We are living in a fast evolving world where challenges increase from day to day. Whether in ourselves, in our working world or even in our interactions with others, we cannot always complete our duties towards others if we do not learn to understand the world and organize ourselves. Even though humans have developed innumerable tools to make their lives easier, people still face a lot of difficulties with their daily lives. From simple stress and burnout to depression, many people will even experience anxiety chronically.
Anxiety can originate from almost everything. In the following lines we are going to give both a general and a spiritual approach to cope with anxiety.
Broadly speaking anxiety has a lot of causes. As many other well spread ailments, the cause of anxiety can be genetics. Researchers have shown that in some families and their descendants, people are more likely to suffer from anxiety and its related disorders than in other families. There are a lot of studies establishing a link between social anxiety, panic disorder, unjustified fear and other related forms of anxiety and some specific genes. However, it is known that i will also depend on environmental factors as well as personality type. There are many events in our life that can suddenly make anxious and when not identified or handled, we are left in a chronically generalized anxiety disorder.
Other factor includes stress at work, exhaustion and especially trauma. Many people who have had a negative experience that traumatized that will later on suffer from anxiety disorders for a long period of time, if not for the rest of their life.
Another factor can be the side effect of some medicines after the treatment of an illness. It is always recommended before taking medication to check the possible side effects because some studies have shown that some medicines, even though very efficient in the treatment of various ailments might have negative effect on the patients.
Generally, apart from a few exceptions to people who have been traumatized with a bad experience, anxiety arises mostly by people who never stop thinking. Sometimes anxious thoughts are connected with property, children, name and fame. Since life is, in the spiritual sense just a test, the solution is to become more attached to the creator of the universe that to these things. The Quran and some religious scriptures are full of wisdom to help understand some signs. “We shall certainly test you with fear and hunger and loss of property, lives and crops. Give good news to those who endure with fortitude.”(Quran 2:155) A strong attachment to God is always a result of sincere repentance. What follows in many cases can be deprivation of the things (sometimes temporarily) that are not necessary for the spiritual growth. To be deprived of some things of the material world can serve as expiation of sins and increased the rank in the hereafter. There is a story narrated in Imam al Gazhali’s Book “ Tauba”, that when Joseph was in prison in Egypt , the angel Gabriel came to him and he asked him about the sorrow and anxiety of his father. It is related that Gabriel said that the more anxious the father of Joseph was, the closest he was to God. In the case where the experience that caused anxiety and its related disorder are not understood, it is recommended to consult a specialist. One of the advantages of religion is that the values it teachings can reduce the effects of anxiety related disorders, as a sincere devotee will always consider the consequences of his actions. And even in the case that he is victim of the wickedness of others, he will forgive and understand that it is a mean for spiritual growth. However medical help must be recommended first.
Psychologists and doctors provide a range of treatments for anxiety. Cognitive Behavioral therapy for example can provide effective ways to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety. Cognitive Behavioral therapy can help patients identify the irrational negative beliefs and thoughts that cause their anxiety. All the thought patterns can be uprooted and replaced by new positive patterns that help the patient cope with the difficult situation that might have result from a trauma. Depression and post-traumatic stress disorders are said to have been handled efficiently with Cognitive Behavioral therapy.
Exposure therapy help patients control their fear by exposing them to the situation that is at the origin of the fear. Exposing the patient to the context of his anxiety can enable him understand and change his behavior. The following story is an illustration of an effective self-made Exposure therapy: A middle-aged single man suffering from agoraphobia had limited his anxiety-free territory so much so that he had finally decided not to go to the neighborhood stores to buy his food and other basic necessities. Despair overtook him and he even decided to get into his car and drive far away to provoke a heart attack. But as he drove away he reached his destination safely and was free from anxiety.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is a therapy that can be organized in a group to practice mindfulness meditation . Acceptance and commitment therapy focuses on the acceptance to deal with our negative thoughts, feelings, and emotions and the commitment to actions that will enhance well-being.
Eye Movement desensitization is a well-known mental health therapy that can be helpful to alleviate post-traumatic anxiety disorder. Eye-movement are used to recall a traumatic past experience with association to other tools.
In interpersonal therapy, importance in laid on how our relationships and social interactions affect our mood and well-being.
Finally, it appears that anxiety disorders can affect everyone. Submission to the will of God can help understand and overcome its manifestation when other solutions have failed. Since the mind itself can be a cause of anxiety, meditation can be effective in some cases. It is always recommendable to see a specialist before concluding to apply any alternative solution. Sometimes detachment from useless things and concentration on what is important help reduce anxiety. Since the life in this world is merely a test it is better to ask God to provide us the best for us in this world and the best for us in the everlasting hereafter.
