I CONSTANTLY TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHY I'M SO ANXIOUS. DO I NEED TO KNOW WHY IN ORDER TO MAKE THINGS BETTER?

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It's not surprising that you would want to understand why you feel so anxious. All people are information-processors—we like to comprehend the reasons behind events so that our world feels more predictable and manageable. Insight into “why” can help you identify old patterns and let them go. You could pursue an insight-oriented type of therapy (psychodynamic or psychoanalytic) and explore sources of anxiety in your personal history and relationships, which may help heal old wounds and free up energy for behavior change. The downsides to this approach are the time it takes and the cost. So, the question may really be, “How much insight do you need before making changes in your thinking and behavior?”

The alternative is to directly address the thinking and behaviors that are causing you problems (which can be done in cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT). This approach takes less time and asserts that, even if you completely understand the why behind your anxiety, you still need to make changes in your thinking and behaviors in order to get better.

Regarding your “why” question, we have found that people are anxious because of a combination of factors. Some of those factors include:

1.    Biological predisposition to emotional disturbance

2.    Family history of anxiety

3.    Individual temperament or personality characteristics

4. Social learning history (e.g., overprotective parents; unpredictable, volatile household)

5.   Environmental factors/stress (e.g., troubled marriage, job loss, illness)

6.Thinking (e.g., “I can't cope; I have no control; something terrible is going to happen.”)

7.Behaviors (e.g., avoiding problems, not getting adequate sleep, not speaking up for yourself, overextending yourself)

Perhaps the above list will help you identify some of the sources of your anxiety and free you to move forward with doing something about your anxiety. For many people, constantly asking “why?” is a distraction or avoidance technique that keeps them from facing the responsibility of making changes. Sometimes insight comes after you make changes! Ultimately, it is up to you to decide how much energy and time you want to put into exploring the “why” question. Remember, however, insight is important, but it is rarely enough for an improved quality of life.

Source: The Anxiety Answer Book by: Laurie A. Helgoe, PhD, Laura R. Wilhelm, PhD, Martin J. Kommor, MD