Some people become more anxious as they attempt to relax because relaxing interrupts their worrying, according to new research. Although the intent of relaxation exercises is to reduce anxiety, for some people, they have the opposite effect. A new study concludes that, in these people, relaxation conflicts with a strategy that they employ to lessen the impact of negative events: continual worrying. The authors of the study were Michelle Newman, a professor of psychology, and Hanjoo Kim, a graduate student in psychology, both at Penn State University, in College Park, PA. The team summarized their findings in a paper that appears in the December issue of the Journal of Affective Disorders. The insights presented in the study suggest that people living with generalized anxiety disorder may benefit from follow-on research. Kim suspects that "Measuring relaxation-induced anxiety and implementing exposure techniques targeting the desensitization of negative contrast sensitivity may help patients reduce this anxiety." In addition, notes Prof. Newman, "Mindfulness training and other interventions can help people let go and live in the moment." (Credits: www.medicalnewstoday.com)
