Anxiety and How to Deal With It

Published on July 17, 2019

Anxiety is a normal emotion. It helps one to deal with a number of situations in life. Sometimes however, anxiety can become excessive, it may persist for long periods of time and/or it may manifest itself in all walks of life. In such scenarios, it can interfere with one’s career, school, work and relationships, and adversely impact one’s quality of life. In these situations, anxiety is no longer considered to be a normal experience, rather has progressed on to being a disorder. In fact, anxiety disorders are very commonly experienced conditions, especially amongst women.

Anxiety disorders are an umbrella term for a number of related conditions. In fact, anxiety can take several forms ranging from panic anxiety and generalised anxiety to obsessional anxiety, PTSD and health-related anxiety. All of these forms may be associated with avoidance, compulsions and safety behaviours. Sometimes anxiety disorders can be secondary to other causes- for eg., alcohol misuse, excessive smoking, or other physical illnesses. Oftentimes, anxiety disorders co-exist with other psychiatric disorders like psychosis and depression.

The most common symptoms of anxiety disorders include:

• Feeling restless or on-edge
• Excessive worrying
• Feeling agitated
• Rapid breathing (hyperventilation)
• Sweating
• Trembling
• Increased heart rate
• Increased irritability
• Fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating
• Excessive irritability
• Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
• Panic attacks

If you find yourself feeling anxious, there are some things you can do to help manage or reduce symptoms in the long term. Remember these tips:

• Whip out a pair of headphones and listen to some music.
• Take slow deep breaths, while concentrating on your breathing. Inhale and exhale slowly.
• Limit alcohol and caffeine as they can aggravate symptoms and even trigger anxiety attacks.
• Slowly count to 10 and repeat again if necessary.
• Exercise for at least 3 hours per week so that your body produces endorphins, dopamine and serotonin or “happiness hormones.”
• Watch a funny video or have a friend tell you a joke. Laughing can help to lower anxiety levels.

Treatment

The good news is that anxiety disorders are treatable. They can be safely managed with the help of a medical professional. Medications and psychological counselling are both together effective to treat a range of anxiety disorders.

Treatment of anxiety disorders includes lifestyle changes, counselling and medications. The treatment depends on a variety of things such as existing medical conditions, psychological issues, social risk factors and whether or not it is substance-induced. Counselling helps to give individuals the skills to cope with these disorders, while medications can help to improve symptoms.

If you face issues with anxiety or are unable to manage your anxiety or panic attacks, you should seek treatment. If left untreated, anxiety disorders can cause depression, substance abuse or physical health problems. For a safe, unbiased and non-judgemental space to talk about your anxieties, please book an appointment with us at Tranquil Minds.