The most important step to eliminate anxiety, Perceptual Misinterpretation

Understanding Anxiety: The Root Cause and Its Solution

Hello, friends! Welcome to DRK TV. I am your friend, Dr. Kanhaiya, from Bikaner, Rajasthan.

If we truly want to eliminate anxiety from its roots, we need to address the fundamental mechanism that causes it. As long as the root cause remains, we will continue to experience anxiety and won’t feel normal.

Now, what is the most important cause of anxiety? If we can successfully eliminate this cause, we can completely get rid of anxiety, panic, fear, restlessness, and uneasiness.

This entire scientific session is dedicated to understanding that one major cause that keeps us trapped in the cycle of anxiety. Understanding this concept is crucial.

What is Perceptual Misinterpretation?
The root cause of anxiety is what we call "Perceptual Misinterpretation." But what does this term mean? Let’s break it down.

The word “perceptual” comes from "perception." Perception is the way our brain interprets the external world. Whatever we see, hear, or experience in our surroundings, our brain creates an internal image of it.

For example, when you think of your home, you have a mental image of your house. When you think of your friend, your brain creates an internal image of them—their face, nose, ears, personality, and the way they dress. This process of forming internal images is called perception.

Now, perception involves interpretation—our brain interprets the information it receives. For example, if you hear a bell ringing, your brain interprets the sound and tries to understand what it means. The sound could indicate:

A temple nearby,

A religious ceremony at home,

An ice cream seller in the street, or

A popcorn vendor passing by.

All these interpretations are created in our mind. This entire process is called perception.

How Does Perception Relate to Anxiety?
Anxiety occurs when this perception process goes wrong. If our brain interprets external reality accurately, we remain calm because our internal image matches reality.

However, if our brain misinterprets reality—meaning the internal image does not match the truth—this creates perceptual misinterpretation. When this happens, anxiety develops.

Let’s understand this with an example.

Example of Perceptual Misinterpretation
Imagine a person who has undergone multiple heart check-ups—ECG, echocardiogram, Doppler tests—everything is normal. Many cardiologists have confirmed that their heart is perfectly fine.

But despite all these reports, the person constantly fears having a heart attack. They feel anxious all the time and avoid going outside alone. When they do go out, they prefer places where medical help is available. They always keep their phone charged, share their location with family, and even buy expensive insurance policies because they fear they might suddenly die from a heart attack.

Now, let’s analyze what’s happening here.

Reality vs. Perception
Reality: All heart tests are normal. There is no heart problem.

Perception: The brain misinterprets normal chest pain as a symptom of a heart attack.

Because of this misinterpretation, the brain creates a false reality:

“Something is wrong with my heart.”

“I will have a heart attack.”

“I might die suddenly.”

This is perceptual misinterpretation. The truth is, there is no real danger, but the brain creates a false story that leads to fear, panic, and anxiety.

The person starts overanalyzing every sensation in their body:

If their finger hurts, they think it’s related to the heart.

If their left hand feels numb, they fear a heart attack.

Even mild chest pain makes them panic.

This false perception makes them anxious, even though the reality is that their heart is perfectly healthy.

Breaking the Cycle of Anxiety
If we want to free ourselves from anxiety, panic, and fear, we must correct our perceptual misinterpretation.

To do this, we use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT helps us retrain our brain to interpret reality correctly.

First Step in Overcoming Anxiety: Acceptance
The first step is accepting that our anxiety is caused by perceptual misinterpretation.

The doctors have confirmed there is no heart issue.

The problem is not in the heart—it is in the way the brain interprets information.

My anxiety is a result of misinterpreting normal bodily sensations.

Once we understand this, we need to shift our focus. Right now, the focus is on the heart—constantly checking it, visiting cardiologists, and doing tests.

But the real solution is to shift the focus from the heart to the brain.

Every time a test confirms the heart is fine, the person feels temporary relief. But soon, the anxiety returns, creating an endless loop of fear and medical check-ups.

Conclusion
Anxiety is often caused by misinterpretation of reality. The key to overcoming it is recognizing when our brain is creating false alarms and training it to interpret situations correctly.

By using CBT techniques, we can break free from the cycle of anxiety and regain control of our thoughts and emotions.

Understanding this is the first step toward a calm, stress-free, and fearless life.