How Anxiety Can Lead to Avoidance

Avoidance is natural and not at all uncommon, especially when we run up against something scary or unpleasant. And, to be clear, avoidance isn’t always the wrong path to take if your anxiety appropriately signals immediate danger.

Avoidance is a problem, however, when escape becomes your go-to response whenever your negative feelings or fears are the primary reason for your upset.

Escape or “flight” is just not a sustainable way to handle the emotions inside you and build a solid sense of self-control and empowerment. If worst-case scenarios have you on edge and the “what if’s” in your mind are allowed to reign, life becomes very small and unsatisfying.

Avoidance, under those circumstances, can actually make anxiety worse and impede the life you long for. 

You deserve more.

So. What’s the safer, healthier path for your mind and relationships?  A fuller understanding of what’s happening can help you take measures to heal your mind and move forward. With time, support, and commitment to a therapeutic plan, you can indeed become less anxious and far less hemmed in by uncertainty and reactivity.

The first step on that journey?

Exploring How Anxiety leads to Avoidance

Often people who fear certain types of people, interactions, places, or locations experience a strong nervous reaction or even panic responses that can be deeply unnerving and embarrassing. The reaction itself exacerbates anxiety as well, further intensifying the desire to escape any chance of triggering it. This is often called situational avoidance.

Another type of fear and worry is linked to internal distress.  Do you tend to actively avoid or reject thoughts or memories because they create distinctly overwhelming emotions? This is commonly referred to as cognitive avoidance.  You might consciously tell yourself not to think about an event. Some people replace the undesirable thoughts with compulsive mantras or prayers, daydreams, and cyclical rumination or worries as a distraction. All are meant to keep you from paying attention to the fearful thoughts.

Sometimes avoidance takes on a more physical form. Anxiety leads to mind-body experience. You might find you have an increased heart rate and sweaty palms when distressing thoughts arise. Headaches and digestive trouble are common. This type of avoidance can be thoroughly distracting and exhausting. This is alarming experience is called somatic (body-oriented) avoidance. It is often linked to panic behavior.

Finally, it’s important to note that addiction is a type of avoidance too. Many people pleasure-seek to drown out or overwhelm the anxiety they feel. Are you prone to avoiding the pain of the past, fear of the future, or unreasonable shame? It’s okay to seek help if addiction has a grip on you. Sometimes, the way we escape from our fears can become so extreme that we end up creating a problem or habit much more detrimental than anything that could occur when we face our fears.

Overcoming Automatic Avoidance

Truthfully, it takes time and energy to develop the tools to manage your anxiety. But you don’t have to do it alone. When you commit to the effort, you’ll be richly rewarded. Constant avoidance robs you of confidence and the sense that you are in control of yourself and your future. You have much to offer, don’t let anxiety or shame trick your brain into thinking you aren’t capable and worthy of a big life.

Finding productive ways to acknowledge and accept your emotions is empowering and is much less scary as you learn to replace the flight response. If you’re ready for a change, let’s start putting anxiety in its place.

Your first move? Read more about anxiety treatment. Next? Reach out for support, guidance, and the tools for success. I’m here to help you. Please contact me for a free telephone consultation soon.

Photo by Ante Hamersmit on Unsplash