Redirect Thought To Blessings

 Robert Fettgather has served as Special Consultant in psychometrics to the Departments of Education and Developmental Disabilities for the State of California. Robert Fettgather also holds a specialist credential in learning handicapped and community college credentials in both learning and developmental disabilities. Robert Fettgather has taught at San Jose State University, National University and Mission College in Santa Clara.

Research evidence exists to support multiple causes of anxiety, including biological models that identify brain circuit and neurotransmitter involvement as well as psychological and social contributions. A multidimensional model of these factors considers how they all contribute simultaneously to the presence of abnormal, potentially pathological levels of anxiety. Environmental factors can be very significant contributors to anxiety and include our immediate environment (i.e., family or work) as well as larger factors like sociocultural bias (racism, sexism), economic policy, and even the forces of environmental degradation and climate change.

Both genetic and psychological vulnerabilities seem to contribute to the development of generalized anxiety disorder-GAD. Let us consider the experience of "threat". In particular is the fact that individuals with GAD seem to be more sensitive to threat in general, particularly when the threat has some personal relevance. Although drug and psychological treatments may be effective in the short term, the most successful long-term treatment may help individuals with GAD focus on what is really threatening to them in their lives. Benzodiazepine medications seem to be useful for an acute episode of anxiety, but there are risks for both psychological and physical dependence when used over time. Recent evidence suggests that antidepressant medications such as Paxil and Effexor may provide superior symptom relief over the benzodiazepines, and with fewer risks. 

Cognitive Behavioral treatment (CBT) of anxiety may involve the identification of "cognitive distortions"  (link to list). These distorted thoughts (for example, "I must be a perfect student") lead to anxiety and are replaced with rational alternative thoughts ( "I'm a good but not perfect student and I can learn from my mistakes").

In treating these anxieties in clinical practice, I often suggested an NNR approach where N stands for notice the cognitive distortion, the next N stands for naming it ("I'm ruminating") and R stands for redirecting one's thoughts to either the task at hand or an object of gratitude. The task at hand could be studying this Module, a conversation with a significant other, or washing the dishes. One might also redirect to a pleasant thought like a simple blessing.