Can Thinking Anxiously Turn Into A Habit?

Question

Can thinking anxiously turn into a habit and become a part of your personality?

Answer

Yes, on both counts. In fact, that’s exactly why we behave overly anxiously:

• We learn to cope with adversity, uncertainty, and risk in an overly apprehensive manner.
• We cope in this manner so often it becomes a habit, and therefore, an unconscious automatic behavior.
• Coping in an overly apprehensive manner for an extended period begins to “feel” normal.
• This aspect of our behavior shapes our personality - the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character.

Anxiety disorder develops via learned behavior that is reinforced through repetition and reinforcement over time! This is evidenced by the fact that we NEVER see people come to us for help who have learned healthy ways of coping. Because they have learned to cope with adversity, uncertainty, and risk in healthy ways, they don’t develop issues with anxiety. This fact alone precludes other causes for the development of anxiety disorder.

This is also the reason those who make healthy behavioral change overcome anxiety disorder, including anxiety attacks and panic attacks. Recovery is all about identifying and exchanging unhealthy coping behaviors with healthy coping behaviors.

This is not to suggest that overcoming anxiety disorder is easy or quick. But that success can be attained by getting the right information, getting the right help, doing the right work, and applying the necessary effort. Those that do this work, succeed![1]

If you are finding your anxiety habit intolerable, you can make healthy behavioral change. It’s within your ability.

All of us at anxietycentre.com have overcome our unhealthy anxiety habits, as well as have a great many people we’ve worked with. We believe you can, too![![2]

Anxiety disorder doesn't have to be a life sentence. It’s a temporary circumstance caused by unhealthy behavior. Making healthy behavioral change makes all the difference, including eliminating issues with anxiety, anxiety symptoms, and its consequences.