The act of worry is contemplating what could go wrong in a future event, otherwise known as ‘what if-ing’. People who worry excessively overuse the ‘what if’ question to try to cope with uncertainty. For example, when thinking about an upcoming job interview they might ask: What if there’s a traffic jam and I am…
Yes, it can be effective, if it involves adaptive and flexible striving that can enable the individual to learn from set-backs, celebrate their achievements (however small), and not have it serve it as a means to determine self-worth. However, problems can arise when individuals utilise perfectionistic striving as a means to prove themselves (to self…
The simple act of walking through a shopping centre can be a pleasure for some (what luck – a sale!) and a source of anxiety for others. Especially if you feel as though you are the centre of others attention, being evaluated (negatively) by others. This is known as a self-referencing error – believing that…
There are two common fears associated with flying: the fear of dying and the fear of having a panic attack. The fear of flying is most often thought of as a fear of dying. A fear of the plane experiencing a catastrophic failure mid flight and plummeting to the earth. People with this type of…
A form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that is not often spoken about involves having repetitive and intrusive noxious thoughts. These thoughts often have a violent or sexual theme (violent or sexual images or urges) and are abhorrent to the person experiencing them. Efforts to push the thoughts away or ‘block’ them out often results in…