The theme of this, the first post of this blog, ...
.. is something I can relate to, right now, as I type these words on a bitterly cold day which is bathed in that sharp, low-slanting light that is so distinctive of January. I have finally 'found' time in these first weeks of 2016, to begin writing what I intend to be an on-going blog exploring topics relating to our emotional and mental well being. I am aware, as I write, that I also need to work on a talk I am soon to give, an introduction to psychotherapy, and I find that I am anxious. I am experiencing the very emotion, anxiety, that is to be the first theme of this blog.
My anxiety, however, at this present moment, is quite normal. I want to do well in the talk but standing in front of an unknown audience does not nestle happily within my comfort zone. I don't know how it will go on the day. This uncertainty, combined with my wish for it to be a success, has resulted in me experiencing a mild but normal level of anxiety. This is not, however, the anxiety that is the focus of this series of posts.
The anxiety I will be exploring is that which is overpowering, which intrudes on daily life, which steals peace of mind and which can generate debilitating emotional, mental and physical reactions. It is severe anxiety and it casts a long shadow over daily life that increasingly erodes pleasure and confidence, creating in its place fear and self-doubt, even despair and depression.
In a series of posts over the coming weeks I will be examining the different types of chronic anxiety – what are called anxiety disorders: what they are; their symptoms; and what can be done about treating them.
January 2016
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