This is a follow up to my "What Causes Anxiety?" article.
In that article I contend that focusing too much on the causes of your anxiety can be risky business.
It is potentially risky business because it can keep you in victim mode, and victim mode is nothing but destruction.
In fact, the victim mentality is likely one of the strongest sources of your anxiety.
The victim mentality is when you constantly think thoughts like "Why me?" and "It's not fair.
" The victim is so preoccupied with feeling sorry for themselves that they become the greatest obstacle to their own growth and healing.
More specifically, their victim mentality is the obstacle.
The victim mentality feeds your anxiety.
When you are experiencing anxiety you are feeling out of control, weak and powerless.
And these feelings of weakness and powerlessness are the rotten fruits of your victim mentality.
Imagine your optimum state of mind and body being like a warm, comfortable, cozy, well contained fire that is completely within your control.
Now add the thoughts and beliefs of a victim and you've just sprayed half a bottle of lighter fluid on your once cozy and comfortable fire.
You need to slay the victim within to grow and heal.
Battle the victim with the sword of responsibility and the shield of accountability.
When you start whining to yourself about how unfair life is because you have severe anxiety and your friend doesn't, stop for a moment.
Analyze the thought.
Is it reasonable to expect a life free from adversity? Has anyone in human history ever had a life of complete bliss here on earth? The answers to these questions are a deafeningly loud NO! In fact, if you have learned only one thing about the world in which we live it should be the undeniable reality that LIFE IS NOT FAIR! And the sooner you accept this fact the sooner you can begin your healing journey.
Empower yourself by taking complete responsibility for ALL of your thoughts and actions.
You cannot control every single random thought that pops in your head, but you can control how you respond to that thought.
So take responsibility for managing your own thoughts and hold yourself accountable to the results.
Slay the victim within and become who you were created to be.
Don't get too caught up in trying to identify every little trigger that sets off your anxiety.
Instead, start focusing on what you can do to overcome your anxiety.
Start by slaying the victim within.