#therapytip 0003: if y[]u have anXiety, []r h[]nest|y any re|ated dis[]rders |ike rsd, it can he|p t[] visua|ise facts fr[]m ficti[]n. many pe[]p|e wh[] eXperience anXiety s[]metimes end up spira||ing fr[]m assumpti[]ns and catastr[]phic thinking. whi|e these kinds []f visua|isati[]n techniques may n[]t, and |ike|y w[]n't, c[]mp|ete|y st[]p th[]se fee|ings, they can []ften he|p manage the psych[]s[]matic sympt[]ms imagine y[]u're in a |ibrary. natura||y, there's a ficti[]n secti[]n and a n[]n-ficti[]n secti[]n. the ficti[]n secti[]n is g[]ing t[] have a|| []f y[]ur assumpti[]ns, what-ifs scenari[]s, etc., but the n[]n-ficti[]n secti[]n is where y[]u need t[] f[]cus y[]ur energy. when y[]u fee| y[]urse|f starting t[] spira|, []r even bef[]re that when it's just harder than usua| t[] distance y[]urse|f fr[]m the anXi[]us th[]ughts y[]u're having, start s[]rting thr[]ugh the n[]n-ficti[]n secti[]n that has []n|y the facts what d[] y[]u kn[]w f[]r certain t[] be true? y[]u might kn[]w what s[]me[]ne said []r did, but that's separate fr[]m what y[]u *think* they meant by that. y[]u might kn[]w that there's a big event c[]ming up []r a situati[]n y[]u have t[] hand|e, but y[]u d[]n't kn[]w h[]w that's g[]ing t[] turn []ut unti| it happens. y[]ur anXiety tries t[] make y[]u c[]nsider every p[]ssibi|ity and read between |ines that may []r may n[]t be there, but when y[]u s|[]w d[]wn t[] c[]nsider []n|y what is factua| and verifiab|e, it can he|p y[]u rati[]na|ise y[]ur []wn resp[]nses t[] th[]se situati[]ns