Jungian Therapy for Anxiety & Times of Crisis: 5 Truths
In times of crisis like these, with financial panic and other factors, some important truths emerge from the practice of Jungian therapy, /a-midlife-transition, and therapy for anxiety. Here are some key learnings important for resilience — and for getting through — in times like these.
1. Acknowledge Your Emotions
This is key to consciousness of ourselves, in Jungian therapy terms. Also, attempting to deny feelings and be stoic in demanding times only increases anxiety and stress loading. Much better to be forthright with yourself about what you’re feeling. Psychotherapy can provide a supportive container for this.
2. Current Crises Activate Old Feelings
Going through instability and volatility in the present, we may vividly re-experience old memories and feelings of difficult or crisis times undergone in the past. It is important to realize that much anxiety and emotion may stem from the ways in which the situation “hooks” our memories of earlier situations (e.g., 9/11 , 2008 crisis , personal crises).
3. Limit Exposure to Anxiety Provokers
In crisis situations we seek reassurance. We may seek out modern media as information sources to get it, but then find that, by their nature, the media do the opposite, and elevate our anxiety. It may make sense to limit your exposure to news media or other anxiety amplifiers, if you possibly can.
4. In Crises, the Archetypal Often Emerges
Often, in times of high stress and emotion, the unconscious becomes particularly active. This may be an important time to be aware of dreams and other content from the unconscious. It may shed a significantly different perspective on what is going on than your everyday conscious awareness. Depth case studies like Jungian therapy may well help in integrating this material into your life.
5. Hang onto Your Individuality
In times of crisis it’s easy for strong feeling or affect to make people lose their individuality, and be overcome by a herd mentality. Just this week, we have seen the panic in financial markets and the London riots. But it’s essential both for our own well-being and conscious awareness of ourselves as individuals that we hold onto ourselves, and avoid merging with the herd. That’s the way we stay human.
My best wishes to you for resilience, as we all live and move through and beyond these challenging times.
Brian Collinson, Psychotherapist & Jungian Analyst | Oakville, Burlington & Mississauga Ontario
1-905-337-3946
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© 2011 Brian Collinson
2238 Constance Drive, Oakville, Ontario (near Mississauga)