Hope is a Key Factor in Recovering from Anxiety Disorders
University of Houston associate professor of clinical psychology, Matthew Gallagher, has added his voice to a debate that spans the ages — the importance of hope. Gallagher reports in Behavior Therapy that hope is a trait that predicts resilience and recovery from anxiety disorders.
The concept of hope has long stirred opinion. In the sixteenth century, Martin Luther celebrated its power, claiming “Everything that is done in this world is done by hope.” Two centuries later, Benjamin Franklin warned that “He that lives upon hope will die fasting.” Into the conversation, Gallagher reports that psychotherapy can result in clear increases in hope and that changes in hope are associated with changes in anxiety symptoms.
