Wouldn’t it be nice if the mind had an off switch?

Or, imagine a world where you could settle in for the night, take your brain off like a helmet, and rest it on your nightstand until the morning. Sounds pretty nice, right? Unfortunately, we don’t have this capability (if you figure it out, please let me know!) So, we are left with the task of coexisting with our brain. Our brain is a wonderful organ which we can credit for much of our success as a species. However, it’s not the perfect tool for everything.

Here’s the thing: your brain isn’t that concerned with your happiness.

So, what does this mean? What this means is that if you are on the receiving end of…

• racing thoughts

• constant worry, “what if’s”, or thoughts about the past

• feelings of dread or doom that you can’t shake

• restlessness

• panic (palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy)

• rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath

…the good news is that you are not broken. Along with the other estimated 284 million people in the world who face anxiety, your brain is doing what it’s designed to do: keep you alive. The bad news? Our brains haven’t caught up to deal with the types of stressors we face today, which differ than those of our ancestors. So, we are left with our brain’s funky way of dealing with stress that…doesn’t really help us. In fact, it can be completely debilitating. That’s probably how you found yourself here.

My Approach

As you might be able to tell, my goal is to call out anxiety for what it is: an adaptive system involving our brains and bodies designed to keep us alive, but not designed to keep us happy. Coping skills and breathing techniques aren’t enough. In therapy, we will take a two-pronged approach: