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people become more anxious as they attempt to relax because relaxing interrupts
their worrying, according to new research.
Relaxation techniques may have the opposite effect in some people.
Although the intent of relaxation exercises is to
reduce anxiety, for some people, they have the
opposite effect.
A new study concludes that, in these people, relaxation
conflicts with a strategy that they employ to lessen the impact of negative
events: continual worrying.
The authors of the study were Michelle Newman, a professor
of psychology, and Hanjoo Kim, a graduate student in psychology, both at Penn
State University, in College Park, PA.
The team summarized their findings in a paper that appears
in the December issue of the Journal of Affective Disorders.
Why worry?
In 2011, Prof. Newman developed the theory of "contrast
avoidance." She explains, "The theory revolves around the idea that
people may make themselves anxious intentionally, as a way to avoid the letdown
they might get if something bad were to happen."
Worrying is, according to this theory, essentially an attempt to "pay in advance" for something that may happen.
Worrying is, according to this theory, essentially an attempt to "pay in advance" for something that may happen.
"This isn't actually helpful," says Prof. Newman.
Yet, given that most of the things one is apt to worry about never occur, the
brain's takeaway may be, she says, "'I worried and it didn't happen, so I
should continue worrying.'"
"People may be staying anxious to prevent a large shift
in anxiety," continues Prof. Newman, "but it's actually healthier to
let yourself experience those shifts."
She adds, "The more you do it, the more you realize you can do it, and it's better to allow yourself to be relaxed at times."
She adds, "The more you do it, the more you realize you can do it, and it's better to allow yourself to be relaxed at times."
Studying relaxation in people with
anxiety
Since the 1980s, the medical community has recognized the
existence of relaxation-induced anxiety, although the mechanism behind it has
been a mystery, according to Prof. Newman. She suspected that contrast
avoidance may be involved.
As the researchers explain in their paper:
As the researchers explain in their paper:
"The contrast avoidance model postulates that
individuals with generalized anxiety disorder [...] fear a sharp spike in
negative emotion, and thus prefer to worry to maintain their negative affect,
rather than being in a more euthymic state, such as relaxation."
The team worked with
96 college students in the new study. This included 32 participants with
generalized anxiety disorder and 34 with major depressive disorder. Thirty
participants without the disorders served as a control group.
The experiment began with relaxation exercises. Then, the participants viewed videos that the researchers had selected with the intention of eliciting fear or sadness.
The experiment began with relaxation exercises. Then, the participants viewed videos that the researchers had selected with the intention of eliciting fear or sadness.
Hoping to identify
any lingering beneficial emotional effects of the relaxation exercises, the
researchers then administered questionnaires to each participant. The
responses, the researchers hoped, would also reveal levels of sensitivity to
the emotional shifts elicited by the videos.
Next, the students
participated in a second set of relaxation exercises, after which they filled
out a survey on the level of anxiety that they had felt during the exercises.
The researchers found
that people with generalized anxiety disorder were most sensitive to extreme
emotional shifts, and that they tended to feel the most anxiety while
practicing relaxation techniques.
Kim observes that "People who are more vulnerable to
relaxation-induced anxiety are often the ones with anxiety disorders who may
need relaxation more than others."
In people with major
depressive disorder, the effect, though present, was less pronounced.
Kim notes that a
repeat of the study in people with panic disorder and persistent mild depression could also
be informative.
The value of the research
The insights
presented in the study suggest that people living with generalized anxiety
disorder may benefit from follow-on research.
Kim suspects that
"Measuring relaxation-induced anxiety and implementing exposure techniques
targeting the desensitization of negative contrast sensitivity may help
patients reduce this anxiety."
In addition, notes
Prof. Newman, "Mindfulness training and other interventions can help
people let go and live in the moment."
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