Anxiety
| newbrochure_anxiety.pdf |
Everybody has some familiarity with anxiety. Anxiety is the feeling of worry, apprehension, fear and/or panic in response to situations which seem overwhelming, threatening, unsafe or uncomfortable. The truth is that Anxiety is very real and it affects our lives at every level. Anxiety is your body’s way of alerting you that some kind of action is needed in the face of a situation that is perceived to be threatening or dangerous. Therefore, anxiety has its benefits too, it prompts you to take appropriate action in response to an anxiety-provoking situation and help you overcome your obstacles so you can excel in your tasks. Yet, more often than none, our relationship with anxiety is one that is debilitating. When our anxiety affects our peace of mind it may stunt our progression towards a cohesive self and also bring about a depressive episode.
Since anxiety is a basic human emotion, like sadness, how do you know if anxiety is a problem? The following will help you determine whether anxiety could be partly responsible for some of the problems you are experiencing:
If you answered yes to some of the previous questions, you may have more specific questions about the anxiety symptoms you have been experiencing. The following are various conditions for which anxiety is the predominant feature.
How Can You Deal With Anxiety?
It is usually helpful to identify the events surrounding the experience of anxiety asking questions such as: What provokes the anxiety? What thoughts or physical sensations accompany the anxiety? How distressing is the anxiety? How are you coping with the anxiety?
Exploring these accompanying events may provide useful information about the nature of the anxiety as well as possible strategies for reducing it. There are specific changes you can make that may help alleviate anxiety symptoms:
Treatment
If anxiety symptoms are interfering with your ability to do routine, day-to-day activities, or if you have restricted your life activities as a way of coping with anxiety, you should consider seeking professional help. If you seek treatment, the recommendations you receive will likely depend on the specific symptoms you are experiencing. All of the anxiety disorders are treatable and many individuals experience a full recovery from their symptoms.
Helping an Anxious Person
If someone you care about has been experiencing anxiety symptoms, you can be a valuable resource. There is often tremendous shame associated with anxiety. If you talk candidly with the individual regarding your concerns for his or her well-being, it will often bring the problems out into the open. Emphasize that your primary objective is to convey feelings of concern and assistance. You can also always consult with a mental health professional yourself if you are concerned about how to talk with your friend.
So, how can Dr. Saum help you in overcoming your anxiety? well, following some tips or strategies, doing some exercises, reading articles are all great starting points, and for some, just enough they need. But for most of us, we need more. The best way to overcome anxiety is talking to a professional that can help you identify certain triggers that set off the anxiety, having a medical evaluation to determine if medication is necessary, building support within your relationships and self, and attain the skills needed to challenge your fears, your attributes, your inner self.
For more information about the different types of Anxiety Disorders and Treatments, click of the links below:
Treatments for Anxiety:
If you have any specific questions on Anxiety contact Dr. Saum.
Since anxiety is a basic human emotion, like sadness, how do you know if anxiety is a problem? The following will help you determine whether anxiety could be partly responsible for some of the problems you are experiencing:
- Do I feel anxious more often than not throughout my day?
- Have I restricted my activities as a way of coping with anxiety?
- Do I experience panic or panic-like symptoms in certain predictable situations?
- Am I intensely fearful of specific situations or things (e.g., animals)?
- Do I experience acute anxiety in social situations?
- Have I developed elaborate rituals or thought-processes to manage anxiety?
- Is my anxiety related to a specific, traumatic event?
If you answered yes to some of the previous questions, you may have more specific questions about the anxiety symptoms you have been experiencing. The following are various conditions for which anxiety is the predominant feature.
How Can You Deal With Anxiety?
It is usually helpful to identify the events surrounding the experience of anxiety asking questions such as: What provokes the anxiety? What thoughts or physical sensations accompany the anxiety? How distressing is the anxiety? How are you coping with the anxiety?
Exploring these accompanying events may provide useful information about the nature of the anxiety as well as possible strategies for reducing it. There are specific changes you can make that may help alleviate anxiety symptoms:
- Exercise or engage in some form of daily physical activity
- Eat a nutritious, well-balanced diet
- Obtain an adequate amount of sleep
- Seek emotional support from friends and family
- Focus on positive aspects of your life
- Establish realistic, attainable goals which do not rely on perfectionistic values
- Monitor how you think about stress and reduce and/or change thoughts which are negative
- Identify activities which feel overwhelming and reduce your involvement or seek ways to make them more manageable
- Consult with a physician if you are experiencing any medical problems
- Consult with a mental health professional if you continue to be concerned about your anxiety
- Reduce or eliminate the use of alcohol and drugs and limit caffeine intake
- Don’t engage in “emotional reasoning” (e.g., “because I feel awful, my life is terrible”)
- Don’t assume responsibility for events which are outside of your control
Treatment
If anxiety symptoms are interfering with your ability to do routine, day-to-day activities, or if you have restricted your life activities as a way of coping with anxiety, you should consider seeking professional help. If you seek treatment, the recommendations you receive will likely depend on the specific symptoms you are experiencing. All of the anxiety disorders are treatable and many individuals experience a full recovery from their symptoms.
Helping an Anxious Person
If someone you care about has been experiencing anxiety symptoms, you can be a valuable resource. There is often tremendous shame associated with anxiety. If you talk candidly with the individual regarding your concerns for his or her well-being, it will often bring the problems out into the open. Emphasize that your primary objective is to convey feelings of concern and assistance. You can also always consult with a mental health professional yourself if you are concerned about how to talk with your friend.
So, how can Dr. Saum help you in overcoming your anxiety? well, following some tips or strategies, doing some exercises, reading articles are all great starting points, and for some, just enough they need. But for most of us, we need more. The best way to overcome anxiety is talking to a professional that can help you identify certain triggers that set off the anxiety, having a medical evaluation to determine if medication is necessary, building support within your relationships and self, and attain the skills needed to challenge your fears, your attributes, your inner self.
For more information about the different types of Anxiety Disorders and Treatments, click of the links below:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Panic Disorder
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety Disorder)
Treatments for Anxiety:
- Treatment for Anxiety
- Medication (Anti-depressants, SSRIs, Tricyclics, MAOIs, Benzodiazepines, Beta-Blockers)
- Treating Anxiety Disorders With Psychotherapy
If you have any specific questions on Anxiety contact Dr. Saum.
