Coping with Anxiety (1)

by Beth McHugh | More from this Blogger

13 Jun 2006 11:27 PM

Is anxiety getting the better of you? Is it controlling the way you live your life? Has your quality of life diminished because of chronic low-grade anxiety or are you experiencing acute anxiety attacks in addition to a daily dose of anxiety?

Anxiety is an extremely unpleasant sensation which most people are familiar with. Sometimes anxiety serves us in a positive way to motivate us to do things, such as get studying for that exam next week, or make an appointment with the doctor to talk about a health problem that is bothering you.

But sometimes anxiety can take on a life of its own to the point where a sufferer can become anxious simply about being anxious. At this point, life can turn into a downward spiral of worry, sleepless nights, agitation, and even panic. Here are some positive steps you can take to identify and alleviate anxiety and start taking back some control in your life:

• Don't run away from your anxiety. Anxiety is there for a reason, so constantly trying to avoid the anxious feelings by trying to lose yourself in a frenetic round of activities such as taking on extra classes, an extra workload, or an extra round of social events every week only serves to keep the anxiety going for longer, even if you do experience temporary relief through increased activities. Take the time to admit to feelings of anxiety. Remember that the first step in solving any problem is to admit you actually have a problem.

• Try to pinpoint exactly what it is that you are anxious about. In many situations, the cause of the anxiety will be obvious. However, this is not always the case. It is not uncommon for a person to feel an ongoing sense of uneasiness and nervousness, yet not understand why. This may be because there are many issues that have accumulated over a period of time, and no one issue stands out to the sufferer as being the root cause of the problem. Alternatively, the problem that is causing the anxiety may be consciously denied by the sufferer, so that they are genuinely unaware of the true reason for their uncomfortability. An example of the latter case would be where a mother did not ever wish to have a child but finds herself with a six-month-old baby. The thought that she does not want the baby is so repugnant to her that she effectively represses this "unacceptable" thought, and does not consciously think of it. Yet the truth finds its way out through a feeling that "something is wrong" and when no source can be found, the feeling gradually turns into conscious feelings of anxiety.

• Become aware of the symptoms of stress that are particular to you. Stress symptoms come in many forms: racing heart, knot in the stomach, feelings of nausea, headaches, feelings of panic, and feelings of unreality to name a few. Recognize what your particular set of symptoms feel like and take steps to act on them. Let your body talk to you: that is what the anxious feelings are all about. Your body is trying to communicate to you that you are in mental pain. Instead of ignoring them, listen to them as you would listen to feelings of physical pain. Discover what they are trying to tell you.

We will look at further ways to recognise and minimize anxiety in future articles.

Contact Beth McHugh for further information or assistance regarding this issue.

Learn more about Beth McHugh

Beth McHugh began her career as a geologist and worked both in industry and as a university researcher.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger