Does researching and talking about anxiety make it worse?

[nianxiousguy]

I believe for me it does. I’m going through cbt and it takes time, but with anxiety because it’s so uncomfortable we want a quick fix, I will admit anxiety has become almost a hobby for me, between reading researching talking about I think it’s keep me trapped in a cycle. Maybe it’s time to just forget about it and do the cbt course and get on with life. What’s your thoughts?

[keta]

Hi
I suppose it depends on each person individually . Some people find it helpful to talk about it and getting some relief from knowing they not alone in this and some people just want to get on with it.
If you feel like it makes you worse then like you said concentrate on your CBT to get better and don’t dwell on any researches etc .
Me personally I find some support in talking about it.

[KK77]

Attitude is everything. A certain focus on anxiety is necessary to actually see what you're dealing with. But endlessly researching and ruminating/focusing on anxiety can also become counterproductive in the long-term. It can be both the cliff edge and safety net.

[ankietyjoe]

I think it depends on exactly what it is you're researching. When I did my researching back in the day there was a period of looking at symptoms and probably feeling very sorry for myself, but eventually I wanted to know the mechanisms of recovery and focused on that. I think KK77 described this process pretty well.

Ditching CBT may be a little short sighted however, as I believe you are missing out on learning some important tools that will help with recovery. CBT is in essence a method of ignoring sensations and symptoms, but in a way that allows them to be felt and accepted first. That's not the same as just ignoring it and hoping for the best.....although that might work too.