26/08/2025
“What would happen, if we managed anxiety like we commonly manage pain? What if we told people who were suffering with general anxiety disorder, or an acute anxiety attack, that they needed to avoid all stressful situations as that could result in things spiralling out of control? Temporarily avoiding acute stressors or triggers may be necessary from time to time, but would we recommend this indefinitely? What if people were encouraged to book ‘maintenance appointments’ every month/year to screen for any potential negative thoughts which may lead to an episode of anxiety? What if we told people that the slightest concern or worry is something which requires treatment, lest it lead to some horrible occurrence down the line? Doing so may validate the experience of someone who is suffering in the moment, but it is a recipe for an awful future of withdrawal from the world, and utter dependency on clinicians to intervene at highly regular intervals. Effectively, this management approach would cultivate anxiety about anxiety, and is likely to consolidate the vicious cycle of suffering.”
This month’s newsletter will be sent out later this week, and focuses on an essay looking at the parallels between anxiety and pain, and how treatment of one informs the other. Other topics include inequality and chronic pain, and medical misinformation arising from AI/LLMs.
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