Anxiety's Paradoxical Cycle of Avoidance | Generated by AI
Understanding Masatake Morita’s Quote on Anxiety Disorders
This quote comes from Masatake Morita (森田正马), the Japanese psychiatrist who developed Morita therapy in the early 20th century. It’s from his book The Treatment of Neurasthenia and Obsessive Thoughts (《神经衰弱和强迫观念的根治法》), where he addresses “shinkeishitsu” (神経質), a concept encompassing anxiety-driven conditions like phobias and obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Morita’s work emphasizes accepting anxiety rather than fighting it, as resistance often worsens the problem.
Breaking Down the Quote
The quote highlights a paradoxical cycle in anxiety disorders: the intense fear of something (a “terror” or phobia) leads to behaviors that ironically make the feared outcome more likely. This creates a thought-reality contradiction, where your mind’s desperate attempts to avoid the fear pull you deeper into it. Let’s unpack each example:
-
Fear of uncleanness (不洁恐怖, mysophobia): Someone terrified of dirt might obsessively wash or isolate to stay “pure.” But this hyper-focus drains energy, leading to neglect of real hygiene over time—they end up more unclean, reinforcing the fear.
-
Fear of blushing (赤面恐怖, erythrophobia): A person dreading embarrassment might avoid social situations or fixate on their face. This self-consciousness amplifies awkwardness, gradually eroding natural poise and making them seem shameless or indifferent to social norms, the very thing they feared.
-
Fear of illness (疾病恐怖, nosophobia): Hypochondriacs constantly check symptoms and avoid risks, but this avoidance fosters paranoia and skips preventive care. Ironically, they become less attentive to actual health, increasing vulnerability to real issues.
-
Fear of misfortune (吉凶恐怖, perhaps fear of bad luck or omens): Those anxious about jinxing their luck might ritualize decisions to “protect” happiness. Yet this over-caution leads to missed opportunities, making them recklessly sacrifice well-being without realizing it.
Morita attributes this to thought contradictions (思想矛盾): Your conscious desires (e.g., “I must be clean!”) clash with unconscious impulses or avoidance, twisting intentions into opposites. It’s not weakness—it’s how the brain’s alarm system backfires under chronic stress.
Core Insight in Morita Therapy
Morita saw these as symptoms of living “in your head” rather than the world. The “cure” isn’t conquering the fear but arugamama (as-is acceptance): Acknowledge the anxiety, then act anyway (e.g., go out dirty if needed). This breaks the cycle by aligning thoughts with reality, reducing the paradox.
In modern terms, it’s like exposure therapy meets mindfulness—fears thrive on avoidance, but action dissolves them. If you’re dealing with similar anxieties, Morita’s approach encourages small, value-driven steps over perfection.
Morita Therapy Overview
The Treatment of Neurasthenia and Obsessive Thoughts (Excerpts)