If you suffer from anxiety, you know that awful feeling when heart races, you start to sweat, and you feel like you just want to run. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common form of mental illness in the United States, affecting roughly 40 million adults. While anxiety can feel debilitating, there are ways you can manage it. There are several effective strategies and treatments that can help manage and reduce anxiety. Here are some of the most common approaches:
Psychotherapy
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective psychotherapies for anxiety disorders. It helps identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviours that contribute to anxiety. Exposure therapy, a component of CBT, gradually exposes the person to the sources of their anxiety in a safe environment to help them overcome fears and anxieties.
Relaxation Techniques
Techniques like deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness meditation can counter the physiological symptoms of anxiety and promote a calmer state.
Lifestyle Changes
Regular exercise, getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, reducing caffeine and alcohol intake, and practicing stress management techniques can all help reduce anxiety levels.
Medication
Antidepressants like selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are commonly prescribed for anxiety disorders. Anti-anxiety medications like benzodiazepines may be used for short-term relief but carry a risk of dependence.
Support Groups
Joining a support group can provide a sense of community, shared understanding, and coping strategies from others dealing with similar anxiety issues.The most effective treatment often involves a combination of psychotherapy, relaxation techniques, lifestyle changes, and medication (if needed). It's important to work closely with a mental health professional to develop an individualized treatment plan.
Slow Your Breathing
When we feel anxious, our breathing becomes quicker and shallower. This way of breathing, in turn, makes us feel even more anxious. It’s a vicious cycle.
When you feel the anxiety start to come on, start to focus on your breath and begin to slow it down. Breathe in slowly and deeply for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, then exhale slowly for a count of 4. Repeat this cycle three to five times until you feel yourself begin to calm.
Limit Caffeine
Drinking or eating anything with caffeine in it can exacerbate your anxiety. Studies have even shown that caffeine can trigger an anxiety attack, so try and avoid or greatly limit consumption.
Exercise
Studies have shown that just 20 minutes of exercise can reduce symptoms of anxiety. Not only does exercising make you feel good about yourself, it actually floods your body with feel-good endorphins, which can totally turn your mood around.
Make a List
One of the worst parts of feeling anxiety is the feeling that you are out of control. One simple exercise to turn this around is to make a to-do list of small, easy-to-manage tasks. Crossing these tasks off your list will actually empower you and make you feel in control again.
Remind Yourself of Reality
When the plane of a nervous flyer hits turbulence, that nervous flyer must remind themselves that the plane is okay, and it is just a normal occurrence to hit turbulence. People who experience anxiety may also have to remind themselves that they are actually okay when an anxiety attack comes on. Simply tell yourself that you are experiencing anxiety but that you are, basically, okay, you are not going to die.
It can also be very beneficial to talk to someone about your anxiety issues. A therapist will be able to offer more tools and advice on how to cope and manage your anxiety.
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