In 2019 alone, 301 million people suffered from some form of anxiety disorder. Among them were 58 million children and adolescents, giving rise to a staggering number of incidences where so many lives were haunted by overwhelming fear, persistent worry, and associated behavioral disruptions that left brutal scars on the mind and heart.

Anxiety—an all-too-common yet often misunderstood condition, affects countless individuals worldwide. 

In this interview, we will speak with Ms. Aashi Jain to better understand the psychological aspects of anxiety, an all-too-common yet often misunderstood condition that affects countless individuals worldwide. 

Ms. Aashi Jain is a Counseling Psychologist who brings a wealth of expertise and experience to the field of mental health and psychology. She is currently working with the NAMAH Foundation as a counseling psychologist. With an M.Sc. in Clinical Psychology and over 1 year of professional practice, Ms. Aashi is also a certified therapist in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution Focused Behavioral Therapy (SFBT), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). 

She has also received training in Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT). Specializing in providing counseling to individuals of all age groups, including children, parents, adolescents, and adults, Ms. Jain focuses on addressing mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression. 

So join us as we explore the insights and knowledge of Ms. Aashi Jain, uncovering valuable perspectives on psychological well-being, and deep insights into a common disorder plaguing countless lives.

Goldi Negi: Hello, Ms. Aashi. It’s a pleasure to have you here, and I am so glad that you joined us for this interview. Without further ado, let us start with a fundamental question. 

How would you define anxiety, and what are some common misconceptions you often come across?

Ms. Aashi Jain: Thank you for inviting me!

Well, anxiety is basically a common feeling of nervousness and restlessness we all experience in our lives. It is one of the most simple physiological responses we have when we encounter an unpredictable situation.

Anxiety is an important alerting signal we all need for survival. It warns us of many dangers around us and helps us take action while keeping our safety and well-being in mind. 

Things only become a problem when anxiety stops us from leading a potentially fulfilling life, creating barriers in our normal daily functioning, and adversely affecting our professional and personal lives.

Goldi Negi: Thank you for clarifying that, Ms. Aashi. It's essential to debunk those misconceptions. 

Now, we understand that anxiety is not necessarily a bad thing. But it becomes problematic when it's not letting us lead a normal life. Kindly tell us about the different types of anxiety disorders and their specific characteristics.

Ms. Aashi Jain: Anxiety Disorders can be majorly divided into two categories: first, we have general anxiety disorders, and then there are Phobic Anxiety Disorders.

There is Generalized Anxiety Disorder as well as Panic Disorder. In Generalized Anxiety, an individual experiences the commonly known and constant anxiety related to ordinary day-to-day things. It is simple anxiety but on a problematic level.

There may be no specific source of their anxiety, it's "free-floating". Those who suffer from it may constantly feel nervous and restless, with physiological discomfort and unease throughout the day. This is most commonly seen in people who have experienced long-term stress.

Whereas Panic Disorder includes the frequent occurrence of severe anxiety attacks (commonly known as panic attacks). In a panic attack, a person may feel like they are dying, having a heart attack, feeling the walls closing in, feeling that everything is unreal, with choking sensations. They may feel they are losing control. They also constantly live in the anxiety of experiencing another panic attack as they are unpredictable, which further worsens the condition.

Phobic Anxiety Disorders include fear-related anxieties where the person has an irrational, intense fear of an object or a situation that does not present any imminent danger and appears to be quite normal to others.

The individuals who suffer from it feel dread and take extreme precautions to avoid the situation or the object. This further increases their anxiety, and they are then in a constant state of anticipatory anxiety about facing their phobia.

The most commonly encountered phobic anxiety Disorders are Agoraphobia and Social phobia. Agoraphobia involves the fear of open spaces where the person has no easy and immediate way to escape, like in a crowded space (concerts, clubs, flights, trains). People experiencing Agoraphobia always try to remain at home and at familiar places and avoid going to unfamiliar places and may even avoid important family functions and events.

Social phobia is one of the most prevalent problems in today's time, especially in adolescents with the advent of modern technology and online presence. In this situation, individuals feel anxious and fearful of the majority of social situations comprising of other individuals and public places. They become very conscious of their behavior in public and in a social setting, sometimes even making it hard for them to breathe. They are constantly struggling with the thought of getting judged and criticized by others and avoiding social interactions.

Apart from that, there are also different specific phobias related to specific objects and situations, including certain animals, behaviors, and specific situations and characteristics.

Goldi Negi: Your words are surely very insightful, and I appreciate the detailed responses. Now that we understand the various aspects of anxiety, let's explore some coping strategies and techniques. What are some effective methods individuals can use to manage anxiety in their daily lives?

Ms. Aashi Jain: Anxiety is one of those negative phenomena that every individual can manage by themselves with a bit of psychoeducation and effort if caught early.

There are a lot of methods and coping mechanisms to deal with anxiety, like Cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness techniques, relaxation techniques, and self-affirmations.

Anxiety stems from the unpredictability of a situation, where our brains may exaggerate the future problem and its consequences and understate our coping responses and resources in dealing with the same.

In cognitive behavioral techniques, we work on modifying these aspects, eradicating false beliefs and irrational thoughts in a more evidence-based rational thought.

In mindfulness techniques, we bring our awareness and consciousness to the present self and environment. We try to bring our mind back to the present and now by doing some meditation involving deep breathing and actively engaging our sensory organs (eyes, ears, tongue, skin, and nose) in the present, diverting our attention from the worries of the future, bringing us back to now.

Another professionally used method to treat anxiety is relaxation techniques like Progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, and guided imagery. In Progressive muscle relaxation, we engage our whole body in the process of stress release by focusing on each part one by one and releasing the stress. As for guided imagery, we imagine ourselves at a comfortable, peaceful, and beautiful place (like a mountain or beach) where we engage all our sensations in our imagining, experiencing deep relaxation.

These methods help in keeping our body relaxed, which in turn helps reduce our anxiety.

Apart from this, good sleep hygiene, limited gadget exposure, a balanced diet, exercise, and spending time with friends and family also help in reducing anxiety.

Positive self-talk and self-affirmation techniques are also effective, where we recognize our own feelings of anxiety and say positive affirmations to ourselves, showing compassion and care. For example, if I am feeling anxious about an interview, I can say to myself, "Keep calm; you will do wonderful; everything will go well". This helps in establishing a positive attitude towards our anxious thoughts and self-concept.

Goldi Negi: This is also great advice, positive mindset comes with several other benefits as well.

Ms. Aashi Jain: Yes. We as humans are compassionate towards our friends and family when they make mistakes or are in problems, but when the same thing applies to us, we become self-critical and blame ourselves for all the mistakes. It is important to always show ourselves compassion in difficult situations. It is one of the best coping mechanisms one can develop.

Goldi Negi: Thank you for sharing these methods, and your perspective on anxiety and its possible origins. 

Considering the multifaceted nature of anxiety, we should try to explore it further. In your professional experience, what other contributing factors or triggers have you observed that lead to anxiety?

Ms. Aashi Jain: There are several factors that can generate anxiety in individuals. In my professional exposure, one of the common factors that lead to anxiety is childhood experiences and the family environment. If a child has experienced neglectful parenting where their needs were not met on time, they develop automatic anxiety towards situations in the future because they have learned that their needs might not be met, creating instability and restlessness in them. 

Also, a restrictive and over-controlling family environment can lead to anxiety as the person is always very cautious of their behavior, trying their best to not disappoint others, creating a whole flux of anxious behaviors.

Another factor that can significantly contribute to an anxious personality is our own image of ourselves, including low self-esteem and confidence in our own abilities. 

Many of the people experiencing anxiety have negative and irrational views about themselves, like "I am useless", "I am bad", and "I can't do anything", which stops them from actively doing things they feel anxious about, increasing their anxiety. The main barrier here is these unhealthy self-beliefs.

It is important to expose oneself to such anxiety-provoking situations so that with each exposure, our anxiety reduces. 

Goldi Negi: We discussed coping methods for troubling anxiety-inducing situations when they are in a milder form and detected early. But when anxiety disorders stem from past traumatic events, their current triggering environment, or other similar situations, what are the best coping methods?

Ms. Aashi Jain: Traumas are something that gradually takes routes within us, causing us severe anxiety in the future.

Although individuals are able to deal with that trauma in the initial days themselves, healing themselves at their own pace without the need for any professional help, there are still many who take a different route.

They might repress their traumas and never be able to deal with them, using unhealthy coping mechanisms that can lead to the trauma taking deep roots within them throughout their lives, bringing forth several serious issues, including anxiety disorders.

In such situations, professional psychological help becomes important. Because at several times, those who have suffered and endured traumas and adversities may not be aware of it themselves. Their troubled past becomes so deeply repressed that it is forcibly forgotten, or in other instances, it is so brutally engraved within that it brings forth unhealthy habits.

Here, professional help to talk and work through these traumas becomes crucial. If someone is clinically diagnosed, then tailored therapeutic interventions and medications will also become important.

Goldi Negi: All those are some wonderful suggestions, Aashi. It helps us better understand the significance of timely interventions and the severity of not knowing what to do in such cases.

Lastly, what advice would you give to someone who is supporting a loved one dealing with anxiety? How can they provide the right kind of support and create a supportive environment?

Ms. Aashi Jain: Those who have a friend, family member, or colleague who is suffering from anxiety should understand and remember that their emotional and social support can play a huge part in the better future of their loved ones.

We should all strive to offer a safe, comfortable, and non-judgmental space where it is easier to express our troubles and anxieties. We can also motivate them to do the things they feel anxious about doing, prompting and cheering them simultaneously. 

We can read and educate ourselves about anxiety and the specific condition our family member or friend is going through, talk with them about it, and make them feel accepted, creating a sensitive, encouraging, and welcoming environment. 

Goldi Negi: The least we can do is offer our support and try to understand whether it is a friend who is in trouble or us who need help. Your caring and thoughtful mind is honestly remarkable, Ms. Aashi.

And now that we have covered almost all of the important basic questions regarding anxiety. Is there anything else you would like to say before we conclude our interview?

Ms. Aashi Jain: Well, some things need more time and patience. But what I have always believed about anxiety is that it is a friend who shows up at your doorstep once in a while when you are about to do something worthwhile, you can either get shocked and remain stuck on that doorstep to avoid everything, or you can greet that friend, ask them nicely inside, and keep doing what you have planned to do. 

In the end, it all comes down to how you perceive your anxiety—as a friend or a foe. That simple distinction makes so many things easier.

Goldi Negi: Thanks a lot, Aashi, for sharing your insights and expertise. It has been a pleasure having this conversation with you. Your knowledge will undoubtedly provide our readers with valuable information and guidance!

Ms. Aashi Jain: The pleasure is mine! It was colossal to share my thoughts and knowledge related to my field and profession on Medbound. I had a wonderful time. 

Thank you for being so engaging and reciprocating. Your queries and questions were on point and insightful. All the best for your future!

(HN)