Is it true that anxiety is just overthinking; pull yourself together?
From the book – Chapter 8: Anxiety Disorders
The fact
Anxiety disorders involve real changes in brain circuits, stress systems, and body responses. Willpower alone is usually not enough.
Myths
Myth 1: "Anxiety is just overthinking; pull yourself together." Fact: anxiety disorders involve real changes in brain circuits, stress systems, and body responses. Willpower alone is usually not enough.
Myth 2: "Medicines for anxiety are always addictive." Fact: benzodiazepines can be habit-forming if misused; many first-line medicines (SSRIs, SNRIs) are not addictive when used as prescribed.
Myth 3: "Avoiding feared situations is the best way to stay safe." Fact: avoidance reduces anxiety briefly but strengthens fear. Gradual, supported exposure is more effective in the long run.
Myth 4: "Only weak people get anxiety disorders." Fact: they can affect anyone. Seeking help is a sign of wisdom, not weakness.
Read the full chapter – Chapter 8: Anxiety Disorders
Stories from real life
- The Night My Heart Raced – Arjun, twenty-nine, was in a crowded Mumbai local train when his heart suddenly pounded, his hands tingled, his chest tightened and he felt sure he was…
- What If Tonight Goes Wrong? – Meera is a forty-two-year-old mother in Hyderabad who cannot remember the last day she did not worry. What if her son fails? What if her husband's…
- The Back Row – Tomás, nineteen, studies engineering in Lisbon. He is clever, but he sits at the back of every class, never asks a question and hurries out. Eating…
- The Lizard on the Wall – Sunita, thirty-eight, lives in a village near Nashik and cares for her family with great energy, except when a lizard appears. Last month one dropped near…
Shloks
- Bhagavad Gita 6.34 – The mind is restless, agitating, strong and stubborn. To hold it, I think, is as hard as to hold the wind.
More on this topic: Anxiety, panic attacks and fear – signs, causes and what helps
More questions
- Is it true that medicines for anxiety are always addictive?
- Is it true that avoiding feared situations is the best way to stay safe?
- Is it true that only weak people get anxiety disorders?
- What is true: generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterised by…?
- Which is NOT a common symptom of panic attacks?
- What is true: first-line treatment for anxiety disorders typically includes…?
- What is true: social Anxiety Disorder involves intense fear of…?
- What is true: specific phobias are…?
- What does Bhagavad Gita 6.34 mean for the mind?
- The Night My Heart Raced – what this story teaches, the signs and what to do
- How to calm anxiety – simple techniques for daily life
- Is it normal worry or an anxiety disorder?