Mental Health Corner

Mental Health Corner Anxiety Disorder Myths

By Rabbi Azriel Hauptman

Anxiety disorders are a group of mental health disorders that include panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and phobias. They are characterized by persistent and excessive feelings of apprehension or worry in situations that are not actually that threatening to the point that it starts to interfere with everyday functioning. Myths about anxiety disorders abound. In this article, we will attempt to dispel several of those myths.

Myth #1: It is very helpful for family and friends to offer constant reassurance as a means to help with the coping of the anxiety. Fact: For minor anxiety, reassurance can be helpful, but when one has a diagnosable anxiety disorder the reassurance becomes a compulsion that the anxiety sufferer will come to rely on. The need for reassurance will increase over time and eventually exacerbate the anxiety and entangle the family and friends in the web of the anxiety.

Myth #2: The causes of anxiety disorders are based on childhood experiences and therefore it is necessary to deal with one’s childhood in order to heal. Fact: There is a time and place for processing childhood experiences. However, for most anxiety disorder sufferers, the therapy needs to be focused on the here and now. Through therapy, one learns how to face the fears and how to relate to the anxious thoughts that the brain generates.

Myth #3: If one has an anxiety disorder, one should try to avoid stressful situations that might trigger an anxiety attack. Fact: Avoidance is at the heart of the persistence of an anxiety disorder. The only way to overcome the disorder is by learning how to disengage from avoidance practices and to face your fears. The more one engages in avoidance, the more the brain becomes convinced that these situations are dangerous.

Myth #4: Medication for anxiety is addictive. Fact: This depends on the medication. The medications that reduce anxiety in the moment, such as the benzodiazepines (Xanaz, Valium, Ativan, Klonopin, etc.) are addictive, and if one needs these medications, it is imperative to work with your doctor to limit its usage in order to avoid dependence. The SSRIs (Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, etc.) are commonly prescribed for anxiety disorders and are not addictive. They do not work in the moment and are designed to be used for longer periods.

Myth #5: Some people are just neurotic by nature and therapy is not going to help them. Fact: Nothing can be further from the truth! It is true that some people are genetically predisposed to have brains that generate anxious thoughts, but that does not mean that they have to believe everything that their anxious brain tells them. One of the goals of anxiety treatment is learning how to disentangle from these thoughts and how to go through life without being pulled down by these thoughts.

Myth #6: Lifestyle changes, such as exercise and a healthy diet, will eliminate the anxiety. Fact: A healthy lifestyle can be an important component in overcoming a mental health disorder. However, when one has a full-blown anxiety disorder, it is unlikely that the lifestyle changes will be sufficient on their own.

Myth #7: In one is tormented by anxious thoughts, one can merely suppress those thoughts. Fact: What you resist persists. Resistance is a form of avoidance, and avoidance aggravates anxiety disorders by making the thoughts seem actually threatening. If they were not threatening, why would you try to avoid them?

Anxiety disorders are very treatable in the hands of an experienced and well-trained therapist who has a specialty in anxiety treatment. You do not need to suffer, and it is possible to go through life without your thoughts getting in the way.

This is a service of Relief Resources. Relief is an organization that provides mental health referrals, education, and support to the frum community. Rabbi Yisrael Slansky is director of the Baltimore branch of Relief. He can be contacted at 410-448-8356 or at yslansky@ reliefhelp.org

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