Contrast Avoidance and General Anxiety Disorder: Theory and Assessment

Abstract

This review delves into the intricate relationship between General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and emotion regulation (ER), with the Contrast Avoidance Model (CAM) serving as a core theoretical framework. This research investigates emotional inflexibility, distress tolerance, and avoidance of emotional contrast through continuous worrying as features of ER difficulties in GAD. CAM argues that individuals diagnosed with GAD sustain a negative emotional state relying on worry, avoiding rapid shifts to negative feelings. Relevant diagnostic indices are potential instruments for detecting contrast avoidance tendencies in people with GAD. At the same time, this review emphasizes the necessity of addressing emotion regulation in the context of GAD, as well as the promise of complementary and alternative medicine as a theoretical framework and diagnostic tool in furthering our understanding of the illness. Although there are limitations, including the need for further validation of diagnostic indices and the recognition that GAD is a complex, multifaceted disorder, this comprehensive study contributes to the ongoing enhancement of the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of GAD, and ultimately improves the well-being of those affected by this debilitating disorder.