Guide To Living With Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting roughly 100 million adults in the United States at some point in their lives. That’s about 30% of the population! If you are one of those people, you know that anxiety can be a real pain. It can keep you from living your life to the fullest and make everyday activities feel like a challenge. In this guide, you will find tips and advice on living with anxiety. It will cover everything from treatment options to ways to cope with anxiety daily.

How Anxiety Works In The Mind

Anxiety is a multi-faceted mental health condition that can manifest in many ways, but at its core, it is a response to an internal threat. The mind perceives this threat as real and activates the “fight or flight” response, which causes heightened emotions, rapid breathing and heart rate, muscle tension, and other physical effects. This reaction can be both beneficial and detrimental– beneficial by helping you focus on the task at hand and encouraging creative problem-solving to address the perceived threat; and detrimental when experienced with excessive frequency or intensity.

To help manage anxiety, it’s important to recognize the signs of it within your own body and respond accordingly. Honing awareness of how anxiety works in your mind can make all the difference in combating it.

Diagnosing Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders can be complicated illnesses that aren’t always easy to diagnose. A person may be struggling with anxiety for a long time before seeking diagnosis and treatment, as many of the symptoms are strikingly similar to feelings one may experience when overwhelmed or stressed. To accurately diagnose an anxiety disorder, professionals typically interview the individual and sometimes family members to determine if there is a medical cause or an underlying problem.

In more severe cases, a psychological evaluation can also be conducted to account for mental health history, thoughts, and emotions. Once diagnosed, a tailored treatment plan can help those living with anxiety disorders make positive changes in their life.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a popular treatment option for anxiety disorder as it provides coping mechanisms to manage symptoms and encourages individuals to reframe how they think about and respond to stressful situations. It is based on the idea that it isn’t necessarily what’s causing our distress (such as a work conflict) but rather how you interpret, experience, and respond to the cause that creates difficulty.

By increasing awareness of existing beliefs and thought patterns contributing to distress, CBT helps individuals gain insight into their cognitive processes and re-examine maladaptive patterns to modify problematic thinking or behavior. Fortunately, research indicates CBT can help improve quality of life by decreasing anxiety disorder symptoms.

Anti-Anxiety Medication

As the prevalence of mental health issues continues to rise, more people are turning to medications to treat anxiety disorders. Anti-anxiety medications, like all medications, come with their own pros and cons. For many, these medications can be a lifesaver – providing relief from panic attacks, insomnia, and other symptoms related to anxiety.

However, due to side effects that include drowsiness, impaired motor control, and dependency concerns, anti-anxiety medication usage must be frequently monitored by medical professionals. Medications that fall into this category include benzodiazepines and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Antidepressants

While anti-anxiety medications can provide short-term relief of symptoms, antidepressants are typically used for long-term treatment. By altering the serotonin levels in the brain, these medications help to reduce feelings of low mood and anxiety, improve sleep quality, and increase energy.

Antidepressants come with their own side effects (such as gastrointestinal issues, weight gain, and sexual dysfunction) and, as such, should only be administered under the guidance of a medical professional. Like anti-anxiety medication, antidepressants can also be habit-forming and must be monitored carefully.

Beta-Blockers

While not as common as anti-anxiety medication and antidepressants, beta-blockers are sometimes prescribed to treat anxiety disorders. These medications work by blocking the sympathetic nervous system, reducing heart rate and symptoms such as trembling and sweating.

Beta-blockers are typically used for short-term relief of physical symptoms (such as those related to performance anxiety) but may also be used in conjunction with other medications and therapies to manage the condition. Common side effects include fatigue, depression, and low blood pressure.

Lifestyle Tips For Living With Anxiety

Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise is a wonderful tool to help you manage anxiety. It increases endorphin production, which helps boost your mood, and allows you to better manage stressful situations due to improved mental clarity. Evidence has shown that regular physical activity can help people with anxiety think more positively and psychologically prepare for difficult times.

It is important to establish an exercise routine because this will ensure that your muscles are constantly working and sending those positive messages to your brain the whole time. Most importantly, exercising regularly gives you a sense of accomplishment by challenging yourself physically, which can be extremely beneficial in helping reduce feelings of worry.

Seek Social Support

Seeking social support from trusted family and friends can go a long way to helping manage this condition. It can provide comfort and understanding from people who care about you and are willing to listen and offer suggestions on managing anxiety. Social support offers a listening ear when expressing fear, powerlessness, and self-doubt associated with living with anxiety.

Furthermore, socializing with others can distract from anxious thoughts or activities that are enjoyable yet calming simultaneously. It is important to remember that you don’t need to go through this alone – if one feels overwhelmed by these sensations, there are many options available to find solace in support of personal connections.

Practice Meditation

While traditional medical options, such as medications and therapy, can be invaluable in treating anxiety, practicing meditation has also proven extremely effective. By taking time out of their day to sit down and quiet your mind, individuals can learn how to recognize when they are fixating on anxious thoughts and feelings, allowing them to control the situation better.

In addition to providing a calm mental state, research has shown that daily meditation has lasting health benefits, such as lower blood pressure and improved concentration. For those looking for an additional method outside of traditional treatments to handle their anxiety, practicing meditation may prove to be a valuable tool.

Prioritize Good Nutrition

Good nutrition is often overlooked as a critical aspect of managing anxiety. However, research has shown that having a balanced meal plan and incorporating brain-healthy superfoods into your diet can play an integral role in living with and mitigating anxiety symptoms. Eating foods high in essential vitamins and minerals like magnesium, iron, and zinc helps boost the neurotransmitter levels in the body, regulating stress hormones that can cause feelings of worry and being overwhelmed.

Additionally, taking regular time for meal prep enables an individual to exercise control over their anxiety by creating reassuring routines and making mindful decisions about which foods will best benefit their emotional well-being. By prioritizing nutrition as a part of managing anxiety, you can make significant steps towards leading a healthier, more mentally balanced life.

Living With Anxiety Is Possible!

Living with anxiety can sometimes be overwhelming, but the good news is that taking control of your condition and finding ways to manage it effectively is possible. With the right combination of treatment options and self-care practices, you can lead a more positive life, and experience less worry and stress. And remember, if you are struggling with a mental health condition, don’t be afraid to ask for help from a trained mental health professional. Together, you can create a plan to help manage your anxiety and regain control over your life!