https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/6t5ku3/lyonsfinal_-_2_21_23_1128_AMasqbj.mp3
EPISODE SUMMARY:
Specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders in adults and children, Lynn Lyons is a psychotherapist with over thirty years of experience helping patients overcome and cope with their mental health struggles. In today’s episode, we sat down with Lynn to discuss how anxiety was affected by the pandemic, the difference between anxiety and ruminating, ways that anxiety takes hold, and the connection between anxiety and social media.
First, we asked Lynn her thoughts on how anxiety has been affected by the pandemic. She told us that while many people think anxiety became an issue because of the pandemic, anxiety was already a major problem before COVID. When the pandemic hit, those who already suffered were given more reasons to stress and isolate, causing their already bad anxiety to get worse. Those who struggle with social anxiety even enjoyed the pandemic, for it gave them a reason to self-isolate. When discussing anxiety, another issue we brought up to Lynn is the differences between anxiety, ruminating, and worry. She said that anxiety refers to how our bodies go into fight or flight even when there is no danger to fear. Ruminating and worry are categorized as repetitive negative thinking. While ruminating occurs when our brains go back in time and obsess over something that has already happened, worrying is centered on the future, forcing our minds to stress over what may or may not happen. Anxiety, ruminating, and worrying can take a toll on us, but Lynn noted that a common fallacy she hears is that people should be able to simply stop themselves from being anxious or ruminating. Our minds are inclined to think things over; it only becomes an issue when we think ruminating and worrying are valuable. A tip to help stop ourselves from ruminating too much is to practice recognizing when we’re ruminating and pull ourselves back. One way to do this is by giving our anxiety a name, making it easier to note when it occurs.
Anxiety can take hold in many ways, and two of the most popular ways it does so is through catastrophizing and self-isolation. Going to worse-case scenario in every situation and isolating yourself from others can feed into anxiety. When asked for ways to combat this, Lynn said the best tactic for keeping anxiety from taking hold is by doing things. You can’t think your way out of anxiety, so whether it be seeing friends, volunteering, or engaging in self-care, staying busy keeps your anxiety from having too much space in your mind. Exposure therapy is also a form of treatment for anxiety. By being exposed to something multiple times, the brain creates new pathways and relearns how to respond. It goes against what anxiety wants, which helps decrease its power. Anxiety can be influenced by a number of things, one of which being family. As humans, we’re social beings, so as kids, we often watch the behaviors of our parents for guidance. How parents talk about the world and handle their own stress plays a huge role in how their children will learn to respond to anxiety and their environment. Family genes also play a role through temperament, which refers to whether a person is introverted or extroverted.
Anxiety not only affects us but the people around us as well. Lynn shared an example with us of a client she had whose daughter moved away. The mother was terrified of driving on highways and refused to do so, and when her daughter and granddaughter moved, the mother was furious that her daughter expected her to face her anxieties to drive and see her. Anxiety makes its own rules, and it expects both us and those around us to follow its rules. The more anxiety’s rules are accommodated, the stronger the anxiety gets. Rather than simply accommodating anxiety, it’s important for a person to acknowledge the anxiety and seek support and encouragement from those around them as they work through it.
Dealing with anxiety during a digital age can be challenging. Since our anxiety wants to know everything, having immediate access to information through our phones feeds into the anxiety. Social media is also a large breeding ground for anxiety, especially for young people. Social media allows its users to experience real time painful rejection and compare themselves to others. The media can also be extremely harmful when it comes to the spreading of mental health misinformation. Many young people use social media as a way to seek mental health information, and when the internet has so many inaccuracies, it can become dangerous. Finally, we asked Lynn to discuss the differences between self-care and self-medication when dealing with anxiety. She explained that self-care is long term and embraces the values that you have. Very rarely will someone ever feel guilty for indulging in their self-care habits, for they help with destressing and relaxation. On the other hand, self-medicating to cope with anxiety makes you feel better in the short term but almost always ends in regret soon after.
Lynn Lyons
Lynn Lyons is a psychotherapist in Concord, New Hampshire. She has been in private practice for over 30 years specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders in adults and children.
Lynn travels internationally as a speaker and trainer on the subject of anxiety, its role in families, and the need for a preventative approach at home and in schools. She is a sought after expert, appearing in the New York Times, Time, NPR, Psychology Today, Good Morning America, and other media outlets. Lynn is also a featured expert in the new documentary Anxious Nation.
With a special interest in breaking the generational cycle of worry in families, Lynn is the author/coauthor of several books and articles on anxiety, including Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous & Independent Children, and the companion book for kids, Playing with Anxiety: Casey’s Guide for Teens and Kids. Her latest book for adults and teenagers, The Anxiety Audit was released in October.
Lynn is the co-host of the popular podcast Flusterclux.
In this episode, we discuss…
- [0:01] ThePerfect3
- [1:05] Guest Introduction
- [5:55] Start of Interview
- [6:47] Anxiety During and After the Pandemic
- [8:46] Anxiety and Ruminating
- [16:50] Ways Anxiety Takes Hold
- [20:51] Anxiety in Families
- [23:20] Disrupting Anxiety
- [27:16] When Anxiety Affects the People Around You
- [32:50] Anxiety and Social Media
- [36:39] Self Care and Self Medication
- [39:44] Closing Thoughts
- [40:14] Outro
Useful Resources:
Lynn’s Website I [https://www.lynnlyons.com/]
Lynn’s Facebook I [
]
Lynn’s Twitter I [https://twitter.com/LynnLyonsMSW]
Lynn’s YouTube Channel I [https://www.youtube.com/@lynnlyons5567/featured]
Lynn’s Podcast
Flusterclux I [https://www.flusterclux.com/]
Flusterclux’s Facebook I [
]
Flusterclux’s Instagram I [https://www.instagram.com/flusterclux/]
Lynn’s Books
The Anxiety Audit I [https://www.amazon.com/Anxiety-Audit-Lynn-Lyons-LICSW/dp/0757324258?&linkCode=sl1&tag=luxerecess-20&linkId=6b1514d705439a582ce25b3bdaa55178&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl]
Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents I [https://www.amazon.com/Anxious-Kids-Parents-Courageous-Independent/dp/0757317626?pd_rd_w=p6CuR&content-id=amzn1.sym.116f529c-aa4d-4763-b2b6-4d614ec7dc00&pf_rd_p=116f529c-aa4d-4763-b2b6-4d614ec7dc00&pf_rd_r=NNEWWVB2723YXTW566XW&pd_rd_wg=WVhRg&pd_rd_r=f7e2b]
Using Hypnosis with Children I [https://www.amazon.com/Using-Hypnosis-Children-Delivering-Interventions/dp/0393708993]
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