Mental health expert weighs in on anxiety and explains how it is strongly linked to addiction

Mental health is actively advocated by a majority of people today. However, with several stereotypes attached to various cognitive health issues, people shy away or ignore the signs that one’s body and mind are asking for help. Experts in the field try to clear misconceptions about mental health issues and guide the population toward seeking help in the right manner. One such mental health expert who works on spreading awareness is John Delony. In a conversation on the ‘School of Greatness’ podcast, he weighed in on anxiety and addiction and shared that one needs to be aware of their state of mind and surroundings and take action accordingly.

He centered his opinion around the idea that one’s body often gives signs about what one needs or what is affecting a person. He shared his unpopular opinion, “Anxiety is like a smoke alarm in your kitchen letting you know that something’s on fire.” Elaborating on the same, the expert said that anxiety lets one know when something isn’t right for their body or well-being. Contrary to many people’s thinking, Delony said, “If you’re anxious it means your body is working perfectly. It’s letting you know that you’ve identified certain things in the ecosystem or surrounding that are not okay for you.” 

While many may argue that anxiety is not as great and is more or less a disorder, Delony supported his statement by saying, “In our culture, we’re so uncomfortable with that alarm system that we race up.” Using the reference to a smoke alarm, the expert weighed in, “We race up, pull the batteries out and it gets quiet.” The expert further shared that one may numb or distract the “smoke alarm” or voice that comes with anxiety and ignore the signs it gives simply to get temporary relief. “We run away from it and then our house burns down around us,” added Delony as he continued to use the smoke alarm analogy. The host then posed a crucial question, “Would you say addictions in our world are linked to anxiety?”

To this, the expert replied using the same example and said, “Addiction again is like taking a pillow, going up the ladder and duct-taping it to the smoke alarm. You’re numbing it, you can’t hear it that loud.” One does this numbing in various ways like alcohol consumption, addictions, excessive eating or binge-watching and so on. Delony shared examples saying, “I’m going to Netflix my way through it, I’m going to drink my way through it. I’m going to text someone who’s not married to me, just to feel alive,” and so on. The expert concluded the video by shedding light on the fact that anxiety and addiction are interlinked and are often tackled in an unproductive way to numb the signs to distract oneself from what one’s body is trying to tell them.

Several users got a new perspective to look at in terms of anxiety. Many even countered Delony’s idea that anxiety can be extreme. @hilrab said, “When the alarm is so sensitive it's going off when cooking it IS pretty disturbing.” However, it is to be noted that the case is such for severe anxiety which could stem from several reasons, one of them being numbing the primary instincts in the first place. A mental fitness coach, @drake.kirkwood, suggested, “What do you think your anxiety is trying to tell you today? Take 5 minutes to sit with it and write down any key insights you may have. There's profound wisdom to be had... Search for it.”