You’re wondering if you are doing ERP correctly and if it will make you better. Great question. There’s a lot to discuss, so we’ll break this up over the next several weeks. ERP stands for exposure and response prevention. It is a cognitive behavioral treatment technique. Anxiety is created, maintained, and intensified by experiential avoidance. …
Good exposure and response prevention is like the fun and playful part of childhood. What comes to mind for you? Young kids practice winning. Try playing cards with a four-year-old. They can’t wait to show you what they can do. First, they change the rules. Then, they change the game. It’s always fun because they …
Anxiety sensitivity is the fear of arousal-related sensations, arising from beliefs that the sensations will have adverse consequences such as death, insanity, or social rejection. You can think about it as second fear. Whereas first fear is the automatic fight-or-flight reaction that arrives in response to a perceived threat, second fear is the interpretation that the …
Anxiety sensitivity as fear of all strong affects In my last post, I explained that anxiety sensitivity is the fear of arousal-related sensations, arising from beliefs that the sensations will have adverse consequences such as death, insanity, or social rejection. Fear of fear is common when you are in a neurologically vulnerable state, including being …
Anxiety sensitivity as fear of all strong affectsRead More »
I described the nature of intolerance of uncertainty in my last post. Let’s talk more about shifting your interpretation of uncertainty to opportunity, rather than fear. When you’re feeling very anxious, it’s normal to attend to your anxious sensations, uncomfortable feelings, and catastrophic thoughts over everything else. You are not being selfish or going crazy. The …
Intolerance of uncertainty and exposure to uncertainty as an opportunityRead More »
Intolerance of uncertainty is the tendency to react negatively on an emotional, cognitive, and behavioral level to uncertain situations and events. There are two beliefs that maintain Intolerance of Uncertainty 1) Uncertainty has negative behavioral implications for me and means something bad. 2) Uncertainty is unfair and spoils everything. I shouldn’t feel uncertain. There are …
The role of intolerance of uncertainty in all anxiety disordersRead More »
Clinical perfectionism is a problem of strategy, not outcome. Perfectionists have high standards and expectations for themselves and others. This value can be a strength, as long as perfectionistic strategies aren’t compulsively used to control thoughts and feelings. Adaptive perfectionism is a healthy, ego-syntonic way of approaching tasks that leads to a good outcome. Clinical perfectionism …
Clinical perfectionism: a problem of strategy, not outcomeRead More »
Let’s come back to the concept of clinical perfectionism as a problem of strategy, not outcome. We’re not challenging your high standards and desire to do a great job. We’re challenging the strategies your mind uses to achieve your goals. Perfectionism shifts from being workable and effective to unworkable and ineffective when: You prioritize achieving a …
Anxiety and OCD treatment is a paradox. You must become more anxious before you can become less anxious and you must become more anxious in the right way. The answer to anxiety is curiosity and compassion. Mental illness is the only type of illness where you go to the doctor to get relief from a symptom and …
Emotional perfectionism and the paradox of checking on your recoveryRead More »
Imposter syndrome occurs when there is a discrepancy between your performance and your beliefs about your performance. I differentiate between two types of imposter syndrome: anxiety-driven imposter syndrome and developmental imposter syndrome. Anxiety-driven imposter syndrome occurs when you have the skills to perform at the level that is expected of you, but you feel anxious about …
Fear of positive evaluation and the imposter syndromeRead More »