 Panic
and anxiety are often referred to as "disorders,"
but what does this actually mean? In the United States, the
medical establishment has a tendency of suggesting that panic
and anxiety are medical "illnesses" or "conditions."
It is important to note that they do not come out and directly
say that these problems are illnesses, but there is no denying
the implication that these problems are medical in nature, and
should be treated through the use of pharmaceuticals.
The fact
is, there is a whole lot of money to be made prescribing medications
for panic and anxiety. This is presumably one reason why the
pharmaceutical industry seems to put so much pressure on doctors
to recognize these problems as medical conditions. But in
reality, anxiety is not a disease, but a behavioral problem,
a problem of our thinking habits (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,856408,00.html).
As a former
sufferer of panic and anxiety, I also bought into the Hype.
Several different physicians informed me that I had a "disorder,"
and that I needed medical help (i.e. pharmaceutical drugs)
in order to "correct" the problem.
Like
most people, I wanted to trust the medical authorities and
go along with their recommendations to treat my anxiety situation.
In fact, I did just that for many years, being prescribed
one anti-anxiety medication after another, and in greater
and greater doses as the years went by.
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The trouble
was, with time I discovered that these medications had seriously
debilitating side effects, including weight gain, lack of
energy, memory loss, chronic heartburn, sexual dysfunction,
adult acne, constipation and many more. To make matters worse,
the effects of these medications often caused me to walk around
in a "zombie-like" state. And while it is true that
some (but by no means not all) of my anxiety was reduced by
the drugs, they also caused me to feel dull, unfocused and
in some ways, out of touch with reality.
What doctors
don't usually tell us about panic and anxiety is that WE as
individuals are responsible for these issues. Panic and anxiety
attacks are not something that happened "to you,"
but rather, they are something you are actively involved in
creating in your life.
Many
people get upset when they are first confronted with this
reality. The fact is, I also felt angry and a bit confused
when I was first coached on the true reality of panic and
anxiety attacks. After all, the medical establishment had
taught me to believe that I was a "victim" of this
medical condition, so the idea that I was actually creating
the problem was upsetting to say the least. Nevertheless,
it turned out to be absolutely true, and it is true of every
panic and anxiety sufferer.
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The real
shame is that doctors and many other medical "authorities"
ignore the role of personal responsibility in creating anxiety.
By attempting to treat these problems with medications --
as if they were medical diseases -- they reinforce the idea
of "victimization," and (unknowingly) prevent anxiety
sufferers from taking responsibility for these issues, which
is the only way to really overcome them.
More than
anything else, anxiety and panic are emotional issues brought
on by the development of poor "thinking habits."
Accordingly, the only sensible treatment for these problems
is personal development training, which empowers the individual
to take responsibility for the anxiety and panic, and begin
changing their thinking habits and confronting control issues.
By
taking personal responsibility for these issues, and beginning
a training program to develop better thinking habits and improve
the control issues that most sufferers deal with, we can reclaim
control of our lives, and eliminate the majority of panic
and anxiety related symptoms.
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