Anxiety and Stoicism: A Very Slippery Slope

Can Stoicism help treat anxiety? On discussion forums like Reddit, many people wonder: How do Stoics deal with anxiety? How can one maintain a Stoic mindset while suffering from generalized anxiety disorder? How can Stoicism be used to fight anxiety?

The answers are generally reassuring: yes, Stoicism seems able to help, through practical exercises such as negative visualization, observing and naming one’s emotions, voluntary discomfort, or working on value judgments. These practices closely resemble those used in cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT), whose effectiveness in treating anxiety has been scientifically demonstrated.

But… Stoicism can also worsen anxiety. In some cases, it encourages practices that reinforce the very neural circuits involved in anxiety. For instance, trying to control one’s thoughts, judgments, or emotions because they are said to “depend on us” (as Epictetus claims) can be one of the most effective ways to fuel an already well-established anxiety. For this reason, if you are prone to anxiety, it is important not to plunge headfirst into Stoicism without caution.

When “What Depends on Us” Fuels Anxiety

Many people report feeling calmer thanks to Epictetus’ famous distinction between what depends on us and what does not.