What are some similarities between the existential, and the psychoanalytic conceptions of anxiety? How does the understanding of differences impact your thoughts about therapeutic intervention? 

 

EXISTENTIAL VIEW ON ANXIETY

Existential psychotherapy is a style of therapy that places emphasis on the human condition as a whole. Existential psychotherapy uses a positive approach that applauds human capacities and aspirations while simultaneously acknowledging human limitations.

From the existential analytical point of view, anxiety is considered to be a basic theme of existence. The experience of being threatened is most commonly related to the physical and material aspects of life. But on a deeper level anxiety deals with the search for foundational and supporting structures for existence.

Existential anxiety tends to arise during transitions and reflects difficulty adapting, often related to losing safety and security.

For example, a college student moving away from home or an adult going through a difficult divorce might feel as though the foundation on which their life was built is crumbling. This can lead to questioning the meaning of their existence.

Given that existential anxiety is related to an awareness of the ultimate boundaries in life, which are death and chance, anxiety of this type can be seen as unavoidable rather than pathological. Because of this, each of us must find a way to "live with" this anxiety rather than eliminate it—or so existentialists argue.

While there is no specific treatment for dealing with existential anxiety, there are treatments that can be helpful. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and medication can help address symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues that may accompany existential anxiety, including thoughts of suicide.

PSYCHOANALYTIC VIEW ON ANXIETY

In the psychoanalytic approach, the focus is on the unconscious mind rather than the conscious mind. It is built on the foundational idea that your behavior is determined by experiences from your past that are lodged in your unconscious mind.

Anxiety is at the core of the psychoanalytic theory of affects (feelings), and from the beginning of psychoanalytic thought has been recognized as central to an understanding of mental conflict (for it is through bad feelings that conflicts are felt and known).

Psychoanalysis attempts to make patients aware of their inner conflicts, while behavioral therapies try to relieve patients of the symptoms of anxiety, often through the process of extinction

Sessions with a trained psychoanalyst are designed to help you gradually draw attention to the connection between your unconscious and the conscious.

With more knowledge about yourself and these two factors, you may observe or sense positive changes in:

• How you feel about yourself
• Your interactions in the world
• Your relationships
• How you work
• Your physiological (body-based) symptoms

Over time, the feeling of greater mastery of these areas may decrease your anxiety symptoms.

When to seek psychoanalysis for anxiety

Just like all therapy methods, there's a time and a place for the use of psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis might be best for you if:

• Your anxiety is disproportionate. This recurring feeling can be overwhelming, even when the precipitating event is objectively small. This shows there's more under the surface.
• Your anxiety is getting into your relationships. This might look like repeated feelings of anxiety surrounding intimate or interpersonal relationships - which might cause conflict between you and your partner.
• You can't turn your brain off. You have excessive worry, rumination, and difficulty making any decisions, even the day-to-day ones.
• You feel stuck. You feel like you're repeating patterns that are not doing anything to help you, but are unsure how to "break free."
• Your past is on your mind. There's something, some big event, that may not be obvious to others - but it affects you in ways you can guess at but don't totally understand. In addition to making you feel anxious, this might also lead to symptoms of depression or anger.
• Your work really gets you wound up. Past the regular stress that comes with work, you might feel increasingly anxious about competing, functioning, performing and it's something that you think about even outside of the work hours.
• Your creativity won't flow. Whenever you sit down for a project or task, you feel a block and that causes feelings of debilitating anxiety.

How does the understanding of differences impact your thoughts about therapeutic intervention? 

Therapeutic interventions improve the well-being of someone else who either is in need of help but refusing it or is otherwise unable to initiate or accept help.

The most helpful therapeutic intervention maybe for anxiety is under the Psycho analytic approaches, the Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It is the most widely-used therapy for anxiety disorders. Research has shown it to be effective in the treatment of panic disorder, phobias, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, among many other conditions.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most widely-used therapy for anxiety disorders. Research has shown it to be effective in the treatment of panic disorder, phobias, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, among many other conditions.

CBT addresses negative patterns and distortions in the way we look at the world and ourselves. As the name suggests, this involves two main components:

1. Cognitive therapy examines how negative thoughts, or cognitions, contribute to anxiety.
2. Behavior therapy examines how you behave and react in situations that trigger anxiety.

The basic premise of CBT is that our thoughts—not external events—affect the way we feel. In other words, it's not the situation you're in that determines how you feel, but your perception of the situation.