“Anxiety is a necessary emotion”: reduce it with a free, immediate tool without side effects
Martinez explains that anxiety acts like a smoke detector, alerting us to problems beneath the surface.
Anxiety has become the most common mental pathology worldwide, affecting more and more generations. Según el psiquiatra Alejandro Martínez, autor del libro Ansiedad, ¡Déjame en paz!, consultado por el ABC de España, esta tendencia plantea la necesidad de una reflexión crítica sobre la hiperexigencia y las responsabilidades que la sociedad moderna impone.
Martinez explains that anxiety acts like a smoke detector, alerting us to problems beneath the surface. Ignoring these symptoms can lead to serious anxiety attacks, described by those who experience them as “death in life.”
"Anxiety is the most common mental pathology in the world and each generation is more anxious than the previous one. When we all share the same problem. We must critically reflect on what is failing as a society," he says.
The necessary anxiety
The psychiatrist states, in an interview with journalist Laura Peraita, that anxiety works like a smoke detector: "It warns us that something is not right. The problem appears when that detector becomes so sensitive that it constantly goes off."
He points out that the problem comes when the effects of anxiety extend beyond the physical, feeding on negative thoughts and an uncontrollable desire for perfection. This mental suffering turns out to be deeply exhausting.
“Anxiety lives by feeding on catastrophic thoughts and the need to control everything,” he emphasizes.
"Anxiety is a necessary emotion and fighting it only makes it persist more. The important thing is that it doesn't dominate your life," he declares.
Strategies to manage anxiety
The author suggests that practicing sports not only benefits physical health, but can rival pharmacological treatments in improving mental health. Exercise contributes to better emotional balance.
Martínez also advocates simple techniques, such as diaphragmatic breathing, that help calm anxiety in times of stress. “It is a free, immediate tool with no side effects” to combat anxiety. “Breathing correctly for a few minutes can greatly reduce physical activation before a stressful situation,” he advises.
Changing the narrative about anxiety
Despite progress in normalizing mental health, there is still a stigma associated with anxiety. The pandemic has led some people to recognize their struggles, marking a positive change.
Cultivating emotional intelligence and promoting healthy self-esteem are essential to helping younger generations face anxiety challenges. Encouraging physical activity also plays a crucial role in this process.
Finally, Martínez is optimistic about the growing awareness and interest that society has in mental health. This change begins to mitigate the heavy burden that anxiety imposes, being a relevant step to improve collective well-being.
When anxiety affects daily life
The most common warning signs of anxiety are constant worry that is difficult to control, the feeling of always being on alert, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and trying to avoid situations that you previously handled normally.
When anxiety begins to interfere with work, studies, sleep or social life, it is already affecting daily life.
When to ask for help. It is advisable to seek professional help if the symptoms last for weeks, are increasing or are already limiting your daily life. It is also important to do it as soon as possible if repeated panic attacks, alcohol or substance use to calm you down, or intense sadness with hopelessness appear.