Episode 02: Anxiety is Real, But Do You Know Its Source?
Anxiety is real! But the conventional definition needs to be questioned, in my opinion. The APA states:
Anxiety is an emotion characterized by tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure. People with anxiety disorders usually have recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns.
My definition: It is not a single emotion. It is an accumulation of emotions and feelings yet unattended to or processed. They accumulated because there was an action that was needed but may not have been appropriate at the time or knew what to do. This is not your fault, but it is your responsibility now that anxiety is a reality.
Because anxiety might NOT be what you think it is, tune in to this episode and review my checklist of uncommon and common causes to find yours. Hint: There is usually more than one. ▶️
Key points covered in this episode:
✔️ All healing is really self-healing. In addition to my own experience dealing with OCD and anxiety for many years that ran my life, I am a clinician and researcher. For the last 17 years, I have helped many people unravel the WHY behind the WHAT they are feeling anxious about. Once we know the sources of the anxieties, it is easier to work with them and heal thyself.
✔️ Trauma can be from early childhood and experiences from adulthood. It creates a reaction or response that embeds the emotions and beliefs experienced during the event into the brain, body and psyche. Each time you are in a subsequent stressful or traumatic situation, your body-mind reacts as if experiencing that core event again.
✔️ Worry stems from overthinking things you cannot control or change. It usually involves compulsively thinking about the future and past events. When we try to live too far in the future or are stuck in the past, we are not grounded in nor living in the present, which is what we do have control over.
✔️As empaths, our most important skill to develop is Discernment. It is imperative to our health and wellbeing to differentiate our emotions from the emotions of others. Becoming Insourced is one of our greatest gifts to self. Empaths tend to be outwardly focused (outsourced) because that is what we had to do as children -- make sure everyone else is okay so that we can be okay (A.K.A. codependency). This leads to losses, including loss of self and healthy boundaries, leading to unhealthy relationships.
✔️ Putting off making decisions or avoiding confrontations can perpetuate anxiety. Anxiety is a mobilizing energy that is urging action. A root cause of avoidance can be an aversion to making mistakes, a fear of making the "wrong" decision. It is an internal struggle with perfectionism. An avoidant type might feel as if the words PLAN or GOAL are "4 letter words", thus choosing to avoid making plans or goals.
✔️ Do you believe that everything happens in your life to benefit you? It may not look like or feel like it, but I firmly believe from evidence in my life and with all the people I've worked with that the point of suffering or setbacks is to get the lesson. Even for sickness or disease, they don't happen to us but happen FOR us.
✔️ Self-doubt and not knowing your purpose or passion for being here on Earth is an anxiety-provoking thing. We are all here for a reason, and I can tell you that the biggest wounds you have are also the biggest lessons in your life that will lead you to the right path.
Rev. Tiffany Barsotti, M.Th., C.Ht. is an internationally renowned medical intuitive, spiritual healer, clinician, and researcher of subtle energy, biofield therapies, and energy psychology.
Learn more at www.healandthrive.com