Kierkegaard, May Anxiety
In his classic work The Meaning of Anxiety (1950, 1977 ) existential psychoanalyst Rollo May differentiated between normal and pathological anxiety, suggesting that neurotic or even psychotic anxiety typically stems from the chronic avoidance of normal or existential anxiety. In other words, when we refuse to accept and tolerate anxiety as an inescapable part of existence, we paradoxically set ourselves up for the appearance of pathological anxiety and pathological worrying. Some worrying and concern for the future may be unavoidable, and, in some situations, necessary and potentially helpful. We need the capacity for anxiety to anticipate danger, detect and deal with fundamental threats to our basic survival, to motivate and energize us, to warn us when we have been inauthentic or betrayed our basic values, to grow more fully conscious and become more creative. But when we try to avoid or repress this healthy anxiety by denying reality and our true feelings, it turns toxic, taking the neurotic form of persistent worrying, chronic tension and fatigue, disturbed sleep, headaches, hypervigilance, irritability, restlessness, impaired concentration, digestive and other physical problems, panic attacks, paranoia and myriad other debilitating psychiatric symptoms. Our non-stop worrying has made us sick. And then we worry about having these symptoms, causing even greater anxiety.
Existential philosopher Soren Kierkegaard felt that anxiety can be our best teacher. So the crucial question is whether we are willing to stop worrying long enough to listen to what our anxiety has to tell us. To sink more fully into our anxiety rather than run from it. To be more present to it. Is it a warning of some kind? An alarm or wake up call? An overactive thyroid or perhaps a sign of some other latent physiological illness? A byproduct of some psychoactive stimulant, such as caffeine, nicotine, cocaine or amphetamine? Or a signal, as Freud suggested, that we are resisting becoming more conscious of something unconscious and conflictual? Or could it be a psychological call to arms? An urgent inner necessity for action? Might it herald the urgent need to change our life, our persona, our relationships, our world-view? To live in closer alignment with our true temperament? Establish better balance in our personality or life-style? To seek some new sense of spiritual purpose and meaning? Find a more fulfilling work, social or love life?
in Evil Deeds
Psychology Today
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