How to Deal With Anxiety

Generalized anxiety disorder is a condition that causes panic attacks and extreme physical and emotional symptoms of anxiety and stress. The reason for the development of the disorder varies but many people have a family history or traumatic upbringing that brings on anxiety. Coping with this illness is challenging to say the least but it isn't an impossible task to recover and return to normal life.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Doctor
• Psychiatrist
• Psychologist
• Journal
• Visualization Exercises
• Breathing Exercises
• Emotional Freedom Technique

1. AGKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE ANXIETY
   
   Some people are afraid to even acknowledge they have a problem because they see themselves as weak. Generalized anxiety disorder is not a character flaw. It is a treatable medical condition that is easier to recover from that you think.

2. CONFIDE IN A FRIEND OR CLERGY
   
   I told an acquaintance at my church that I deal with anxiety and depression. She saw that I was on the verge of tears so I felt I was at the point of no return in my confession of the problem. To my astonishment, she told me that she too had depression and we shared some of the same challenges. More people deal with it than you realize. Don't be afraid to talk to someone you trust.

3. FIND SUPPORT AND INFORMATION
   
   Learn about anxiety and look for online or community associations who have groups and other resources for you to find out more and to confide in others who have the same challenges. Daily Strength is an online community of people who come together to discuss mental and physical health issues. A link is provided in the resources section.

4. GET HELP
   
   Go to your doctor and discuss your problem. Your doctor will more than likely refer you to a psychiatrist and/or psychologist. The psychiatrist can prescribe anti anxiety medication to take the edge off of your condition. Work with a psychologist who can help you get to the root of your anxiety.

5. YOU MAY ALSO HAVE DEPRESSION
   
   Many people suffer from both depression and anxiety. Both conditions are treatable with proper care. Ask your doctor for an assessment to see if you have one or both conditions as one can make the other much worse.

6. KEEP A JOURNAL
   
   You can't get the root of your anxiety and what triggers it without having an outlet to record events leading to an attack. A journal is a great way to express your feelings and become more self aware so that you can have concrete evidence of what is triggering your attacks. Your psychologist might give you a few formatted sheets to keep track of behaviors which can include what you were doing when you had an attack and a grading scale to assess how severe the attack. This is a valuable tool in becoming more self aware.

7. IT FEELS LIKE A HEART ATTACK
   
   People with anxiety say that they have a hard time breathing and feel pain in their chest. This can appear to be a heart attack. To rule out any heart problems, get an echo cardiogram, or EKG. If you are not sure if you are having an anxiety attack or heart attack, call 911 or go to the emergency room.

8. TRY EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUE
   
   Go to you tube and look up Emotional Freedom Technique. A link is provided in the resources section. This technique is based in the philosophy of acupuncture and I can personally tell you that I have had very positive experiences with it, especially in the midst of a severe anxiety attack. Put your skepticism aside and try it for 20 minutes to see if it helps you.

9. GET ENOUGH REST
   
   Not getting enough sleep can trigger an anxiety attack. Establish a healthy sleep pattern. Don't rely on over-the-counter sleep aids long term unless your are told to by your doctor. If you have sleeping problems, see your doctor. He may send you to a sleep clinic to see if you have any other condition that could be causing your sleep disturbance.

10. EXERCISE
    
    There is no getting around it. As much as we don't want to exercise, we need to. It is important for a healthy person to exercise. It is even more important for someone with anxiety to exercise. Exercise creates what some call the "runner's high" because endorphins are released that make you feel good. Exercising regularly can reduce anxiety episodes. You need to be consistent to see the results. It is also a great self esteem builder.

11. BREATHING AND VISUALIZATION TECHNIQUES
    
    Ask your therapist about breathing and visualization techniques you can try. Go to the library and pick up a book on the subject and search online for more information.
    
    A simple technique is to breath deep, hold your breath for 4 seconds, breath out slowly, and repeat. Do this for 5 to 10 minutes or as long as you need to.

Tips & Warnings

• Seek medical help. Don't suffer in silence.
• Try the emotional freedom technique. It may work for you like it did for me.
• If you are suicidal or have thoughts of death that don't go away, talk to your doctor right away or go to the emergency room.
• Call 911 if you aren't sure if you are having an anxiety attack or a heart attack.

Resources

• Emotional Freedom Technique
• More on Emotional Freedom Technique
• Psychology Today
• National Mental Health Association

[momsrule]

on 1/18/2009 Loved your article. Extremely well written! 5* Another great way to treat anxiety is through neurofeedback. It's fascinating. Too complicated to get into on a comment.

[Bfastattiffanys]

on 10/21/2008 This is a fantastic article and so well written and wasy to follow. Saving this one as a fav!

[haylazmatt]

on 9/19/2008 great article on a very important topic. thanks

[slphilbrick]

on 9/10/2008 I love your concise, easy to read format here ! Good ideas and I'm thrilled you included "alternative" options as well. There are MANY MANY more and the internet is a wonderful resource to get further information to learn new skills to put anxiety behind you !