Do you have an anxiety disorder?

Anxiety can cause physical and psychological issues for people. Understanding certain signs will help determine if your anxiety (or a family member’s) has reached a point where you need professional help.

As anxiety progresses, some effects on your mental well-being and behavior include the following.

•Not feeling you are entirely in touch with reality.
•Depressed or apathetic about life
•Tense stressed, and unable to relax
•Fearing for the worst
•Feeling others are looking at you or are against you
•Stressing you might have a panic attack
•Feeling like you have to worry about preventing something terrible from happening.
•Feeling like people around you are angry with you.

There are physical symptoms of anxiety, too, that you want to recognize.

•Headaches or body aches
•Blurred vision
•Chest pain
•Fast heartbeat
•Dizziness
•Rapid breathing
•Tingling in hands or feet
•Grinding of teeth
•Change in appetite
•Sex drive

How can you manage your anxiety?

The first step in working with your anxiety is to discover what triggers your anxiety. Learning about the things that cause your anxiety will help you to avoid them.

Certain people? If certain people make you anxious, try to limit your time being around them.

Social situations? Try meditating and visualizing how calm you will be before you go to your next social event.

Too many tasks or demands on you. Try dividing your work into shorter lists and work on a limited number of things daily.

You can always try to avoid the things that cause your anxiety, but simply getting to know your triggers can be a powerful way to manage your emotions.

It is a great practice to notice when you begin feeling anxiety. You’ll want to stop, sit down if you can, take a few slow deep breaths, and remind yourself that everything will be okay. Sometimes, this means getting up and walking away from whatever is giving you anxiety for a few minutes to re-center yourself.

Many times when we get anxious, people tend to hold their breath. This habit deprives the brain of oxygen which begins to stimulate anxiety. According to the National Library of Medicine, taking deep breaths is crucial in settling our emotions and reducing our anxiety.

According to Science for a Changing World, water is our most basic and essential connection to life besides breathing. Water helps to keep us calm and reduces inflammation in the body and brain. Reducing inflammation is important in calming anxiety.

Another research project by the National Library of Medicine found exercise can protect you from anxiety disorders.

Although being in control makes us feel safe, it’s not always possible. Remind yourself things won’t always go your way and worrying about stuff you can’t control will only increase your anxiety.

When do you know it’s time to seek a therapist to help with your anxiety?

Although everyone experiences anxiety from time to time because it is a natural reaction to stress or fear, it isn’t good if you experience anxiety regularly. If you find anxiety symptoms happening daily for more than a few weeks, it’s time to get help from a professional psychotherapist.

Our therapists are trained in neuroscience psychotherapy. This unique approach helps clients get results quickly with their anxiety. Many times, anxiety and depression walk hand-in-hand. You’ll want a therapist who knows how to identify this combination to help you.

If you feel your emotions are interrupting your life, we can help. Please get in touch with Solutions Counseling Centers today. Click here for more details.

Solutions Counseling Centers