Clients with intense anxiety engage in worst-case scenario thinking as they ruminate obsessively on “what-ifs.” These ruminations typically occur during unstructured time and bedtime. The best expression of living with what-ifs assaulting the mind is Shel Silverstein’s poem Whatif? What is happening in this ego state is that one’s imagination has been hijacked by fight-flight stress hormones. Typical therapy sessions with a highly anxious client involve teaching him to disrupt negativity by means of deep breathing, taking a walk, drinking a glass of water, grounding oneself by use of the senses or self-soothing through a process like havening.
The opposite of being hijacked is taking control. When a person is in control of her imagination she can envision positive scenarios and positive outcomes that inspire, energize, and motivate. When a person is used to expecting and predicting the worst, shifting to a positive use of imagination doesn’t come easy at first. It helps to take some baby steps which means taking small risks, racking up and celebrating small victories, and gradually building self-efficacy, the belief that one can achieve what she sets her mind to do.
