Perceived Danger and Creating Safety: Anxiety Skills #6

If you want to treat PTSD, manage anxiety, cope with stress, and develop a calm, intentional approach to dangers, then learning the difference between real danger and perceived danger is essential.

Most danger is actually in our mind (this is called perceived danger), not in the present moment, but it still creates that same physiological stress response whether it's actually dangerous or not. Most of the time we are actually safe; we just perceive danger around us.

By recognizing the difference between real danger and perceived danger, you can learn to manage anxiety, stress, and worry by reminding your brain and body that in this present moment you are safe. This triggers the parasympathetic nervous system and can train the body and mind to be calmer.

Astronaut Chris Hadfield talks about how danger is different than fear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo62S0ulqhA

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Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC, and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.

About Me:
I’m Emma McAdam. I’m a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and I have worked in various settings of change and growth since 2004. My experience includes juvenile corrections, adventure therapy programs, wilderness therapy programs, an eating disorder treatment center, a residential treatment center, and I currently work in an outpatient therapy clinic.

In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.
And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschris....t.org/comeuntochrist

If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.
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