<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0KD14e_0vQBQbm000" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0KD14e_0vQBQbm000" width="1528" height="800" >Key points<ul><li>Understanding the concepts of introjection and epigenetics could help us uncover the sources of anxiety. </li><li>Investigating where our beliefs came from can help to challenge long-held anxious behavioral responses.</li><li>Looking at both nature and nurture can shed light on how anxious beliefs have been formed. </li></ul>The psychologist Melanie Klein called them “introjects”: those pesky messages and beliefs that we inherit from others, carry with us, and allow to influence us even though they may not actually align with our authentic beliefs. For example, a mother who believes that the world is full of constant danger and experiences heightened anxiety and panic attacks may unwittingly pass on a generalized fear, worry, and distrust of the world to her child.While there is no exact science to support nor way to measure this type of generational influence, the growing study of epigenetics furthers the concept: according to the Harvard University Center on the Developing Child, “the old idea that genes are ‘set in stone’ has been disproven. Nature vs. nurture is no longer a debate. It’s nearly always both.” In other words, the events we experience, the messages we hear, and the environment in which we live can cause our bodies to react in various ways.In the example above, the child of the anxious mother may disproportionately respond to “normal” life events with a sense of fear, worry, and panic. This, however, is not a direct line; it would be overly simplistic to assume that an anxious parent will automatically produce an anxious child. The point is to recognize that many of our behaviors and responses are influenced by what we experienced, observed, and heard as children.So, if we put the concepts of introjection and epigenetics together, we may conclude that none of us is immune to outside influence when it comes to how we handle life and how we respond to its complexities. Looking at anxiety specifically, we can pay attention to the following as possible influences:<ul><li>Having an anxious or persistently worried parent, guardian, or parental figure.</li><li>Growing up in a tense or stressful environment. (Stressful environments carry unspoken messages of dread and catastrophe.)</li><li>Hearing repeated messages (directly or indirectly) about danger, worry, stress, or dread.</li><li>Observing an influential figure struggle with anxiety or panic.</li></ul>Any one of these formative experiences can affect and impact the way we view the world. Neural pathways, cognitive patterns, and behavioral responses are all subject to repetition, so if a certain type of information (such as “the world is dangerous” or “you can’t trust anyone”) is repeated often enough, it will become habitual and automatic, much like a wheel that creates a rut for itself.In cognitive behavioral therapy, an effort is made to challenge certain beliefs in the service of deconstructing those that influence behaviors that are not helpful to us. We can begin to do this work by investigating where our beliefs originated and whether or not they actually belong to us.In the example of the anxious mother, we might argue that the child’s belief that the world is a dangerous place is not actually her own. It is, rather, an introject from her mother that has impacted her behavior. Epigenetically, her genes may have learned to respond in a way that has been influenced by her mother’s behavior and messaging. The therapeutic question to ask is, “Whose belief is this?” Often, upon inspection, we discover that some of our most tightly held beliefs are not actually our own.Next, we can empower ourselves by asking “What do I actually believe?” It may be that the child actually does not fear the world; rather, the belief of her mother has introjected itself and become comfortable and unchallenged. By challenging it, the child can begin to lessen her anxiety, recognize that she carries a very different belief, and adjust her behaviors to be more aligned with her own beliefs.Understanding the impact of introjection and epigenetics on anxiety can help us regain a sense of control over anxious and fear-based responses. Accepting that we must consider both nature and nurture can help us understand that challenges such as anxiety and panic are layered and often originate from multiple sources.As we work to untangle the complex foundations of our beliefs, we gain the power of autonomy and a renewed sense of living in accordance with what we authentically believe, not the beliefs of others that have infiltrated our psyche. Our behaviors, then, begin to better align with our understanding of the world. The child of the anxious mother lives in the world in a more peaceful way than her mother did, feels a sense of safety where her mother did not, and responds more healthily to frightening or stressful stimuli.References“What Is Epigenetics? The Answer to the Nature vs. Nurture Debate.” Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 30 Oct. 2020, developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/what-is-epigenetics-and-how-does-it-relate-to-child-development/.</div></body>

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How Inherited Beliefs and External Messages Impact Anxiety

Understanding the concepts of introjection and epigenetics could help us uncover the sources of anxiety. Investigating where our beliefs came from can help to challenge long-held anxious behavioral responses. Looking at both nature and nurture can shed light on how anxious beliefs have been formed. The psychologist Melanie Klein called...

How Inherited Beliefs and External Messages Impact Anxiety

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