PD Revelation

If you have PD, there's a good chance you will at some point experience troubling anxiety. Whether that's because PD lifts the lid on buried anxiety or generates anxiety directly is worth considering. (But I will say I subscribe to the idea that there is always some thought trigger for anxiety. That is, I am skeptical of the notion of true free-floating anxiety.) In any event it can become essential to have one or more effective methods of quelling that anxiety. Having recently gone through a period of more than the usual anxiety, I've had the chance to test several anti-anxiety techniques. Here's what I found.

Practicing the presence of your Friend

First and foremost, the JH practice is itself a very effective anti-anxiety technique. Here I use Brother Lawrence's term, “practicing the presence,” as a rough synonym for the JH practice because it puts the emphasis on doing any of an array of things that help you feel the presence of your Friend. And feeling that presence seems to be the key to mitigating anxiety.

I've talked about this in a prior post. I'll add here that it's my impression that one reason this works is that practicing the presence centers your attention on the present moment. (See the Eckhart Tolle book The Power of Now for much discussion of how focusing on the now banishes worry and anxiety.)

Practicing the presence to quell anxiety does take some disciplined focus but, in my experience, can be a potent tool. If you're engaged in the JH practice then, in my view, it should be your first line of defense against anxiety.

Self-administered cognitive behavioral therapy

Though not one of the practice's exercises per se, CBT plays a role in the JH protocol as well. I use mainly the CBT technique known as “cognitive restructuring”: In the case of anxiety, identify an irrational or dysfunctional thought that triggers the anxiety and counter it with a healthy, rational alternative thought. You can do this in conversation with your Friend. I've discussed this pretty thoroughly in prior posts, so will leave it at that except to say that, in my experience, when I can identify the right replacement thought cognitive restructuring can be extremely effective, eliminating anxiety very quickly.

A mindfulness technique for quelling anxiety

This one was a pleasant surprise. One of our support group members sent out the link to this short article on a mindfulness-based approach to anxiety and other distressing emotions. The core of the technique involves observing and exploring how some upsetting emotion actually manifests itself in physical feelings in your body. As you engage in this process (easily done in conversation with your Friend) upsetting emotions reveal themselves as “paper tigers” and tend to recede or become much less troubling. Though I haven't tried it yet in the presence of really intense anxiety, I've been delighted with the results concerning somewhat less severe anxiety. Below are two videos on essentially this technique.

The DARE approach

I have less experience with this technique. But I was introduced to it buy a very loving, smart daughter. (Thanks B!) So I am certain it has great potential. Notice the interesting element involving reframing anxiety as “excitement.”

So there you have a little toolkit for anxiety. I hope you don't need it; intense anxiety is no fun. But if you do, I think there's a good chance at least one of those techniques will be effective for you. Let me know!