Anxiety is a widespread issue that affects many people, often trapping them in unproductive cycles of worry. By understanding the mechanisms behind these cycles, we can learn how to break free from them. When someone feels anxious, they often engage in behaviours like problem-solving or repetitive thinking to seek relief. Our brains latch onto the pursuit of answers, even when those answers can worsen our distress. This behaviour triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, which provides temporary relief and reinforces the urge to keep analysing.

Dopamine creates a false sense of control, making the brain feel it is doing something productive in moments of discomfort. However, this only strengthens the compulsion to analyse, fuelling the cycle of worry. The more we analyse, the more we worry, leading to a cycle that’s difficult to escape.

While dopamine offers short-term relief, it distracts the brain from addressing the true source of anxiety. Over time, individuals can become trapped in a “mental washing machine” of worry, constantly spinning through the same anxious thoughts. This metaphor captures cognitive rumination, where repeated dopamine release keeps people stuck in loops of anxiety.

Anxiety is a complex, with various contributing factors, including genetic, environmental, and psychological influences. It rarely stems from a single cause. Genetics can make some individuals more prone to anxiety. Environmental factors, such as life experiences, trauma, stress, or significant life changes, also play a role. Psychological factors, like certain personality traits or a tendency to worry, can further increase the likelihood of experiencing anxiety. This combination of elements means that anxiety manifests differently in everyone and underscores the need for a multifaceted approach to understanding and managing it.

Worry To Relieve Anxiety

Anxiety and fear often act as catalysts, triggering problem-solving processes in the prefrontal cortex. However, trying to solve these perceived problems can sometimes feel like adding fuel to the fire, it intensifies our distress rather than alleviating it. This cycle of uncertainty fuels our worries, compelling us to relentlessly seek answers. Have you ever found yourself trapped in this anxious loop, unable to break free from distressing thoughts? I certainly have.

My personal experience illustrates the profound impact stress can have on our well-being. After enduring the trauma of my daughter’s battle with Ewing’s Sarcoma, the prolonged stress severely affected my physical health, leading to a gallbladder infection and sepsis. This ordeal gave rise to health anxiety, causing me to scrutinize every twinge or ache, often consulting “Doctor Google” for answers. The more I searched, the more emotionally overwhelmed I became, like being caught in a mental washing machine, with my thoughts swirling in a desperate quest for clarity.

It’s fascinating how our own behaviors can trap us in a web spun by our minds. For me, it felt like being caught in an emotional tornado fueled by relentless “What ifs.” Uncertainties about the future washed over me, making me feel as if I were drowning in worry and under constant threat.

The more I analyzed, the more questions emerged. Each answer only led to more queries, consuming me entirely. It felt as though I were unraveling, becoming emotionally dysregulated and helpless in my inability to shut it off.

Breaking the Cycle of Worry: A Step-by-Step Approach

So, how do we break this vicious cycle? The first step is to work on the emotional feeling by connecting with the mind and body. This can be achieved by focusing on the physical sensations and identifying where they are in the body. The second step is to breathe into these physical symptoms. To counteract this dopamine-driven loop, it is important to engage in breathing techniques that calm the mind and body. It is important to break this loop and regain control over anxiety, by using calming techniques. One effective technique that can be used is Box Breathing.

Box Breathing Technique

1. Find a Comfortable Position: Ensure your back is straight and your shoulders are relaxed.
2. Inhale: Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose for a count of 4. Focus on filling your lungs completely.
3. Hold: Hold your breath for a count of 4. Try to keep your body relaxed during this pause.
4. Exhale: Slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of 4. Empty your lungs completely.
5. Hold: Hold your breath again for a count of 4 before starting the next inhale.
6. Repeat: Continue this cycle for 5-10 minutes or until you feel calmer.
7. Box breathing, or any similar breathing technique, can create much-needed distance from anxious thoughts. For me, it was about learning to recognize when I was experiencing anxious thoughts and regulating my internal feelings within my body. By stepping out of the mental loop, I gained awareness that my thoughts were intensifying my physical symptoms. The practice of tuning into my body, identifying what I was sensing and where, was incredibly helpful. Through focused breathing, I was able to regain control of both my mind and body.

Worry And the Fight-or-Flight-or-Freeze Response

The following information will demonstrate why breathing techniques prove beneficial.

When we experience fear, the amygdala becomes highly active. This internal alarm system is responsible for detecting threats and initiating the body’s fight-or-flight-or-freeze response. I am sure we can all relate to this. The response includes physiological changes like increased heart rate and rapid breathing.

During this heightened state of fear, the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for rational thinking, decision-making, and impulsive control becomes less active. This shift occurs because the brain prioritizes immediate survival over complex thinking. The amygdala takes over, causing the prefrontal cortex to go ‘offline’ for a quicker response to danger. This automatic reactive mechanism does not allow time for thoughtful consideration.

Practicing breathing exercises can help regulate the autonomic nervous system, reducing the fight-or-flight-or-freeze response and promoting a sense of calm. By doing so, you can access your rational prefrontal cortex more effectively.

Additionally, focusing on physical sensations can help shift awareness away from worry and anxious thoughts, providing a grounding effect. Regulating the emotional reaction, it sends a positive feedback loop to the conscious mind, reinforcing the message, “I am in control of my emotions.” This then creates a sense of empowerment.

Anxiety Case In Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy

To illustrate how these concepts play out in real life, let me share a recent case with an individual who was caught up in the “mental washing machine” of trying to problem-solve his anxiety. This constant rumination left him feeling stuck, confused, and helpless, promoting him to seek solution-focused hypnotherapy. His anxiety was severely impacting on his daily functioning, work life and relationships. During our first meeting he described feeling in a crisis, overwhelmed by internal confusion and anxiety. His usual coping mechanisms were failing, leaving him feeling vulnerable and helpless.

It became evident that uncertainty was a key factor in his vulnerability to anxiety’s effects. He constantly worried about the “What if,” projecting his anxious thoughts into the future. This style of thinking was the driving behind his anxiety, which he was trying to problem-solve. The cycle of ‘What if’ thinking intensified his anxiety, causing his thoughts to spiral uncontrollably, like a mental washing machine.

By explaining the role of dopamine in the brain and providing literature on box breathing, he was able to practise calming his mind and body. This technique gave him the space to observe his thoughts without feeling overwhelmed, allowing him to develop his own solutions.

He was able to rationalize his reactions to the fight-or-flight-or-freeze response. Subsequently, he quickly realised that his habit of negative forecasting about the future was unhelpful, as it created a constant loop of problem-solving. He began challenging these thoughts and adopted a more constructive mindset.

The Miracle Question

During the sessions I constantly encouraged him to focus on how life would feel without the problem, using the Miracle Question technique. The miracle question is a powerful technique used in solution-focused therapy helps individuals envision what their life would be like if their problems were resolved, thereby uncovering hidden resources and potential solutions. Visualisation allowed him to practice managing his anxiety in imagined scenarios, creating a mental framework for real-life improvements. Additionally, it helped him set clear, achievable goals tailored to his situation.

Here is how it works: I ask, “Suppose tonight you go to bed and sleep as usual. During the night, a miracle happens, and your problem of anxiety is solved. However, you are still asleep, so you do not know that the miracle has occurred. When you wake up tomorrow, what will be the first signs that the miracle has happened? How will you know that things are different?” These questions encouraged him to think beyond his current struggles with anxiety and helped him to imagine a problem-free reality. He was able to visualise the necessary steps towards change. 

Furthermore, the use of trance helped calm his mind quickly. An MP3 was provided at the start, which he listened to every night before sleep. This helps to lower cortisol levels, positively impacting on serotonin levels, which contribute to feeling contentment. Being very much into health and fitness, he found the neuroscience and the suggestion of being active, interacting and thinking in a positive way, referred to as the 3P’s beneficial.

By the end of treatment, he was able to identify and reframe his unhelpful thinking styles into more constructive ones. He managed to slow down the “mental washing machine” to a gentle spin until it eventually stopped. This progress was due to his ability to recognize these unhelpful thoughts in the moment. By reframing his thinking, he avoided entering the fight-or-flight-or-freeze response. In our last session, he mentioned that he now had more mental capacity to engage in life.

Conclusion

In conclusion, anxiety is a complex condition with no single cause. It can arise from multiple sources, including psychological, environmental, and personality factors. Anxiety often creates a feeling of uncertainty, and triggers worry, leading to problem-solving behaviours. These behaviours can provide temporary relief by triggering the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward.

The dopamine system is a complex network of physical and chemical processes in our brains. It involves specialized neurons that release dopamine, a key neurotransmitter, into specific regions. These neurons form pathways, connecting various areas of the brain, and when they are activated, they set off a cascade of chemical signals.

Dopamine is essential for motivation and reward. When we experience something pleasurable, like enjoying a delicious meal, receiving a compliment, or solving a problem, dopamine is released. This release acts as positive reinforcement, encouraging us to repeat the behaviour. It’s our brain’s way of saying, “That felt good, let’s do it again!”

Neurons communicate by firing chemical signals across synapses. Each time we repeat an action, like problem-solving, these pathways become stronger. Imagine it as paving a mental road: the more we travel down it, the smoother and more established it becomes. This process is vital for learning and memory but also plays a role in forming habits. Whether it’s brushing our teeth, checking our phone, or constantly analysing our worries, these habits are essentially well-trodden neural highways.

Dopamine reinforces behaviours, regardless of their effectiveness in solving the root problem. This can trap individuals in a cognitive worry loop, where they continuously seek relief through problem-solving without making real progress. This can exacerbate anxiety rather than alleviate it, as they become stuck in the problem. The metaphor of a “mental washing machine” illustrates this cognitive rumination.

A real case demonstrated the effectiveness of using information about the brain and the positive impact of introducing breathing techniques. By providing a brief explanation of how to break the vicious cycle of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours using a breathing technique, the individual found it beneficial. Focusing on his physical sensations helped him to connect to his mind and body. This approach helped him recognise that his thinking was a contributing factor. He was then able to focus on solutions and he challenged his unhelpful thinking style. It also freed him up to engage more in therapy. The different elements of solution-focused hypnotherapy interventions all proved helpful in him breaking free of the grip of anxiety. It also shifted his mind-set to recognise the positive aspects of living, which had an increasing effect on the way he viewed himself.

The varied techniques used in solution-focused hypnotherapy can lead to long-term benefits such as reduced anxiety and stress, improved emotional regulation, and increased self-confidence. It can also enhance critical thinking skills and overall well-being by promoting a positive and proactive mindset.

Action Point

You can take control of your anxiety today. Reach out and discover how solution-focused hypnotherapy can help you break the cycle. Call me Tina, Tel: 07448569443 for a Free Initial Consultation and start your journey to a calmer mind.