Phases that lead us to anxiety (13)

Anxiety is not something that appears suddenly. We go through a process of several stages that can end in an anxious state.                             

The four stages or phases that lead to a state of anxiety were classified by Dr. Albert Ellis (1913-2007) as A, B, C, D. Stage A is known as the activator. It is usually an adverse event that occurs in our lives which is capable of triggering the process. For example, a person that for specific reasons has not been able to perform well in his work that day begins to have thoughts such as not being able to achieve success in anything, being unable to perform his tasks, etc.

Stage B is known as the basis of our reasoning. Here the individual builds a series of negative arguments that will be in correspondence with the A phase or activator, and reinforce it. This stage is also known as of the catastrophic thoughts because all kinds of negative thoughts occur. Following the previous example, at this stage, the individual would draw hasty conclusions regarding his disability. Another example could be a young man who invites a girl out and is rejected by her. This is the activating fact; then he concludes that he is very unattractive, that he is not suitable for women, that he will never marry, and this kind of ideas that are nothing more than a distorted reflection of reality.

Stage C is the consequence of all the above and is considered as the result of the whole process that leads to the state of anxiety, sometimes even to depressive states. It is important to emphasize that the individual does not transit directly from stage A to stage C. It is not the adverse or activating fact what automatically produces the anxious state. It is stage B, where the negative conclusions are developed, which definitely leads us to the state of anxiety.

The state or phase D is the possibility we have of getting out of this process that leads to more anxiety. It is known as the deduction, and there, the individual should make an objective internal analysis of the situation and thus make a correct decision. This internal dialogue is essential because through it we can leave the state of anxiety or we can even avoid falling into it. It is our only weapon against the whole process because as we know, the use of pills and other means are only transitory outputs to the problem. The activating facts will always be there in our life, but the anxious individual will be waiting for conditions to arise to reproduce the process that leads to the state of anxiety.

We must not let ourselves be led by a failure in our life at any given time. No one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes every day. The world and history are full of cases of famous people who had a life plagued by difficulties. Pasteur once was disapproved in an entrance examination to the university, and once there he was considered a mediocre student. Einstein was not accepted to attend a Mathematics course once. Edison was expelled from school on one occasion and considered by teachers to be a student impossible to educate. We could compile a long list of people who at some point in their lives had difficulties, and yet their perseverance was higher and in the long run, they achieved their goals.

The correct understanding of the process of anxiety, and knowing our reactions, is the best weapon we have for not to end up being our own victims. For us, as ordinary people, there is an important idea we can take from Dr. Ellis' legacy: There will always be adverse events in our lives wanting to trigger an anxious state, but they are not the cause, but our erroneous and catastrophic conclusions the ones who can lead us to anxiety. Luckily, there is a phase D, our common sense, which could avoid us all this suffering.

Understanding the relaxation process (12)

• Reprogramming our subconscious mind through relaxation is possible. It is necessary to understand what happens during this process to benefit from its regular practice.  

Our mind works on two different levels: the conscious and the subconscious. At the conscious level, we find everything that we notice in the external environment, that is, the direct contact with the world through our five senses. The subconscious level is responsible for directing other processes that we do not realize, such as digestion, heartbeat and other bodily activities of which we are not directly aware. On the other hand our subconscious mind stores all our past experiences, as well as the opinion we have of about ourselves.

In our previous post, we analyzed the different phases of sleep, those are called beta, alpha, gamma, and delta, according to the frequency of the electrical impulses emitted by the brain. Of these, the alpha level is an intermediate state between wakefulness and sleep (beta and gamma). When we perform the relaxation exercise, we place ourselves at the alpha level, and it is at that level that we make contact with the subconscious mind. We open a communication bridge between our subconscious and the conscious mind.

In that state, we will have the possibility of improving our physical capacity and health through concentration in some area or functioning of the body. We will also have the opportunity to reprogram our subconscious mind through the repetition of positive phrases or the visualization of some desired goal.

When we reach the alpha level, we should not waste the opportunity to benefit from the repetition of positive phrases that will be accepted by our subconscious mind. Some phrases that you could use are: "Every day I feel better physically and mentally," or this one: "I am in control of my life and my actions," "I am learning to use my mind more effectively." You can write your own phrases which apply to your specific problems. These will be imbued in the subconscious mind and will make you create a more positive personal image, as well as give you the ability to overcome specific difficulties and fears that you may have.

Remember, our subconscious mind is highly receptive at the alpha level. In alpha, we reach a state where we are neither awake nor asleep, but completely relaxed. We reached the alpha level through the relaxation exercise that we explained in previous posts.

The successes of our life, the failures, interpersonal relationships and everything that has happened to us, has created a personal image of ourselves. Many of our current shortcomings are due to subconscious programming. The data accumulated in the subconscious mind can be allies to achieve our growth as human beings, but they can also be an obstacle to our development.

The repetition of positive phrases, once reached the alpha level, can benefit us enormously to make the subconscious mind work in our favor. To receive the benefits of relaxation exercises, these should be practiced at least once a day and preferably three times. If practiced correctly, in a period of 8 to 12 weeks you will notice considerable benefits in physical health, greater self-confidence and an increased ability to face problems. The most important thing is to create the habit since without continuity the received benefits will not be permanent.