Anxiety and the Three Fundamentals

There is a Haitian Proverb that goes, “Deye Mon Gen Mon,” which translates as, “Beyond Mountains There Are Mountains.” This has several different meanings, which vary based on context. Some such meanings are similar to other sayings, including; “Appearances are deceiving,” or “Don’t Judge a book by its cover.”

Now, as the old saying goes, “A conclusion is simply the place where you got tired of thinking.” Each time we reach hasty conclusions, we are barred from appreciating or experiencing the fact that “beyond mountains there are mountains.” We are likely to identify superficial instead of the root causes of a problem, and we are likely to adopt solutions that create more problems than we started with. As Einstein said, “We cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it.”

In our field, anxiety is one of the most common examples of where we got tired of thinking. We typically only identify the superficial cause and adopt solutions that cause more problems than we started with.

For example, memory impairment, falls, fractures, and motor accidents, have been shown to be among the common side effects of benzodiazepines, which are frequently used to treat symptoms of anxiety. Those who use these medications to treat their anxiety have a 50% higher risk of dementia and are twice likely to die prematurely. 

Yet, psychosocial interventions have also been limited in their effectiveness to help cease or mitigate suffering for those with symptoms of anxiety. In order words, we have been looking at the tip of the iceberg - the psychology and the biology and therefore only addressing what we can see above the waterline.  With limited effectiveness on one hand and additional problems created, on the other hand, logic would follow that one would finally decide to look at the root of the problem and address it accordingly.

“A sum can be put right: but only by going back till you find the error and working it afresh from that point, never by simply going on,” reminded us, C.S. Lewis, in The Great Divorce.  We have been looking only at half of the mechanism of anxiety, half of the explanation behind it, and this explains why we have been able to be successful at treating it only 50% of the time. 

But, for us to effectively treat anxiety, it behooves us to “go back till we find the error and work it afresh from that point”  This is exactly what we do during our full-day CEU webinar on Anxiety

We will be looking at The 3 Fundamentals that are behind our biology and psychology. We will look at what has been missing, put it together with what we already know, and have a framework to treat anxiety once and for all.

As Abraham Maslow said, “If your only tool is a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail.” Please join us for some innovative tools to effectively treat anxiety and elevate yourself to a new way of practicing as a clinician.

We look forward to seeing you on October 9th.

Karen and Mardoche

Karen Dubin-McKnight, PhD, LCSW, is a Columbia-trained Social Worker with wide clinical, teaching, and supervision experience. She also has a background in management, mentorship, and leadership that spans almost 20 years. Her added passion is in advocacy, coaching, public relations, and mediation. Her goal is to ensure that social workers and women feel empowered and have a voice “at the table.” She has previously held Executive level positions, and two other directorships in different organizations. She is currently Adjunct Faculty at Columbia University School of Social Work and Adelphi University School of Social Work. She also maintains a private practice, working with individuals who have experienced loss and trauma, and also provides clinical and management supervision.

Mardoche Sidor, MD is a Harvard-trained Quadruple Board Certified Psychiatrist, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University, School of Physicians and Surgeons. He is trained in and taught all the major psychotherapeutic modalities, including and not limiting to CBT, DBT, Family Systems,  and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy. He is also the author of 3 books including Journey to Empowerment; Discovering Your Worth; and The Power of Faith. Dr. Sidor has worked both as a primary care physician and as Medical director in three different settings, including as Chief Medical Officer of Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services (CASES). He is the Founder and CEO of the SWEET Institute.