Does an individual with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) have control over their own worry thoughts?
At first it appears that they do not because evidence supports that the amygdala, a small portion of the brain, has a memory that remembers past negative experiences and the difficulties surrounding them. The Amygdala is “a small structure deep inside the brain that communicates with the autonomic nervous system” as a part of the stress response. If the amygdala perceives a current event as being similar to a past negative experience, it will initiate anxiety symptoms in the mind and body.
Not only can anxiety be a learned response based on unconsciously reacting in the same anxious way for years but the brain remembers these experiences and reminds us of them over and over again without our permission. Or are we somehow giving our permission without knowing that we are? If I don’t have control over my thoughts, then who does? Who else is in my brain? Based on my own personal experiences in recent years, I see that lifestyle choices do have an impact on how our brain responds. A diet with a lot of sugar, for example, will cause the brain to become lethargic, forgetful and in a fog. Whereas eating a healthy low sugar diet has the ability to provide long-lasting energy throughout the day along with a more positive outlook on the day’s events. Easier said than done though as sugar is an addictive substance just like alcohol and cigarettes.
Many people who have GAD also have a related physical ailment as well. This “is the rule rather than the exception in patients with GAD”. This is a sign to me that our thoughts produce negative (or positive) physical ailments (or physical health). Additionally, depression can also manifest in people who have anxiety, and vice versa.
Depression is certainly not a fun state of consciousness to reside in. In a way it feels like giving up on life because events in the past have not turned out the way we had hoped. And the current life situation may not be working like we hope either, leaving us in turmoil not knowing how to get back on track. Depression is a natural stage after certain negative life experiences. And in some situations, once the depression lifts, it may be a great learning experience to look back on if it is recognized as such, as a motivator to get back on track. If someone resigns themselves to giving up, the depression will most likely accelerate and get worse because the self-talk we feed ourselves is so powerful that it can cause a snowball effect, which produces more negative thoughts and subsequently, physical pain.
Viewed in the opposite direction, if we are able to recognize the negative effects of our self-talk, we can turn it around to become our best ally, giving ourselves the support we need. Whether we are getting positive reinforcement or not from others, taking a proactive stand in how we communicate with ourselves will produce positive change. It may take a long time for this habit to take hold because many of us have spent our entire lifetimes thinking negatively towards ourselves.
Yet, if someone recognizes the positive effects of making this change and is willing to work, evidence will appear that proves that positive change can be created, at least in a few ways at first. Because our mind has memory, we will surely fall back to our negative ways. But if we stay focused on our inner thoughts, we will be able to recognize the moment that causes us to fall back into our old ways. And by recognizing the moment, we can utilize newly learned skills at that moment to push ourselves back to the new way of thinking. Once we begin to see a shift occur, we may decide to put forth more effort to make these positive shifts on a more regular basis.