Final answer:
The cognitive avoidance model of generalized anxiety disorder suggests that individuals with this disorder use worry as a coping mechanism to deal with stressful events. Worry serves as a distractive strategy to avoid confronting and processing fears directly. However, excessive worry can perpetuate and intensify anxiety symptoms in the long run.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cognitive avoidance model of generalized anxiety disorder posits that individuals with this disorder use worry as a coping mechanism to deal with stressful events. Worry serves as a way to distract the person from the sources of anxiety and provides a temporary sense of control over the uncertain and threatening situations they face. In this model, worry is seen as an avoidance strategy that helps individuals avoid confronting and processing their fears and anxieties directly.
For example, imagine a person with generalized anxiety disorder who is constantly worried about the possibility of failing in school or losing their job. By engaging in constant worry, they may believe that they are preparing themselves for any potential negative outcomes. This excessive worry becomes a way to cope with the uncertainty and discomfort they experience in these situations.
However, while worry may provide temporary relief, it does not effectively address the underlying issues or reduce anxiety in the long term. In fact, excessive worry can perpetuate and even intensify anxiety symptoms. Therefore, therapy techniques such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) aim to help individuals with generalized anxiety disorder challenge and change their patterns of worry and develop more adaptive coping strategies.