I’ve been in a state of extreme anxiety for a day and a half now and it doesn’t seem to go away, I’ve been distracting myself by watching tv thinking it’s the right thing to do, now after watching your videos I’ve gotten up, done the laundry, cleaned the house and actually ate something. Thank you, I thought I’d never get out of that state.

[chrisreyes]

diagnosed with GAD: i needed to be constantly worrying, lest i feel naive
momentary relief with benzos, but after having a seizure in my psychiatrist's office, she weened me off of them
meditating greatly improved my life by making me face all my problems, to see they are manageable (no point to constantly worry about them. if something unpleasant is going to happen, it's going to happen)

[LaceyMyriah]

The part about old traumas coming up is exactly what I needed to hear. I experienced something very traumatic a few years ago and everything that my anxiety catches onto seems to root back into that... ive always been very anxious, but obviously it catches onto different things over time... I am so here to work through trauma because I want to live a life where i can interact more successfully in relationships and where I can achieve the things I want.

[salcinicus]

Hi Emma. I am a lic. psychologist not in the therapy area (in the military). I have experienced anxiety my self after a really challenging deployment. It doesn't matter if you are in the profession or not no one is immune to the subtle process of anxiety growing on to you, resulting in a anxious mind. I find your videos were professional and relevant, far better then many clinical psychologist that I know of. I believe that many military (I'm not from the US btw) bor globally, experience anxiety after deployment without it having to be PTSD. I think your advice would be great for that community. Based on the ide that they often "train" the brain to be really aware of threat for a long time and then come back to a low threat environment. So keep up the good work it makes a difference even across The Atlantic. N

[janewillis]

Thanks so much for your knowkedge and your calming presence. You have helped me with anxiety, fear and catastrophizing. I am a single female and I just bought a 30 foot RV. I also tow a car. I have had tremendous fear and anxiety about driving it. Not long ago I successfully drove up the mountains to 7000 feet. I could not have done it without you! I listen to several videos each time I set out!!!!

[abdulmalik]

I literally asked a dumb question in a meeting and spent the rest of the day and night thinking about how stupid I am and the started distracting my brain with video games and YouTube 🤦

[margo]

Emma, you are so calming, encouraging and helpful! Thank you!!

[GurenSuzuki]

This series has helped me a lot in very little time. My anxiety story is quite complicated, let's just say that lately I've been struggling with seeing people outside of my family after quarantine ended (I'm from Italy). I've made great progress in the last yeas, and I'm only feeling anxious in certain situations and not always. After seeing your videos about taking actions, small steps to normalize activities which are stressful to us, tonight I got the courage to get to a social gathering alone. I didn't stay all the night (I didn't intend to in the first place since tomorrow I'll wake up super early), but I showed and I stayed almost an hour. That, for me, has been a step in the right direction. Thank you.

[girlupnorth]

This video series is the most helpful information I have heard on anxiety. It has started to help me immediately. I am grateful for your incredible content. Thank you. p.s.If it's possible in the future to make a video on coping with physical health symptoms, that would be a HUGE help! It's NOT health anxiety about there being something 'serious' wrong, it's having symptoms like pain, rashes, amongst others and 'reacting' to them/ getting totally distracted by them, getting anxious, sustaining the symptoms longer or making them worse or creating new ones and going round and round in an anxiety-symptom-anxiety loop.

[teenagray]

You are such a good therapist. I love watching your therapy programs. It always makes me feel better. Thank you, Emma.

[taratara]

Hi. I’m a therapist as well and I’ve referred a bunch of clients to your content. I tell them to like so I hope you are getting those. You are amazing and present so well. Thank you. You are helping so many with these videos. Tara McNamara

[MaxVinstappen]

Your series of videos have been the best I’ve come across. Super professional and authentic. This is extremely helpful, especially now during all the things going on in the world.

[danielmercado]

Thank you for your videos. Really. In the past months I have been going through overwhelming anxiety that has been adversely affecting certain aspects of my life and function. I am so glad I found your videos. Having a greater understanding of how it happens and how to manage it gives me a great feeling of relief. I want this gone or at least managed so from today on I'll be applying your advice. Thanks, thanks, thanks.

[florizafajardo]

You're a heaven's sent. God bless you. Thank you. I'm so grateful You're born in this world to help us!

[Eden]

Thank you Ema, you are a great therapist, just watched your 4 part series on anxiety and panic attacks. Indeed I am the type of person to avoid and distract as a way to ignore how I’m feeling. I never knew how to process my emotions. I am truly grateful for these tools. It is true that panic attacks are a way that the body signals that it’s ready to process past trauma and heal. I have gone through that.❤

[leeboriack]

I respect how she points out that personal accountability is a keystone to anxiety.