The prison of ‘What if?’

Are you one of those folks who likes to think in terms of “what ifs”? You know always asking yourself “what if” this happens what will I do? What if my car breaks down when I am driving on vacation? What if a tornado destroys my home? What if I get cancer?

Anxiety is just cloaking itself in the

“what if?” thoughts that haunt you. Anxiety is the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults age 18 and older, or 18.1 percent of the population every year. People with anxiety are three to five times more likely to go to the doctor and six times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders than those who do not suffer from anxiety, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

What is most alarming about anxiety is that even though it is one of the most highly treatable mental issues only 37 percent of those suffering from it seek treatment. That means over 25 million people in the United States are hurting needlessly from the effects of anxiety.

It should not be that way. It does not have to be that way. Life can be lived outside the “what if?” prison. The ADAA reminds us all that anxiety disorders are treatable, and the vast majority of people with an anxiety disorder can be helped with professional care. Several standard approaches have proved effective: Therapy, Medication, Complementary and Alternative Treatments.

What if you didn’t have that constant nagging fear?

What if you weren’t awake at 2 a.m. trying to fix a problem that may happen or may not?

What if you enjoyed more moments in your life because you weren’t freaked out about the “what ifs”?

Instead of living in “what if?” land, what if you lived in “probably not” land. As in, this bad thing in my head is “probably not” going to happen. Doesn’t that sound like a much more desirable place for your brain to reside?

If you are living in the torture that is anxiety, seek help. You are not alone. You are not crazy. You are not a freak. It is an illness like any other. It can be treated. You deserve a better life, seek it out.

“Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future.” – Deepak Chopra