Fundamental Aspects Of Jungian Anxiety Therapy

The approach to treating anxiety in Jungian therapy follows a central premise. Our thoughts and beliefs may end up being our worst enemies. Especially if we resist or do not know how to cope with what worries and paralyzes us.

But finding our way to the root of our problems and accepting them can enable us to free ourselves from them and what they represent to us.

If we are to define Jung’s psychological approach in one word, it is self-realization. This is something that always differentiated Jung’s theories from Freud’s. Jung believed that people were always oriented towards a specific driving force: To be able to realize themselves as human beings.

But everyone suffers from anxiety. The reason for this always seemed clear to Jung. In his eyes, the world does not always seem like a safe place.

Our social environment, institutions, authorities and even the stream of modernity that surrounds us do not constitute a favorable scenario in our eyes.

Things like dissatisfaction, the feeling of not being free, and the fact that we cannot fully realize ourselves are all added to the constant feeling of insecurity. External pressure makes us split inside, and instead of doing something about the inner tension, we resist in a stoic way.

Carl Jung once said something worth remembering: That which you resist will continue.

Treatment of anxiety according to Jungian therapy

Jungian therapy is a specialized form of psychotherapy. Its method differs from those we see in cognitive behavioral therapy or humanistic psychotherapy. In fact, universities like the University of California, Berkeley, have been educating students in this direction for more than 40 years.

This type of psychotherapy presents some interesting foundations that are worth considering if you are wondering if there really is an effective treatment for anxiety.

Anxiety is a human trait, but it is important to individualize it

To prove an idea, Jungian therapy talks about concepts such as archetypes and the collective unconscious. Humans share a psychic substrate from which all sorts of common elements that define us as a species originate. This means that there are instincts, shadows and driving forces that we all share (according to this theory).

• Anxiety is like a blanket that we walk on every day. It is a feeling full of suffering that stems from what we have previously discussed: the feeling of living in an environment that is not always safe.
• Although all people have these things in common, there is one fact that defines this approach, which Jung proves through analytical psychology: We are obligated to individualize, to come from the structure that we all share, and thus become autonomous and independent.

• The people who live with anxiety every day need to be able to define what they feel, what they perceive, and most importantly, what they need.

Jungian therapy uses a closed method, a dialectical procedure, in which the therapist must be able to create a connection with the patient’s personality, in order to favor their comfort and autonomy. They need to take an active role in their healing process.

The recognition of the “shadow” or the deep roots of anxiety

Another important foundation in these therapies for treating anxiety is  finding the original cause, the root of the problem that is causing the mental illness. It means discovering our shadow and letting the darkest side of our personality come to the surface.

Likewise, it is also important for the therapist to identify the patient’s affective complexes (needs, obsessions, feelings of admiration).

To achieve this, this method is based on the following strategies:

• Conversation therapy.
• Interpretation of dreams.
• Association of ideas.
• Creative techniques.

Analyzing the unconscious, which is often fraught with problems, voids, and neglected needs, is the key to this healing process. That said, an alliance must be established between the therapist and the client in order to truly work on this complex mental structure.

No more resistance: Acceptance to be free

Jungian therapy has only one purpose when it comes to treating anxiety: Individualization. Favoring the mental and emotional autonomy requires that we are able to break our inner resistance. That requires us to stop our unconscious desire to flee in the direction of what worries or frightens us.

The harder we work to suppress negative and bad thoughts, the more power they have over us, according to Carl Jung.

• Therefore, refusing, resisting or resisting anything will only aggravate the symptoms associated with anxiety. This will cause more stress, restlessness and agitation.
• In addition, Jungian therapy will try to guide us so that we can accept a very important aspect: Understanding that anxiety is part of being human. That means we must accept it without resistance. Now, that does not mean we should let it control us. It would just make us lose our independence.

Finding a purpose

Jungian therapy is aware that we sometimes use all our energy to treat anxiety. The chronic despair and lack of motivation that many people suffer from almost always stems from the same problem: Lack of purpose and not finding meaning in life.

This type of therapy provides the right means to help the person gain a new focus in life. That way, the person will be able to create an idea of ​​the purpose of their life based on their needs. This is a great way to keep anxiety away and redirect the power of anxiety to achieve new personal goals.

In conclusion, we can say that Jungian therapy is always available if we want to use it to treat our anxiety. It restores our emotional balance in the unconscious, our blockages, our fears and our shadows.

It is important to note that today there are many different studies that confirm and support the effectiveness of Jungian therapy. Embarking on a psychotherapeutic journey that favors self-knowledge and personal freedom is always positive.