Anxiety’s Storyline

Understanding the role of anxiety in your story

By: Megan Brewer, IMH

People often talk about anxiety as an isolated thing that plagues our thoughts and lives. Many wish they could just be rid of it in a hurry, like recovering from a cold or the flu. But anxiety is much more complex than its being a singular issue that simply needs to be eliminated. Part of the reason for this is that anxiety, when it is operating as it was designed, is necessary for us to survive in the world. A normal amount of anxiety is required for protective action when we, those we love, or things we care about are in danger. But when anxiety becomes overactive and reactive in ways that seem out of proportion for the situation, it is important for us to start being curious rather than to just seek to eliminate it. This is because anxiety is always present for a reason, whether it makes sense to us or not. In order to discern the cause of anxiety, it can be helpful to think of its role in your life in the context of a storyline.

The Beginning: Every story picks up in the middle of a larger timeline, and there is a purpose in the reader being made to begin in a particular place. Without a beginning, there is no story. This is also true with troubling anxiety. It has a beginning—a starting point where we can look back and say, “Before ninth grade, I didn’t use to feel anxious,” or, “After the accident, I noticed my anxiety increase significantly.” Some may not remember the exact moment when their anxiety started to negatively impact their lives, but nevertheless it has been woven into their storyline. We must begin from there.

The Setting: Every story has a specific context in which the events happen and this context is important to understanding where and when the story is taking place. Anxiety has a context that determines when and where we experience it. Some people feel like they are anxious all the time regardless of context. Chances are with continuous anxiety, there was still an original context in which the anxiety entered into a person’s life and has been part of the story for so long that it is hard to distinguish from the setting around it.

The Theme: Every story has a distinguishing pattern related to a particular idea or belief. The theme runs throughout the story and conveys the main idea or belief the author intends for the reader to grasp as they move through the story. If we pay attention, we will begin to notice our anxiety has a theme. The more time spent paying attention to our anxiety—with the intent of understanding what it is trying to communicate to us—the more we will understand its unique purpose and theme in the story of our life.

The Plot: A rise, climax, and resolution that form the sequence of events. What are the rises and falls in your anxiety story? Anxiety is usually triggered by something, rises up in us, hits a peak, and then goes back down to what we normally feel on a daily basis. These triggers have to do with the theme of the anxiety.

The Point of View: Who is telling the story? The story of anxiety in our life is being told from a particular perspective. Whose voice do we hear when anxiety enters the scene? Since it is our brain’s perception that activates our anxiety response, it is important to know what perceptions are operating in the background of our anxiety.

The Tone: These are underlying emotions used to tint the color of the story for the reader. Running along the storyline of anxiety for each of us is an emotional tone as well. Anxiety can have a tone of sadness, anger, loneliness, and most of the time, fear.

The Conflict: A challenge or problem the story is trying to navigate and resolve. Similarly, anxiety has a problem it is trying to help you navigate in your story. Sometimes anxiety is functioning in a natural capacity to help us navigate a problem. At other times, our anxiety sensor has gone awry from past experiences and is seeing problems where they do not need to be. What conflict or problem is your anxiety trying to help you resolve?

The Characters: The story is not complete without its character. Characters connect us to the story and draw us into their unique journey. Who are the characters in the story of your anxiety and how do they impact it? How do they interact with and impact each other? What motivates them? How do they behave?

The Resolution: This is the final act where the story’s main problem is resolved. When a story resolves, there is usually greater understanding of questions and conflicts the reader was made to wrestle with as they journeyed through the story. But in order to gain a sense of resolution, the reader must first engage in the story itself. In order to discern the best steps toward working through our anxiety, we need to faithfully read its story and understand the role it plays in our greater storyline. Then we will be better equipped to engage and be proactive in its resolution.

To schedule an appointment with Megan Brewer,

Please call our office at 407-647-7005.

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