Anxiety Management Strategies Part II
Morita Therapy
Morita therapy was developed by Dr. Shoma Morita and is based on the understanding that individuals with neurotic disorders share common personality traits. These traits include being introverted, reflective, rational, sensitive, and prone to worry, along with characteristics such as perfectionism, idealism, determination, and an intense desire for growth. People with these traits often struggle with an excessive fear of death, an overconcern with health, and deeply ingrained biases that are difficult to overcome.
A key concept in the development of neurotic symptoms is the "psychic interaction," also known as mental antagonism. This occurs when an individual becomes overly focused on a distressing sensation, which in turn intensifies the discomfort. This creates a cycle of increased attention and resistance, leading to heightened sensitivity and reinforcing the pattern further.
This recurring cycle generates feelings of anxiety and fear, ultimately resulting in autonomic nervous system dysfunction—what is known as psychosomatic symptoms. Psychic interaction often solidifies these symptoms, eventually forming a fixed behavioral pattern over time.
"Accept what is, and do what must be done." This is the fundamental principle of Morita therapy. The goal is to resolve internal contradictions, work through hypochondriacal emotions, and help individuals move past disease-oriented thinking. By addressing the mechanism of psychic interaction and aligning with natural psychological states such as attention and emotion, therapeutic strategies are applied to encourage individuals to experience the concept of going with the flow of life.
Morita theory encourages people to view anxiety and discomfort as natural emotions that should be accepted rather than resisted. Trying to forcefully eliminate these feelings often leads to frustration and mental conflict, triggering further psychic interaction and internal turmoil.
By naturally accepting symptoms, pain, and emotional distress without resistance, individuals can gradually free themselves from the grip of neurotic patterns. This allows them to minimize the negative impact of neurotic traits while channeling their strong "will to live" into constructive energy.
Morita therapy does not focus solely on symptom elimination. Instead, it encourages individuals to break free from the cycle of obsessively trying to get rid of symptoms and instead reorient their lives. It's about learning to live with symptoms rather than expecting immediate relief.
Moreover, Morita therapy does not dwell on the past but emphasizes engaging in real-life experiences in the present. By living life as a healthy person would, individuals gain experiential insights, learn to accept emotional fluctuations, and take purposeful action toward their goals—this is the essence of "doing what must be done."
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) or Tapping Therapy
When humans encounter stressful events, the body activates the fight-or-flight response, a survival mechanism that was crucial in early human societies. This fear-based reaction occurs in the amygdala, the brain's emotional center. When a negative stimulus arises, the amygdala sends out an alarm, triggering a cascade of physiological responses.
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), also known as tapping therapy, offer a method to interrupt this alarm system. By verbalizing one's issues while simultaneously tapping on specific meridian points on the body, the amygdala's distress signals can be calmed. This process helps the body transition from a state of perceived danger to one of safety, effectively reducing the stress response.
In addition, EFT can reprogram the hippocampus—the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning. This allows the brain to overwrite fear-based reactions, preventing recurring episodes of anxiety and establishing new, healthier neural pathways.
As a result, when individuals encounter future anxiety-inducing or fear-provoking situations, they no longer fall into the trap of automatic stress responses.
By deactivating the cycle of continuous emotional alarms related to anxiety and fear, EFT enables the brain's limbic system to be rewired, allowing emotions and symptoms to be truly released and processed in a healthier way.
Furthermore, the acupressure component of EFT increases endorphin levels in the body—natural neurotransmitters that promote feelings of well-being. This helps reduce fear, break conditioned responses, and establish new neural patterns. EFT offers a practical, effective, and accessible method for managing insomnia, phobias, and anxiety disorders.
The 8 Steps of Emotional Freedom Techniques
Step 1: Identify your "Top Stress Event"—the most troubling or anxiety-provoking situation. For example: "Every time I try to fall asleep, my heart starts racing."
Step 2: Rate the intensity of your stress on a scale from 0 to 10. How severe does your top stress event feel? For instance, you might rate it a 9.
Step 3: Create a statement that acknowledges the issue while affirming self-acceptance: "Even though I experience heart palpitations when trying to sleep, I deeply and completely accept myself."
Step 4: While using the fingertips of one hand to tap on the karate chop point (the fleshy area on the outside of the opposite hand), repeat the statement three times aloud.
Step 5: After repeating the statement, continue tapping on eight specific body points while verbalizing a shortened version of your issue (e.g., "heart palpitations when sleeping"). The points are: under the eye, beside the eye, under the nose, under the chin, collarbone, under the arm, and the top of the head.
Step 6: After completing one full round of tapping, take a deep breath. Reflect on any changes in your body and ask yourself if the situation feels different. What happened during the tapping?
Step 7: Reassess your stress level using the 0–10 scale. After the first round, how does your anxiety feel now? Perhaps it's dropped to an 8.
Step 8: Continue with multiple rounds—5, 10, or more—until the fear of insomnia or the triggering event is significantly reduced or resolved.
Pharmacological Treatment
Medication for anxiety should always be prescribed by a licensed physician. The following information is intended for educational purposes only.
Several modern antidepressants are considered first-line treatments for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), particularly for long-term management. These include SSRIs (e.g., escitalopram, paroxetine, sertraline), SNRIs (e.g., duloxetine), partial serotonin agonists (e.g., buspirone and tandospirone), and anticonvulsants like pregabalin. These medications are generally safe and effective for extended use.
While benzodiazepines (e.g., alprazolam, diazepam, lorazepam), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) such as imipramine and amitriptyline, and quetiapine XR have proven anti-anxiety effects, they are not typically recommended as first-line options due to potential side effects, dependency risks, and limited long-term safety data. However, they may be used short-term or as part of a trial treatment plan under medical supervision.
Although this article aims to provide comprehensive guidance, it's not possible to cover every detail. If self-application of these techniques proves challenging, avoid giving up prematurely and assuming they don't work. Often, the issue lies in misunderstanding or missing key details. In such cases, reaching out to a qualified therapist can make a significant difference.