Take Charge of Your Health - Feeling Anxious?
Anxiety was born in the very same moment as mankind
And since we will never be able to master it, we will have to learn to live with it...
-Paulo Coelho
With the complexities of everyday living, and especially around the upcoming holiday season, it is not unusual for people to feel worry or anxiety. But if those feelings are extreme or persist consistently over time, they may point to a generalized anxiety disorder. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
Do routine, everyday kinds of decisions or activities often feel overwhelming?
Do you experience exaggerated worry or reactions to things that other people are not bothered by?
Do you often feel nervous?
Do you have a difficult time focusing/concentrating on tasks?
Do you feel as though you have lost your sense of control and/or your confidence?
Do you tend to dwell on the “worst case” scenario? Do you have a sense of impending danger?
Do you have phobias/fears that control and limit your actions? (Ex: fear of flying or claustrophobia)
Do you have obsessive thoughts that you cannot clear from your mind?
Do you have compulsive behaviors?
Do you ever have panic attacks?
Do you have physical symptoms – increased heart rate, sweating, shortness of breath, nausea, tight muscles, fatigue?
Do you have insomnia? If so, do you think it is related to stress?
According to Mayo Clinic, there are a wide range of anxiety disorders.
Agoraphobia - avoiding places or situations that might cause you to panic or make you feel trapped, helpless, or embarrassed
Medical conditions that cause intense anxiety or panic
Generalized anxiety disorder - persistent and excessive anxiety and worry about activities or events - even ordinary, routine ones
Panic disorder/Panic attacks - repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety, fear, or terror that reach a peak within minutes and may trigger shortness of breath, chest pain, or heart palpitations
Social anxiety disorder - high levels of anxiety, fear, and avoidance of social situations due to embarrassment or self-consciousness
Specific phobias - characterized by major anxiety when exposed to a specific object or situation
Substance-induced anxiety disorder -- intense anxiety or panic that results from misusing drugs, taking medications, exposure to a toxic substance, or withdrawal from drugs
Beyond these conditions, having an anxiety disorder can lead to other health complications such as depression, substance misuse, insomnia, digestive problems, headaches, social isolation, problems functioning at work, and even suicide.
The good news is that anxiety disorders are usually easy to identify and best of all, treatable. The primary treatment strategies include psychotherapy and CBT, medications, and lifestyle changes -- all with the goal of increasing quality of life.
Talk therapy, and specifically Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), is the leading form of psychotherapy for anxiety. It is highly effective to understand the root causes of anxiety and teach skills that enable the patient to manage their anxiety and change negative thought patterns. CBT combines cognitive therapy to help people change patterns of thoughts that lead to their fears with behavioral therapy which changes their reactions to the situations that make them anxious. CBT may include exposure therapy, in which the patient gradually encounters the situation that triggers their anxiety. Over time, they build their confidence that they can confront their anxiety and manage the situation. According to research, a series of 8 to 12 sessions of exposure therapy can yield significant, long-lasting results. Insight-oriented psychotherapy delves into how both past and current life events and relationships affect your feelings and contribute to your anxiety. During treatment, the patient and therapist uncover the unconscious reasons behind the patient’s anxiety.
Medication is sometimes useful to control excess anxiety. Doctors may prescribe antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications to help control symptoms, or sedatives for short term relief of anxiety. And as with may other categories of illness or disease, lifestyle adjustments including regular physical activity, stress management techniques,
prioritizing sleep, and reducing caffeine and alcohol can also improve the symptoms of anxiety and help build coping skills.
Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental illnesses, affecting roughly 40 million adults in the U.S. each year. If you are experiencing some of these symptoms, speak with your primary care provider to determine the next steps that are best for you.