Lasting Treatments for Anxiety vs. Coping Skills - Is THIS why Therapy isn't working?

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Feb 20, 2025

Many people struggle with anxiety despite trying various methods. Short-term coping skills may provide temporary relief but fail to address the root causes. Through Gwen's story, the importance of long-term strategies is highlighted, emphasizing the need to repair the 'leaking boat' of mental health. This podcast delves into cognitive treatments and therapy that can change your relationship with anxiety over time, although they might initially feel uncomfortable. Discover how lasting solutions can help you move beyond crisis mode.

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ANECDOTE

Gwen's Anxiety Struggle

Gwen tried various anxiety management techniques, including therapy and coping skills.
Despite her efforts, her anxiety persisted, impacting her college life and leading to avoidance behaviors.

INSIGHT

Coping Skills: Temporary Fix

Coping skills offer temporary relief from anxiety, like bailing water from a leaking boat.
However, they don't address the underlying issue, leading to exhaustion and potential worsening of anxiety.

ADVICE

Long-Term Solutions

Prioritize long-term treatments like therapy or medication to address the root cause of anxiety.
Combine short-term coping skills for immediate relief with long-term strategies for lasting change.

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Have you tried a bunch of stuff to manage anxiety and depression, but you’re still struggling? This might be why: Some strategies that work great for the short term, don’t help in the long run. They might make you feel better in the moment, but they do nothing to resolve your anxiety in the long run.

A lot of articles, books, your friends, and even therapists recommend over and over that you learn “coping skills” to deal with anxiety. But coping skills only work in the short term. The most common problem for people like Gwen is they haven’t been taught how to implement the long-term skills that actually make your anxiety go down over time, instead of just coping. Long-term treatments can help you get out of crisis mode and into fixing mode. Fixing the leak in the boat takes more effort and time up front, but it addresses the root cause. Instead of endlessly bailing water, you’re working to repair the hole so you won’t keep ending up in the same situation. This is where cognitive treatments, therapy, or even medication come in—they help you change your relationship with anxiety or reduce its intensity over time. But here’s the thing about these long-term treatments–they often don’t help in the short term. They sometimes even make you feel worse–at first.

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Therapy in a Nutshell 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. 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.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe

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.