Chemical dependency, for example, sometimes develops as an attempt to relieve anxiety. The solution can itself become a problem later in life. Another good example is dissociation. Their creative solution often becomes a problem later in life. Trauma may begin to flood through into the present, or their dissociation may begin to spread to other areas.
Good therapy seeks to understand the way that a symptom developed as a solution.
With this understanding, it is often possible to let go of a symptom which has out-grown its usefulness. Imagine two people encountering someone who does not like them. The second person is likely to experience much more emotional distress than the person with the more moderate belief. Developing more moderate forms of extreme beliefs is often an important part of therapy.