Pathological Concern – Symptoms And Treatment

Pathological concern is like a room that gradually runs out of oxygen. You are trapped in a maze without an exit, a house without windows. It’s like walking down a path without understanding why you can not turn around. As you can imagine, this psychological condition is the basis of anxiety disorders.

So why are you doing it? Why is the human mind so eager to be a part of such troublesome situations? Worry is actually the cognitive component of anxiety. It is he who feeds this anxiety and who in turn makes it so resilient. Likewise, you must not overlook another aspect: concern live in fear.

People tend to worry when they are not sure what will happen. When they tell themselves that something bad is going to happen, or when they doubt almost everything in an attempt to solve a problem. They assume that negativity is behind everything. However, they are wrong, because in reality, the shadow of fear is behind the negativity.

When the worry is pathological, it turns into mental anguish. In this psychological scenario, neither ideas nor desires can develop… not to mention hope. Therefore, you need to detect these types of mental patterns in order to disable them. Keep reading to find out more about this topic.

Pathological concern: Why do you care and what’s the point?

Worry is a normal psychological process. The purpose is to solve a problem, which in any case takes away the peace of mind. This cognitive, emotional and psychophysiological activation leads you to use certain coping strategies under normal circumstances to reduce uncertainty and fear and resolve this event.

It is also interesting that the scientific interest in the topic has increased significantly in recent years. Experts used to focus almost exclusively on discovering why people worried and how it affected their level of anxiety.

In recent years, however, studies conducted by Dr. Mark Freeston of the University of California have tried to identify the sources of concern that apply to almost everyone.

Your worries are due to two very specific reasons

According to the work of Dr. Freeston and his team, most of your concerns have two origins:

• You care because you expect a negative event. For example, you are afraid of disappointing others, not achieving what you expect, losing something that is meaningful to you, or experiencing guilt by not doing certain things in a certain way.
• The other reason you worry is pretty weird. You think that “worrying a lot” about certain things makes you responsible. It’s like spending many hours thinking that certain things can help you find a solution and gain more control over situations. In reality, it is not always like that. All excessive worrying is actually feeding your anxiety.

Pathological concern in a vicious circle

Excessive concern stems from pathological concern. It is a state of mind where you can not stop thinking about the same things and expect negative results. It is a type of pondering that amplifies it and also amplifies your emotional distress and that is far from solving a problem.

Similarly, it is important to note that pathological concern arises from a recurrent circle between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. The amygdala is an area designed to detect risk and send alarming messages to the brain. A signal that translates into very specific emotional states: fear and anguish. Given this condition, the prefrontal cortex is unable to think logically or reflect to provide more accurate answers to your concerns. What can you do in these circumstances?

Three keys to confronting a pathological concern

One way to reduce pathological anxiety and the negative energy that feeds your brain is to talk. Verbal strategies act as cathartic mechanisms to reduce anxiety.

• Therefore, continue a dialogue with someone who knows how to listen, understand and be close. When you talk to other people, you are able to discover irrational ideas and things that feed your anxiety.
• The second step is to calm down as it is easier for your emotions to balance, your brain to breathe and the ideas to flow in this way. Thus, anxiety loses power. To achieve this ideal internal state, there are strategies such as relaxation, going for a walk and mindfulness (mindful presence).

• The third step is to stop and be obsessed with a problem and focus on the solutions. It has nothing to do with how you got into that situation. The last thing you should do is try to predict what may or may not happen. The most important thing is to define the problem objectively and think of coping strategies.

To conclude, it is worth emphasizing one thing: when you are constantly exposed to a state of pathological concern , you need to consult a professional. There are many effective therapies that can help you change and improve your well-being.