The way you tell your story to yourself matters.”
—Amy Cuddy
“Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.”
—Swedish proverb
Anxiety
“Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges.”
—Bryant McGill
Anxiety is a normal human reaction to stressful situations, it is generally defined as an emotion or feeling of fear or restlessness concerning a topic or event regarding the future based on your present environment. It’s a common mental health concern that is found in at least in 40% of the adults, it can improve through therapy.
There are different types of anxiety, some of them are:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Social Anxiety
- Panic Attacks
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Worrying or feeling anxious every time about everything and anything without any specific reason or an upcoming event is the simple definition of Generalized anxiety disorder (or GAD). the people suffering from such condition will have an uncontrollable level of anxiety, fear or worry about every day things in life such as their future, family, health, finance ext.
What's Next ?
When the worry becomes excessive, intrusive and persistent you will not be able to enjoy your time, to concentrate or focus on your work and you will take distance from other. Seeking therapy will help you identify what triggers your anxiety so you take control on it
Symptoms of Anxiety
The worry is associated with three (or more) of the following six symptoms:
1.Restlessness
2.Fatigue
3.Difficulty concentrating
4.Irritability
5.Muscle tension
6.Sleep disturbance
Tips to Cope Up
There are many methods we can use to cope up with these intrusive thoughts, some of them are:
- Journal Out your Feelings.
- Practice Meditation and Mindfulness.
- Engage in activities you enjoy such as painting, drawing or writing.
- Spend some time outdoors and enjoy the nature.
- Workout daily for 15 - 30 minutes.
Social Anxiety
Social Anxiety is the marked fear about one or more social situations in which the individual is exposed to an evaluation or a performance situation. It is essentially a deep fear of being negatively evaluated or humiliated. Social situations are avoided with intense fear.
How do i know , do i have it ?
Unable to attend a social event or having difficulty in introducing yourself to new people, or ask for help in a new social surrounding, due to fear of been judged wrongly or not to be accepted. These kind of feelings could indicate social anxiety i.e. an extensive and irrational fear of been in a social settings.
Symptoms of social Anxiety
The social anxiety is associated with three (or more) of the following six symptoms when you are in a social setting:
1.Difficulty concentrating
2. Sweating and Trembling
3.Irritability
4. Blushing or feeling extremely hot
5.Sensation of dizziness
6. Increased Heartbeat
When to get help
Socially anxious people tend to avoid or escape social contact whenever possible. This understandable way of coping can actually be one of the main reasons that people find it hard to overcome the fear of social situations.
Confronting your fears gradually in therapy will decrease the worry and fear of the situation.
Panic Attacks
A panic attack is a short period of intense fear or intense discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes, and during which an individual experiences
what Happens during Panic Attack
A panic attack is a short period of intense fear or intense discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes, and during which an individual experiences several of the following symptoms: palpitations, sweating, shaking, shortness of breath, feeling of choking, chest pain, nausea, dizzy, chills or hot flashes, depersonalization (being detached from oneself), fear of losing control or going crazy, fear of dying.
How do i Know when to get help
Panic disorder, if not treated, can lead to agoraphobia which is the fear of being in places that would be difficult or embarrassing to get out of.
Tips to Cope Up
Some helpful tips to deal with Panic Attacks:
- Learning the right breathing techniques in therapy helps you reduce the symptoms of Panic Attacks.
- Reducing alcohol and stimulating substance consumption decrease the symptoms of panic attacks.