If you've ever battled either anger, anxiety, or both, you are probably well aware of just how debilitating they can be.
For decades, I was absolutely controlled by them both. In my 20's, I was actually hospitalized twice for panic attacks, including an IV drip of Ativan. Well, actually, it was one hospitalization and one paramedic 911 call in the middle of the night. My anxiety was so bad, that the DR on duty at the ER asked me at least 10 times what drugs I was on....which was 0 by the way. : )
The thing about these two powerful states is that they are like a drug. Once you ingest the fear poison, it sets off a chemical cascade in your body, a doping effect. These elements circulate in your blood stream until the threat has been neutralized. Then, our body starts the process of shutting off the chemical response to the threat, and we go into parasympathetic nervous system to recover (crash!). Just about the time we begin to process or assimilate the event........
Oh Sh$t! Another threat.....
This is the part where we play that game again, and again, and again......
Sound familiar?
Here's the problem: We don't know how to discern between real and imagined threats. This leads to a chronic state of fear, that manifests as anger or anxiety. We may also develop a response pattern that goes right to anger or anxiety, instead of taking a moment of discernment to see if we're facing an actual threat or not. We slowly but surely begin to reach for the emotion drug of anger or anxiety first thing, the familiar song and dance. As much as we despise the results of this strategy, it's what we know, and we use it.
Here's a possible solution: When we take time to understand our core motivations, what makes us tick, and what we're resisting most, or least willing to feel in life, we can dismantle and integrate that and become more well rounded. Get to know your base personality, your core motivations, and your biggest fears. What do you do when stressed? Are you prone to over or under expressing your thoughts, intuition, or feelings? Why?
Knowing the answers to these questions will change everything for you. I don't make many promises, but I can promise that. 100%, without a doubt, you will never be the same when you know that about yourself. you will also begin to understand everyone else better. After all, it is our response to other people's behavior and actions that occupies most of our mental space.
This is psychological, but not clinical. However, it may keep one from needing advanced therapy down the road, in my humble opinion based on experience and observation. What you're likely to experience is a great sense of relief, clarity, and joy in knowing what makes you tick. Many people tell me that it's like a giant weight being lifted off of their mind, body or soul, depending on their core drives and fears : )
If you're interested in learning more about this, you can read Wisdom of The Enneagram by Riso-Hudson, and take their personality test at enneagraminstitute.com. You can also reach out to me, and I will be happy to send you a personality test and help you interpret it, while developing actionable steps to take.
Today, I have a couple great guests. Derrick Paulson and Lauren Wolfe are mixed martial artists who have sourced their biggest fears, understand the why and what surrounding them, and intentionally meet them head on every day.
Listen to how dismantling anger and anxiety works in real life:
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I really hope you enjoy it!
Peace, Much Love, Live Well!
Coach Jerry
PS- Email me to get on the early bird list for my stress reduction mini course. No charge! Or.....if you'd like to get on the early bird list for my back pain mitigation and reversal functional tutorial. These are both designed to be pocket guides that you can utilize right away anytime from anywhere.
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