Tagged With "Anxiety"

By Jacqueline Simon Gunn, Psychotherapy.net, March 19, 2020 I walked into the grocery store Sunday morning after a relaxing run. As soon as I came in the doors, I saw the headline of the newspaper in bold letters reporting that New York was in a state of emergency. Anxiety coursed through me. Earlier that same morning, I’d had a phone session with a patient who was becoming increasingly anxious due to news of the spread of COVID-19. She was starting to feel like she couldn’t leave the house.

Anxiety rooted in the hidden wounds from childhood need not be a lifelong sentence. A combination of effective strategies offer hope and help to alleviate anxious conditions, including excessive worry and panic attacks, that originate in childhood.

Worry rooted in adverse childhood experiences can rob you of energy and joy, and cause a variety of anxiety symptoms. This post explains the ACEs/worry connection and the principles for managing worry.

Although the challenges can be greater for survivors of ACEs, developing emotional intelligence is vital for successful, satisfying living. Emotional intelligence begins with self-awareness and understanding eight key principles.

Shame is common to the human condition but ACEs heighten shame in many harmful ways. Denying shame prevents us from healing it. The solution lies in bringing shame out into the light of day and making it an ally.