Root Discovery Process

Excerpt: Root Discovery Process - Anxiety Session 3

Course: Freedom From Anxiety

Speakers: Matthias Barker, Dr. Caroline Leaf

Unraveling Anxiety: From Surface Symptoms to Root Causes

What lies at the root of our anxiety? Sometimes it’s a specific circumstance, a phobia, or something more profound—a trauma, a relationship betrayal, social rejection. How do we decipher the scripts and echoes within us?

Inner Dialogue

My approach to processing anxiety involves narrowing down the inner dialogue, identifying the conflict. I personify these inner voices, allowing each part to be heard. This can be done through journaling with different colored pens or simply speaking aloud.

Organizing the Swarm of Anxiety

While we don’t literally have multiple personalities, this metaphor helps organize the chaos. What feels like a swarm of 40 bees might be just six, but their collective buzzing creates overwhelming anxiety. Personifying these voices, based on Internal Family Systems, helps us understand the conversations within.

The Boardroom of the Mind

We personify these internal conversations happening in our “boardroom” of the mind and heart. We explore the dialogue. Perhaps there’s a socially anxious part, a critical part, and a fearful part. The critical voice might echo a parent, abuser, or bully, or it might be our own insecurity.

Observing the Inner Drama

We observe how the fearful part reacts to the critical voice. What’s their body language? They likely shrink, becoming more anxious and closed off. The critical voice, in its attempts to fix things, often exacerbates the problem, tightening the knot.

Compassion and Understanding

We can take two routes: deeper introspection into the root causes or offering compassion in the moment. Ask the critical part to step aside and allow a compassionate, wise version of ourselves to engage with the fearful part.

Offering Calm and Understanding

This wise self, perhaps older and calmer, enters the room with a gentle yet confident presence. They offer compassion, acknowledging the fearful part’s feelings without judgment. This creates a supportive environment, allowing the fearful part to relax and open up.

Identifying Triggers

We explore the circumstances that led to these feelings. This isn’t about making excuses but understanding the environment that contributes to anxiety. This allows us to make strategic changes.

Compassion as a Catalyst

With compassion, the fearful part relaxes, their shoulders loosening, and they might even take a breath. Compassion creates an atmosphere conducive to change.

Finding the Root Cause

Managing anxiety requires finding the root cause. This involves examining life patterns, the four signal types (including emotional signals like anxiety), and tracing them back to the originating thoughts.

Deconstruction and Reconstruction

An experience triggers a thought, which then triggers the four signals. We must deconstruct and reconstruct these thoughts. This is a journey, not an overnight fix.

Navigating the Healing Process

During this process, self-compassion is crucial. The inner critic will try to derail progress. We must remember that we are wired for love and that anxiety is a signal, not our identity.

Weakening the Toxic Thought

By recognizing anxiety as a warning signal and embracing it to find the “because of,” we bring the toxic thought into conscious awareness. This weakens it, making it malleable and changeable through neuroplasticity.

Conclusion: Embracing Compassion and Understanding for Lasting Change

Healing anxiety involves understanding its root causes, personifying inner voices, and offering compassion to ourselves. By bringing toxic thoughts into conscious awareness and embracing self-compassion, we can weaken them and create lasting change.

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See the outline below and check out other sections from the Freedom From Anxiety course.

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Understanding the Roots of Anxiety

Session 1

Video: Grounding Exercise - Grounded in the Present

Anxiety Stories

Video: What is Anxiety

Topics: Defining Anxiety; Responses to Anxiety

Session 2

Video: Grounding Exercise - Breathing in Hope

Video: Neuroscience of Anxiety

Video: The Experience of Anxiety

Topics: Neuroscience of Anxiety; Feelings Wheel; Anxiety Sweep

Session 3

Video: Blessing Prayer

Video: Reframing Anxiety

Video: Roots Discovery Process

Topics: Inner Voices; Critical Voices

Session 4

Video: Root Cause: Our Cultural Moment

Video: Root Cause: Spiritual Warfare

Topics: Cultural/Political/Racial Tensions; Spiritual Warfare; I Hear/God Says

Session 5

Video: Root Cause: Family of Origin & Wounds

Topics: Family of Origin Issues

Healing Through Relationships

Session 6

Video: Relationships of Trust

Video: Relationship with God

Video: Inner Healing Prayer

Topics: Trust; God; Prayer; Scripture

Session 7

Video: You are not your Anxiety

Video: Relationship with Self

Topics: Goals/Aspirations; Shame/Feeling Loved; Emotional Awareness

Session 8

Video: Relationship with Others

Video: The Journey Onward

Topics: Listening Triad; Sharing with Others

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