Carl Jung on Overcoming Anxiety Disorders

In the first video of this two part series we discussed what Carl Jung believed the existence of anxiety disorders and other forms of neurotic suffering can teach us about our way of life. The cause of the neurosis, according to Jung, is always to be found in the present. In a conflicted way of life in the here and now The outbreak of the neurosis functions in a prospective manner It signals to us that the life path we are on is inconducive to our well being Or as Jung wrote The road to recovery according to Jung does not require reliving childhood memories or working through old family conflicts For unless we were the victim of some sort of trauma of which we have yet to process our childhood memories will not free us from our present suffering.

What is needed is a new attitude one which entails We must step off the side lines of life and establish an uniform direction to our existence in which we, and not others, are the final authority. The first step in recovery is simple in theory but difficult in practice we need a clearer picture of who we are and where we are heading we can no longer afford to falsify reality Instead of fleeing from our difficulties, denying our flaws or blaming our lot in life on forces independant from our control self-acceptance must become the rule for as Jung wrote While many people fear what they may see if they take an honest look at themselves in actual facts, the practice of self acceptance is liberating No longer do we need to expend so much energy denying our flaws and hiding them from ourselves and others instead this energy can be used for its proper purpose of contributing to personal growth and promoting our recovery For the bold among us Jung suggested that one way to gain a better picture of who we are is to turn to someone we trust for an honest assessment of our character In addition to becoming more aware and accepting of our current situation we also need to recognize where we are heading if we remain neurotic For often those afflicted by anxiety disorders especially in the initial stages of the illness believe that if they can avoid the things which trigger their symptoms then a relatively comfortable life is still possible symptom management, not recovery, becomes their primary goal But this path often leads to a hell of one's own making For while avoiding the situations, activities and life tasks that trigger our symptoms, may be of minimal inconvenience at first over time, as many neurotics will attest the practice of avoidance snowballs until life becomes restricted in the worst of ways. For this reason Jung believed it was crucial for the neurotic to recognize that while recovery is certainly not easy it will in the long run prove far less arduous that remaining in the grips of a neurosis Or as Jung wrote Jung compared the task of recovery to climbing a steep moutain pass while he suggested those who never make the attempt are like individuals who sit on the pleasant valley road below not realizing that a raging bull is heading directly for them But so as to not be overcome by despair and the recognition that no easy escape remains we should remember that a neurosis offers us the chance to discover a path in life that is far more fulfilling than the one we currently tread In fact, recovering from a neurosis can result in a level of psychological health and a degree of resilience not found in those who never endured such suffering a neurosis, in other words is only a curse if we remain forever caught in it but it will prove a blessing if we can find an escape But the attitude change which is engendered by self acceptance and the recognition of where we are heading if we remain neurotic is only the preparatory step on the road to recovery the real solution lies in action we must stop being mere observer of life and At this stage, there is a tendency for those suffering from a neurosis to want to know exactly what tasks they should be fulfilling and what path in life they should follow But according to Jung, caution must be exercised in this regard for as he wrote With that said, Jung does offer some general advice to help us avoid dead end paths Firstly he warned that the neurotic should be cautious of conformity Some people are neurotic because of an acute sensitiveness to the inadequacies of the dominant way of life in their society and hence So long as they strive for conformity they will remain trapped in their suffering These individuals, according to Jung are not ill because they lack the ability to live like anyone else Instead of following the well worn path of conformity But not all who are neurotic fall into the class of the bearers of new cultural ideals Many people are neurotic simply because they are unwilling to face up to one of those tasks of life which all of us because of our shared human nature naturaly gravitate toward be it the need to pass on our genes to cultivate a social life to participate in some form of productive work or eventually to face up to our death In these cases the question of conformity or non conformity does not apply recovery is simply a matter of facing up to the life tasks we have for too long avoided or as Jung put it For those whose neurosis has led to a dramatic restriction in activity the specific task which is chosen is not too important We just need to find something to aim at which can help effectuate a transition from the inner realms of our douts, worries and intrusive thoughts to the external world of people, places and things A useful practice in this regards was recommended by Jung's colleague Alfred Adler We should imagine ourself free of the neurosis and also free of the fear of social ridicule In such a situation what would we choose to do?

Who would we want to become ?