Category: Anxiety

Many people avoid stress proactively by living in a predictable routine. They wake up, go to work, see some friends, and wind down for the day. Living this way gives us a sense of control over our own lives and minimizes the amount of anxiety we risk.

If anything is going to force millions of people to change their routines, it’s a global pandemic.

COVID-19 took many things from us—the people we love, the jobs we rely on, the activities that energize us, and more. You may feel vulnerable and stressed now more than ever before. You may even hesitate to integrate old habits back into your life out of fear of losing them again.

Fret not—while we can’t stop unexpected events from happening, we can manage the stress they bring to our lives. Here are four ways to manage stress in an ever-uncertain world.

1. Limit How Often You Consume the News 

You can convince yourself that keeping up with the news makes you “well-informed”, but the truth is that it also makes you pretty depressed. While we live in a globalized world, most of our day-to-day life is affected by the things directly around us.

Your day is more likely to be thrown off by your child getting sick and needing someone to stay home with them than it is by the opinion of a politician on the other side of the world.

Yes, it’s absolutely important to stay connected with the rest of humanity. However, knowing every little detail about major events that happen every single day is information overload. Clear your head by clearing your feed and setting personal boundaries on how often you take in the news.

2. Focus on What You Can Control

Sometimes, our brains imagine the worst-case scenario before we get the chance to catch ourselves. That’s okay! The important thing is not to ruminate on it.

Instead, focus on what you can control. Ritualize the minor parts of your everyday life. Plan your outfit before going to bed, engage in weekly meal-planning, come up with an exercise routine, and get into a TV show that gives you something to look forward to.

Self-care doesn’t have to be as luxurious as Instagram sometimes makes it look. It can be as simple as prioritizing a diet that fuels you, planning activities that relax you, and cutting back on obligations that prevent you from getting enough sleep or time with those you love.

3. Be Patient with Yourself

Studies show that not everyone sees uncertainty the same way. Some people become inspired by the “challenge”, while others are fearful of the unknown.

If you’re in the latter half, you may struggle with negative thoughts, excessive anxiety, and irritable moods. These are totally normal responses to living through chaos, so there’s no reason to blame yourself.

Instead, try reflecting on the worst days in your life before this. The times you blanked on stage, tripped in the hallway, or ran out of gas on the highway. Remind yourself, “I got through hard times before, I can get through hard times again.”

4. Ask For Help (Even Before You Need It)

Let’s be honest: some of us are isolators. Things go wrong and without a second thought, we stop checking our emails, cancel all upcoming events, and curl up into bed for a couple of weeks.

While some people see asking for help as a sign of weakness, it’s actually a sign of love, humility, and strength. It shows your loved ones that you trust and respect them enough to influence your life for the better.

Where your support network fails, a therapist can step in. Some thoughts just feel too personal to talk about with friends. Anxiety therapists can help you identify harmful thinking patterns and repetitive behaviors that limit your ability to bounce back from stress.

Looking to get started? Schedule your first appointment with me today.

When we struggle with our mental health, our sense of identity and self-esteem comes into question. Losing control over our own emotions makes us feel weak, as if we did something wrong to lose it in the first place.

The truth about life is that we can’t control everything. However, going through hard times doesn’t immediately change the person we are. We still have control over the way we treat ourselves.

Here are some tips to help you remain calm, even when life feels out of control.

Everything that was true about you before is still true now.

Maybe you used to feel on top of the world, super productive, and able to support anyone who needed your help. Now, you feel on the verge of tears out of exhaustion after a single lunch outing with your friends.

Just because you’re drained and not able to tap into the high-energy, supportive friend you know yourself to be doesn’t mean that you’re not still that friend. You are still that friend, just a tired version of them. You didn’t change, your circumstances did, and you’re learning to navigate them.

Feel like you can’t trust yourself? Lean on someone else for now.

Feeling like you’re making the wrong moves at every turn can be isolating. You miss a deadline at work, so you work late. Working late made you miss date night, so you buy your partner a small gift on the way home. You left the small gift on the top of your car in the parking lot, and now you come home empty-handed.

Pause and acknowledge how much effort you’re putting in vs. how re-energized you feel after putting in the effort. If you’re scrambling to keep it all together, it’s probably because it’s too much for one person to do right now.

Get comfortable learning how to ask for help. Asking for help can look like…

• Communicating with your manager or coworker that you don’t have time to fulfill a task and require support. (It does not look like admitting you “failed” or stubbornly working away until you’re burnt out.)
• Coming up with creative solutions to build intimacy with your partner in a way that works for your mental health right now. (You don’t have the energy to get nice and dolled up for a date, but you’d love to cozy up on the couch and read side-by-side.)
• Acknowledging that you have a limit, and being honest when you’ve hit it. (If you feel frazzled and stuck in a cycle of “Once [this thing] happens, I’ll be okay,” it’s time to try therapy. There, you can develop coping skills that help you in the present, instead of blindly believing it’ll all work out in the future.)

Tell yourself your story from an alternate angle.

When multiple bad things happen to us in a row, it’s easy to sum it up as, “Everyone’s just out to get me this week,” or “My depression wins again.”

You always have the power to change your story. A depressive episode can make you feel stuck at the mercy of your condition, or it can direct your attention to something that’s been bothering you for some time.

Instead of seeing it as a setback, view it as an opportunity to pause and re-discover yourself. When you start seeing off-days as opportunities to refresh yourself instead of inconvenient road-blockers, you put yourself first and your contributions to society second.

At the end of the day, you’re a person who needs support. If you feel too out of control to give it to yourself, work with an anxiety counselor trained to help you. Accept that maybe right now, you’re a little broken. Believe that recovery is possible and invest in the tools that are designed to heal you.

Brush off the excuses that something won’t work, and try it anyway.

As your high school career comes to an end, it seems like the only questions your family asks these days are about college. Why can’t the questions go back to being about sports? Or your favorite TV show?

Escape the looming anxiety about college applications by shifting your thinking before those letters come in. Let’s talk about how to cope with anxiety before hearing your college application results.

You’re Not Crazy, and You’re Not the Only One Panicking

The adults in your life may act like getting into college is all about grades, hard work, and “earning” it. However, for some people, getting into college is more determined by factors like affordability, accessibility, and equal opportunity. If a well-funded public high school can afford to offer several AP and honors courses, their students will be more prepared for college-level content and classroom structures.

Under-funded public high schools are less likely to offer courses like this, putting their students at a disadvantage when they apply. Some universities attempt to compensate for this by using a holistic approach when reviewing applicants. However, this can leave the handful of students who do attend feeling like fish out of water, putting them at risk of dropping out from the academic pressure and culture shift.

We’re also facing a public health crisis around anxiety in high-achieving school districts because of the competitive nature of it all. That, plus the cultural expectation that you need a degree to secure a living wage and reasonable benefits, is enough to make someone feel desperate to succeed.

Pick the Best Fit For You, Not the “Best” School of the Year

It’s important to remember that colleges are businesses. They benefit from appearing on ranked click-bait lists, like “The Top 10 Most Fun Colleges in the U.S.” or “The Best Marketing Colleges to Apply For”. These lists have nothing to do with you and everything to do with that college wanting to get their name out.

Instead of considering what college is objectively the “best”, focus on what college would be best for you. If all your applications could be great fits, then one acceptance letter shouldn’t mean more than another. If you go to the “best” college that picks you simply because you think it’s the “best”, you may end up putting yourself at risk for more achievement pressure and burnout—two things that lead to depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.

Reshape How You Think About Status

If you’re someone who gets anxious about parental approval, this statistic might help you breathe easier. One developmental psychologist found that most parents prefer to raise a caring child over a high-achieving child.

While larger colleges come with the added benefit of a broad alumni network, that doesn’t guarantee you more success than a smaller college would. (Especially if you’re worried about large classes deterring you from connecting with your professors.) You may find that building your own professional network outside of your school’s alumni proves to be more fulfilling.

You’re Done Testing, Applying, and Essay-Writing… Enjoy Your Senior Year!

Senior year can be bittersweet. You want to celebrate all the senior nights and drive around with your hometown besties until the last possible second. Don’t be afraid to dive into it all!

Your head may be spinning with thoughts of, “I didn’t do enough,” “I could’ve pulled that C up to a B,” or “Why couldn’t I come up with a better ending to my essay?” Hindsight bias can really drag down your senior year if you let it get to you.

Remember—you performed the best you could at the time with the tools and energy you had available. It’s easy to say you could’ve found a better path forward when you’re looking back at it from the other side.

If you want more support to get you through this stressful time, schedule an appointment with me today to develop more anxiety coping skills that work for you.

In a COVID-19 world, uncertainty dances around us every day. New variants are forming, new vaccines are coming out, and mask guidelines vary from city to city. It’s all pretty anxiety-inducing, but there are things you can do to cope.

Our brains are wired to see ambiguity as a threat. When we try to focus on something else, our brain redirects us back to resolving those feelings of uncertainty. However, this doesn’t mean that focusing on uncertainty is the best solution to resolving it.

Studies show that job uncertainty can have a more significant effect on your health than actually losing a job will. Similarly, in one study, participants who were told they had a 50% chance of feeling a shock felt more anxiety than those who knew for certain they were getting shocked.

Let this speak volumes to the importance of feeling safe and secure for the sake of your mental health.

“Knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.” – John Allen Paulos

Resisting the idea that COVID-19 comes with an amount of uncertainty will only lead you toward delusions. It’s true, you’ve probably never faced something like this in your life. However, that doesn’t mean you’re excused from accepting it as real.

Instead of suppressing the emotions you feel about COVID, let yourself feel them. Accept them as the only truth you know these days. Resisting them will only let them fester and grow in intensity, potentially resulting in an underlying anxiety disorder or feelings of depression.

See life for what it is right now—challenging, frustrating, and for some, really boring. Don’t lie to yourself, it totally is. Accepting the current situation means allowing your emotions to flow and then exit, because they’re simply not helpful right now.

This doesn’t mean you should turn into a doormat for people to walk all over because nothing ever gets to you. Rather, it means lowering your expectations for what’s possible for the time being.

Right now, we have multiple COVID variants, several vaccines, and lots of time to wait for people to catch up on the research and eventually, slow the spread. It’s not ideal, but it’s realistic and the only option we have right now.

Comfort Yourself in Healthy Ways

While we wait for the rest of the world to catch up, let’s take care of ourselves in the meantime. Feelings of anxiety can pair with a desperation for dopamine, making unhealthy “rewards” like drinking, binge-eating, or doom-scrolling through social media especially tempting.

Fill your dopamine meter in healthy ways, like going for hikes with friends, flipping through old memory boxes, or watching a funny movie. It’s not indulgent to take care of yourself as long as you’re doing it in healthy ways.

Take Everything You Hear with a Grain of Salt

Rumors about COVID are constantly flying. Protect your sanity by assuming everything you hear from friends has an asterisk that means “may be true upon doing the research myself.” Allowing yourself to believe and get worked up by other people’s “facts” that are blown out of proportion for the storytelling of it all can leave you feeling frazzled.

Don’t go through the grieving process if you have no one to grieve, and don’t convince yourself you’re in danger when you know you took the steps toward being safe.

When In Doubt, Seek It Out

Go out of your way to find the information you need from a trusted source, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or your state’s website outlining COVID-19 guidance.

If you have all the COVID information you need and just need helping to cope with the stress of it all, consider starting counseling. Together, we can build an arsenal of anxiety coping skills to get you through this difficult time.

Just over 60% of Americans report feeling stressed around the holidays. That’s a pretty high number for a time of year that’s characterized by joy, giving, and love.

Plenty of people deal with excess anxiety around the holidays, and for good reason. We spend time with family that we have a lot of history with. (Sometimes more history than we’d prefer.) Memories can come flooding back, and for people who struggle with trauma, it can pose a serious threat to their mental well-being.

The holidays also bring a host of logistical planning that can crush any holiday spirit. Don’t let that hold you back from enjoying the holidays the way you want to.

Let’s talk about how to cope with rising anxiety around the holidays, from the planning to the partying stages.

Let Go of the Holiday “Shoulds”

We’re two winters into the pandemic, and there’s more pressure than ever to have a knock-out holiday experience. However, just because the year was tough for some of us doesn’t mean we should have to work overtime to make it enjoyable.

Instead, drop the “shoulds”. Sure, you should deep-clean the house. You should bake cookies to pass out. You should get a real tree this year.

If you feel especially burnt out this time of year, use the holidays as an opportunity to relax. Be realistic about what you can and cannot handle. If you can’t afford extravagant holiday decor, make paper snowflakes and hang them all around the house. If you don’t want the added stress of cooking something intricate, switch out a couple of plates for something pre-made and easily re-heatable.

The important thing is that you spend the holidays genuinely connecting with others and focusing on love. You may think that checking off the copy-paste list of holiday “shoulds” will make you feel accomplished, but they are more likely to add stress to your plate.

Invite All of Your Emotions to Holiday Dinner

Save a seat for more than just joy this holiday season. Don’t whitewash your feelings because you think it’s what the family wants—come as you are. Being able to hold multiple feelings at once builds your resilience and helps to form a strong sense of purpose.

So feel your feelings! It’s ok to be sad about a missing face at dinner but excited about the annual family poker tournament after. Resisting negative feelings because you find them inconvenient only encourages them to come back again and again.

Journal through your feelings, talk them out with a loved one, or feel them deeply through art.

Take Breaks When You Need One

Some people feel confined to their seats when celebrating the holidays with family. Remember, the point is for you to celebrate, too. In order to do that, you need to feel refreshed.

There’s nothing wrong with stepping out of the room to take a walk around the block or settle into a quiet corner to read alone for 20 minutes. We all need mental and social breaks, and it’s okay if you need more of them around the family.

See Your Family At Their Best

For only one day, try to accept your family for who they are. There may be unresolved feelings, unmet expectations, or awkward cold shoulders. Accept your family as they come this year, and put in a pin in the grievances until after the holidays. Recognize that tonight is probably not the most productive night to open Pandora’s box. In January, it could be!

Remember, you are not the only one feeling anxious this holiday season. Your family may be feeling the stress, too. Things may go wrong, but you have the power to react with understanding.

Looking for emotional support and guidance after the holidays? Start counseling with us today.

As a therapist, sometimes I feel I am holding space for our collective human history, our current crises, and the infinite possibilities ahead of us. It is an odd thing to say how grateful I am to be experiencing the challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, but I believe I am witnessing my generation’s shift in human evolution. There have been many prior transformations caused by plagues, wars, famines, industrial advancements and the like, but the speed at which we are now changing, evolving and growing is a hundred-fold faster due to our technological advancements and global connectedness.

A single thought can span the earth with a touch of a button. That one thought can be multiplied by a billion if it becomes “viral”.  We are slowly moving away from solely relying on our five senses into an energetic world that will require a deeper inner search for the meaning of our existence. We are birthing a new human into being and I feel I am one of the million or more midwives helping guide the process, as the world contracts in agony in order to expand with more spaciousness for everyone. Pandemics, world wars, human rights violations, terrorist attacks and other major chaotic events and catastrophes, shake us to the core. We are in the midst of experiencing such an event and how we proceed, what happens next and the world we create will depend on the choices we make now.

My part in this pandemic, as a psychotherapist, is to hold the space for my clients as they suffer, anguish, despair and grow. I do not feel responsible for the masses, but I do have individuals, couples and families that connect with me each week, seeking support as they confront their personal emotional upheavals. I believe we are collectively suffering from losing what we defined to be normal and displaying any one of the stages in the grieving process from “denial” to “bargaining” and even making valiant attempts at “acceptance”.

Sometimes I practice mindfulness exercises with my clients to demonstrate how toxic narratives around covid-19 can cause intense anxiety while the truth of the present moment reality is entirely calm, peaceful, and completely safe. In general, we can all benefit from meditation practices especially now as we are constantly bombarded with news on how the rising number of infections and deaths are exhausting our already stressed medical system. We need to be mindful of how we create our own panic and dread when we allow our fears to take control of our thoughts and project us into future scenes which are not currently happening.

In this moment, we are asking ourselves some very difficult existential questions as we face our mortality and wonder whether the life we have is the one we want to continue living, once we are allowed to resume our routines and pursue our goals. Many of us are questioning our life choices. Is this person right for me? Who am I if I am not my job? Do I want to have baby on my own? Am I worthy of love? It is true that these questions are some of the typical reasons why clients usually come to therapy, but right now it feels like everything is accelerated and time is of the essence.

Sometimes I feel I am playing the role of protector and guide during this spiritual awakening. These meaning of life conversations are becoming more common place amongst my clients, and we have a chance to discuss all the “woo woo” stuff without judgment or ridicule. We talk about reincarnation, past lives, how to make the most of this one, faith and religion, and anything that feels a bit too out there to share with friends or family.

As for me and Covid-19, I am at peace. Sometimes I fluctuate with exhaustion or anxiety, and then return to gratitude and peace once more. It has been a very long and arduous journey to get where I am, and I know life will always find a way to remind me how much I still have to learn and how little I actually understand about anything. But one thing I know for sure is how I feel when I can help another human being in distress, without attachment, without needing praise or validation, just the opportunity to serve. And so I will be here, for as long as life and destiny allow, continuing to sit in loving presence with anyone who needs to feel heard and understood.

Statistics reveal that about 30% of adults have experienced overwhelming anxiety at some points in their lives. While feeling anxious is normal, excessive and a deeper level of anxiety can lead to mental disorders. It is a common malady among adults who are facing constant stress at work, at home, and in relationships. About 10 to 20% of the adult population go through life without seeking professional intervention and treatment, believing that the symptoms they are experiencing are normal and manageable. Many do not even acknowledge that they are suffering from anxiety disorders. Left untreated, adult anxiety results in poor quality of life, unhealthy body, cognitive impairment, and disability.

Understanding the Common Anxiety and Anxiety Disorder

Everyone experiences anxiety. It is the body’s natural response to handle or manage stressful events and situations. Becoming anxious during frightening events, having an illness, perfecting your task, or undergoing major life changes is normal. You become anxious when you need to prepare a project presentation, meet your boss, go to a job interview, meet the parents of your boyfriend, give a speech, change residence, and a whole lot more.
Anxiety is useful and beneficial when it alerts you to pay attention, prepare against dire situations, or avoid danger. It becomes beyond normal and harmful when it is affecting your daily routine, work tasks, relationships, and social life. In essence, anything that alters the status quo and threatens your comfort level brings anxiety. Whether it is a positive or negative circumstance, the feeling of anticipation, apprehension, or fear of what will happen makes people nervous and stressed.
Studies also show that anxiety is more common among women compared to men. This is because women are more hands-on and involved when it comes to family, job, relationships, health, and other essential aspects of life. Experts are also eyeing hormones as a contributing factor to the prevalence of anxiety among women.
Anxiety disorders are far different from common anxiety. It is not caused by character flaws, upbringing issues, or personality weakness. It is a mental illness that is triggered by a combination of factors.
You may have anxiety problems when your fear or worry manifests most of the time, keeps you awake at night, prevents you from attending to your tasks during the day, or the anxiety attacks are extreme and last longer than 6 months.
Other indicators include:

• Difficulty in controlling the responses to situations
• Overreacting when something triggers the emotions
• Anxiety begins to interfere with the ability to function normally

Causes of Anxiety

Until today, the real culprit behind anxiety is still unknown. However, various studies and research pointed out that environmental stresses, genes, and real-life experiences trigger anxiety disorders.
It is important to remember that most anxiety disorder cases are caused by a combination of factors. It is rare to find cases where anxiety is triggered by a single reason unless the magnitude of the cause is overwhelming. Moreover, chronic and severe exposure to stress leads to a chemical imbalance in the brain, affecting moods that over time can cause anxiety disorder.
Anxiety in adults is typically linked to significant risk factors and external factors such as:

Risk factors:

• Chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and thyroid disease.
• Sleep disturbance
• Poor health
• Medications side effects (if using antidepressants, steroids, bronchodilators/inhalers, or stimulants)
• Stressful life events
• Misuse and abuse of drugs and alcohol
• Preoccupation and excessive worrying over physical health symptoms
• Physical limitations to do the usual daily activities
• Traumatic experiences during childhood
• Emotional shock
• Sexual, emotional, physical, or verbal abuse

External factors:

• Work stress
• Financial stress
• Stress in personal relationships
• Change in living condition or location
• Pregnancy and giving birth
• Death, divorce, or separation
• Stress from a pandemic, political issues, or global events that may affect the family or work

Personality factors

The type of personality is also seen as a reason why people experience anxiety. The most at risk are those who are perfectionists, timid, easily embarrassed, control-freak, lacking self-esteem, or inhibited.

Genetics

People with close kin or a parent who suffered from mental health problems may be at risk of experiencing the same when triggered. The genetic predisposition can be a risk factor, but not conclusive.

Common Types of Adult Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are classified into:

Panic disorder

People with panic disorder tend to live in fear anticipating the next attack. Whether the situation is real or imaginary, panic attacks cause a pounding heart, nausea, excessive sweating, chest pain which is similar to stroke or heart attack, dizziness, and weakness. What is alarming about this disorder is it occurs anytime, even asleep, and can last up to minutes.
Adults with panic disorder usually attempt to prevent panic attacks by doing the following:

• Carrying water, cell phone, and medications
• Avoiding certain types of foods and beverages (alcohol, caffeine, junk foods, or spicy dishes) because they can trigger the symptoms
• Asking a friend or loved one to accompany them
• Sitting near bathrooms or exits
• Avoiding physical activities that may cause panic-like symptoms

Specific phobias

This condition pertains to the intense, irrational fear of something or someone that may or may not real harm. Phobias that are most common among adults are disasters that can cause danger to the family, fear of death, dental procedures, and fear of being alone.
The most common response of an individual with a phobia is avoidance or removing oneself from the situation or place.

Social anxiety disorder

Social phobia refers to extreme fear of what people say about them, causing self-consciousness and overwhelming anxiety. This condition affects the individual’s capability to make new friends or keep friends. Those who need to attend social events and activities usually experience anxiety before the actual date, worry a lot about being judged, or become very uncomfortable throughout the encounter.
Some of the physical signs of social anxiety are trembling, heavy sweating, difficulty in conversing, blushing, and nausea. When social anxiety starts to interfere with regular activities and cause extreme distress, it becomes a real problem.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Those with OCD often display compulsions, obsessions, or a combination of the two. Obsessions refer to unwanted and disturbing impulses, thoughts, and images that can cause distress. Compulsion pertains to deliberate behaviors or mental acts that people do to reduce the intensity of the anxiety.
They want to control things by performing certain rituals like counting things, checking things repeatedly, as well as touching things in a specific pattern. The persistent thoughts are usually related to common fears and worries about the safety and health of loved ones, doubts, and the need for symmetry and order.
Other OCD manifestations are preoccupation with symmetry and order, hoarding unnecessary objects, accumulating items, need to confess or ask reassurance, and mental rituals,

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

This type of anxiety is the result of a traumatic experience or event that caused physical harm or threatened the safety of a loved one. Some of the intense incidents that can cause PTSD are accidents, natural disasters, rape, being mugged, and abuse of any form. Those who become disabled due to the event suffer more due to helplessness.
Symptoms include loss of interest in things and activities they like before the incident, becoming emotionally detached, easily startled, and inability to display affection. They may also experience vivid flashbacks of what happened through nightmares or even during the waking hours.

Separation anxiety disorder

It is fear of being left or away from loved ones or familiar environments. People with this condition become very anxious with the thought of separation or losing someone closest to them. They may refuse to sleep or go out without that person and become very agitated and stressed when they do not have familiar faces around.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

It is a general feeling of extreme and exaggerated tension or worry that can affect daily activities. It can be ongoing anxiety that is associated with job responsibilities, the health of the family, or even minor matters like household chores, dental appointments, and car repairs. Adults with GAD usually worry over nothing or more than what is necessary. The common manifestations of GAD are chronic fatigue, nausea, trembling, twitching, muscle aches, muscle tension, chest pain, headaches, lightheadedness, difficulty in swallowing, hot flashes, breathlessness, and frequent urination.

Health anxiety

Adults who worry a lot about their health are experiencing this type of disorder. It is about preoccupation with the somatic symptoms, current health condition, or fear of getting a serious illness. Sometimes, even the most common sensations are interpreted by people with health anxiety as evidence that they might be ill.
Oftentimes, the misinterpretations lead to an obsession to check their safety and protection, like using home devices constantly, frequent visits to health professionals, and persistent questioning to make sure that they do not have the disease. Another manifestation of this disorder is a refusal to seek medical checkups for fear of discovering that they are ill. Adults with this disorder worry too much that eventually impact their quality of life, including family relationships.

Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety

The signs and symptoms vary depending on the person’s experience and circumstances. You may feel a specific phobia over something or a general feeling of tension when faced with the situation or a combination of the following symptoms.

Psychological symptoms

• Feeling worried most of the time
• Trouble concentrating
• Difficulty falling asleep that leads to a lethargic feeling
• Restlessness
• Panic attacks
• Uneasiness
• Rumination or non-stop thinking about the situation/problem
• Obsessive or irrational fear that leads to checking and rechecking for safety reasons
• Avoiding social situations
• Irritability
• Showing alertness
• Feeling tearful
• Inability to relax properly
• Need constant reassurance

Physical symptoms

• Rapid breathing or hyperventilation
• Increased heart rate or irregular heartbeat (palpitation)
• Shortness of breath
• Muscle tension or weakness
• Dizziness and nausea
• Dry mouth
• Numb, cold, sweaty, or tingling feet/hands
• Sweating
• Loss of appetite
• Frequent urination
• Butterflies’ in the stomach

Screening for Anxiety

Do you know that there is an easy, confidential, and quick way to know if your symptoms are related to anxiety disorder? A mental health screening is not a formal diagnosis but a way to know if you need to seek immediate professional help. Check out Mental Health America for this purpose.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Prolonged anxiety is debilitating and can impact your life negatively. It is essential to seek professional help to treat the symptoms and prevent the anxiety from becoming more serious.
How would you know if it is time to see your doctor?

• If you feel anxious most of the days
• If you notice that you are manifesting one or more symptoms
• If your emotions and thoughts are beginning to interfere with your life, relationships, work, and activities
• If your fear or worry is becoming constant and uncontrollable
• If you feel depressed and begin to use drug or alcohol to stop yourself from overthinking
• If you are having suicidal behavior or thoughts

Diagnosing Adult Anxiety Disorders

Getting a diagnosis is important to rule out other factors that may cause the symptoms. Your doctor can assure you that you have no underlying physical problems or illness after a thorough physical examination, blood test, and interview. Certain medical issues bring out similar symptoms. If he finds out that all the signs are related to anxiety disorder, he can refer you to a trusted mental health specialist for proper treatment.

Adult Anxiety Treatment

Anxiety is treatable and manageable, which is why it is crucial to get intervention as early as possible. Allowing your condition to escalate can be detrimental to your wellbeing and relationships. While you may be tempted to manage it all by yourself, a psychological evaluation will help you find out the root cause of your anxiety and be able to overcome it.
During the evaluation, the specialist will ask about your personal and family history, the symptoms, the duration of the attacks, the severity, and other important questions to determine your case. Mental health professionals use specially designed assessment tools, questionnaires, and interviews to figure out the causes of the disorder.
With the help of a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist who is well-trained and experienced in treating anxiety disorders, getting back to your usual self is possible. They are adept in helping you manage and reduce the common symptoms using safe and effective techniques.
Depending on the severity or uniqueness of your case, your healthcare specialist will design your treatment plan, which is typically a combination of psychotherapy and medication.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is also known as ‘talk therapy’ that involves counseling to help you deal with the symptoms. This treatment has two approaches:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is commonly used for anxiety disorders. This method lets you recognize your behaviors and thought patterns that lead to the condition. After acknowledging them, your specialist will guide you on changing them. CBT is known for its effectiveness as it helps you become more aware of your symptoms and triggers. Changes in behaviors usually happen within a few weeks, improving the overall wellbeing of patients.
The other strategy is exposure therapy. It entails facing your fears that are behind the anxiety through activities and situations. Some of the activities utilize positive imagery and relaxation techniques.

Medication

There is no cure-all for anxiety disorders, but patients are given medications to control the symptoms. The prescription must come from your psychiatrist or specialist. Most of the medications for anxiety are beta-blockers, antidepressants, and anti-anxiety pills.
Antidepressants alter the brain chemistry, reducing the severity of symptoms after 4 to 6 weeks of medication. Some of the most used antidepressants are serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs.)
Anti-anxiety drugs (anxiolytics) are given as short-term medication. They are fast-acting and work to arrest the manifestation of symptoms. The most effective anti-anxiety drugs for adults are Buspirone and Benzodiazepines.
Beta-blockers are medications for heart conditions but work well to prevent the physical symptoms of anxiety disorders.

Other Effective Ways to Reduce Anxiety

There are natural and safe ways to help you deal with the symptoms and make your treatment more effective.

• Follow a healthy and balanced diet – A diet rich in organic and fresh vegetables and fruits, fish, high-quality meats, whole grains, and nuts is important in battling the symptoms.
• Consume fermented foods and probiotics – Regular consumption improves your mental health.
• Exercise regularly – Regular physical workout is associated with lowering the risk of getting anxiety disorder.
• Limit your caffeine – Excessive consumption of caffeine can worsen your anxiety level.
• Quit smoking and alcohol consumption – Tobacco smoking and alcohol abuse are associated with the development of anxiety disorder.
• Practice yoga and meditation – Regular meditation and yoga practice can reduce the common symptoms as it helps you become more relaxed and centered.
• Sleep – Getting enough sleep not only makes you more energetic during the day but also alleviates most of the symptoms of anxiety.

The Bottom Line

Do not allow anxiety to steal your best life. It is important to seek help and treatment when you feel that anxiety is interfering with your daily activities. You deserve to live a happy, healthy adult life.