文章大意:本文是一篇说明文。主要说明了临床心理学家认为焦虑经常被不恰当地处理,如果你接受焦虑是生活的一部分,你就可以学会用自怜甚至幽默的方式来对待它,文章还介绍了一种心理疗法以及应对焦虑的建议。
Just like happiness and sadness, anxiety is part of everyone’s lived experience—but it’s not always tolerated as such. “People often spend too much time and effort trying to rid anxiety,” says Dr Joel Minden, a clinical psychologist. “I encourage them to remember that anxiety is a normal emotional response.”
If you try to banish anxiety, all you’re doing is putting it more at the forefront of your mind. But if you accept anxiety as part of life, you can learn to relate to it with self-pity or even with humour. This is a cornerstone of acceptance and commitment therapy(ACT), which has been gaining clinical validation, including by the American Psychological Association. ACT guides people to see their unpleasant emotions as just feelings and to accept that parts of life are hard. Sufferers are encouraged to begin a dialogue with anxious thoughts, examining their causes while also keeping in mind their personal goals and values.
This way of relating to anxiety has been a powerful strategy for John Bateman, the 52-year-old host of the podcast Our Anxiety Stories. When negative thoughts arise, he acknowledges them but doesn’t let them drive his decisions. Over the years, Bateman has noticed that if he submits to his thoughts, they don’t go away but dramatically increase. But if he recognizes them for what they are, just a passing thought and not a fact that needs to be acted on, they gradually go away.
Learning to live with anxiety is an individual process and one that requires trial and error to get just right. While acceptance is the first and most important step to take, some lifestyle changes have been proven to take the edge off, as well. Since tiredness, increased tension and stress leave us much easier to fall into anxiety, a well-balanced diet, sufficient rest and, especially, regular exercise can help us manage it better.
16. What may Dr Joel Minden agree about anxiety?
A.It is often improperly treated. | B.It should be seriously taken. |
C.It is easily-earned experience. | D.It goes hand in hand with joy. |
17. What does the underlined word “banish” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A.Identify. | B.Hide. | C.Control | D.Overlook. |
18. Why does the author mention John Bateman in Paragraph 3?
A.To explain a strategy. | B.To describe a phenomenon. |
C.To introduce a public figure. | D.To present a successful case. |
19. What is suggested to cope with anxiety in the last part?
A.Concentrating on the process. | B.Making lifestyle adjustments. |
C.Avoiding exposure to pressure. | D.Learning to get things in place. |