Coping Skill – Avoiding Avoidance

To experience a set-back, you must have been making progress at the time”

-Unknown

Concept:

It is estimated 33% of Anxiety sufferers also have agoraphobia.

One of the most debilitating things about anxiety was the internal prison that you start to build for yourself from the inside.

Consequence:

Avoiding certain situations, crowds, food or even individuals because of some association with anxiety. This behavioural pattern can be very restricting to your life. Every time you consciously succumb to this evasion it sets you back with another decreasing circle.

Before long, you are existing rather than living and no longer free.

Plan to embed the skill:

1. List any behaviour patterns, locations, common denominators that you can associate with your anxiety. Be alert to those anxiety actions that your body makes prior to any form of anxiety. Note some are conscious and some take a great deal of self-awareness. Take time-outs as required.

Pushing Through Fear is less of a nightmare than persevering.

2. Set yourself mini-targets. Testing or exceeding the borders each time.

3. Note your results, your setbacks, the common denominator of those setbacks, what can be done to prepare for progress next time.

Action:

Do

Difficulty:

Medium-Hard

Speed:

Slow-Medium

Other Compatible Coping Skills

2. Exposure Therapy

How many stars would you award this coping skill?