The connection between anxiety and irrational thoughts is often cyclical: irrational thoughts are one of the biggest causes of anxiety, and one of the symptoms of anxiety is the presence of irrational thoughts. Irrational thoughts often fall into one of three categories, none of which are productive:
Forecasting
Forecasting is often linked to catastrophic thinking. Forecasting is when someone predicts a negative outcome for a future event that hasn’t happened yet. Believing that an airplane is going to crash is an example of forecasting. This type of irrational thinking feeds anxiety and causes the symptoms of anxiety to spiral out of control.
Self-Defeat
Self-defeating thoughts are those that lead to self-criticism and, ultimately, heightened anxiety. You may have heard the term “inner critic.” It is your inner critic who tells you that you are not good enough; that you should do this, or ought to act a certain way, or must succeed at that. Ultimately, this type of all-or-nothing thinking can lead a person to feel helpless, which is one of the causes of anxiety.
Mind-Reading
Thinking that you know what other people are thinking can lead to feelings of worry or anxiety. Many people who suffer from social anxiety believe that other people are judging or looking down on them. Alternatively, someone suffering from this type of irrational thinking may believe that catastrophe is about to strike based on someone else’s actions or behaviors.
Irrational thinking is one of the many symptoms of anxiety. Those suffering from situational anxiety may experience this type of thinking, as well as those diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder or another psychiatric disorder.
Through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), people with anxiety can learn to become more mindful of the triggers that cause anxiety and irrational thinking. Rather than letting these thoughts pull you lower, you can learn to accept them for what they are: irrational. Once you’ve identified a thought as irrational, you can reframe it into a positive thought. Instead of thinking, “I’m pathetic because I’m afraid of spiders,” think, “I am working on overcoming my fear of spiders.” Furthermore, making healthy lifestyle choices—like eating a nutritious diet, exercising, and meditating—can help increase serotonin levels in your brain and thereby reduce the symptoms of anxiety.
Of course, if you are struggling with severe anxiety that is interfering with the quality of your life, you may need more than CBT to find relief. Traditional anti-anxiety medications may help, or you may be a candidate for ketamine infusions, which are effective for up to 70% of depressed patients. Ketamine is a highly effective anxiety treatment, and works rapidly—oftentimes within 1-2 infusions—to alleviate the symptoms of depression.
Contact Ketamine Greater Boston
Ketamine Greater Boston offers ketamine treatments for depression and anxiety. Owned and operated by a licensed psychiatrist with decades of experience in mental healthcare, we are one of the most trusted ketamine clinics in the greater Boston area. Contact us today to learn more about ketamine and find out if it could help you reduce your anxiety, depression, or irrational thinking.
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