While anxiety may be downplayed by the masses, as it’s now a commonly experienced mental health issue, it can in fact be life-altering for some individuals.
Symptoms of anxiety are part and parcel of life. We all feel anxious at times, usually linked to the exposure to uneasy, nerve-wracking and even exciting situations. However, for those with recurring anxiety, an ongoing, difficult to switch off response will be present, embodying anxious symptoms.
Anxiety as an illness can develop at any given time, for any individual. However, in order for that development to materialise, stressors are commonly present, which can be linked to environments, emotions, encounters, and engagements.
Pressure around life, whether that’s money worries, health concerns, a change in dynamic or the unknown can result in symptoms of anxiety, which if unmanaged or untreated, can develop into a clinical diagnosis.
Down to the risks and damages linked to mental health issues, it is very important that awareness around the triggers, management and treatment of anxiety is increased.
For some, self-help can be enough to stabilise and control thoughts and responses, to cope through such triggers and to reduce symptoms of anxiety. Here are some tips for overcoming anxiety, along with how we can assist at Action Rehab.
What is anxiety?
As we’ve highlighted above, symptoms of anxiety are experienced now more than ever. 6 in every 100 people, unfortunately, experience a degree of a generalised anxiety disorder, where worry and excessive concern are commonly encountered.
Within the diagnosis of anxiety, there are also other forms, including social anxiety, phobias, healthy anxiety and panic disorders, which all fall under the anxiety spectrum, down to the symptom of life-altering panic.
Of course, we all experience panic when faced with new situations. Yet, nerves and worry can be curbed through rational thinking, through understanding the realism of the situation, and through facing a situation head-on.
However, for someone with anxiety, worry becomes a protective response, a chemical imbalance in the brain will recur, and the ability to surpass such feelings alone will be very hard.
Anxiety is a sensitive and personal illness as its degree can vary on a significant basis, as can triggers. Down to this, it is important that if you’re struggling, that you do consider professional intervention, in order to experience the type of care you require.
Yet, for the time being, to help you through feelings of panic or mental health crises here are some tips for overcoming anxiety as a generalist condition.
Common triggers of anxiety
Anxiety can be brought on by any given influential stimulus. However, the most common anxiety triggers do surround stress, pressure and uncontrollable situations. Stress triggers and emotional triggers are therefore the most familiar, where situations are focused on, worried about and exaggerated internally.
Reasonably, a large proportion of those stressors will cause individuals to react through a flight response, where fighting against a threatening stimulus is too much. However, through such a reaction, enabling anxiety and turning it into a habitual response can be the case for some.
Anxiety is a complex illness as triggers of such response can vary on a significant scale. While commonalities may be present through generalised anxiety, phobias, for example, an amount from the most random encounters or forms of exposure.
For someone suffering from anxiety, responses to recurring exposure will be remembered and will be used as a coping strategy to combat a threat, causing a pre-exaggerated response.
This is how controlling and challenging anxiety can be to deal with, as our behaviours are built up of a number of different memories, outlooks, responses, confidence levels and psychological strengths/weaknesses.
While triggers of anxiety can fluctuate, which can seem difficult to treat, through professional intervention, a multitude of emotions, experiences and triggers can be worked through.
To manage in between such intervention here are some tips for overcoming anxiety which is commonly used coping strategies, no matter the trigger or history of attached anxiety.
Tips for overcoming anxiety
Understandably, every tip, for you personally will not work when considering the management of anxiety. However, by actively considering your lifestyle, your mental health and your support network, overcoming anxiety, especially at the surface level is possible, prior to experiencing professional treatment.
Find a hobby or activity that makes you happy
Anxiety can be difficult to deal with as it can become engulfing. By finding a hobby or activity which makes you happy, which can serve as a distraction, and which can promote the production of happy chemicals, you’ll have the ability to suppress symptoms of anxiety through the benefits of exercise.
Manage a healthy lifestyle
Understanding your personal triggers of anxiety is important, as there’s a high chance that stressors may be linked to your lifestyle.
For example, a fast-paced, unhealthy lifestyle can increase the risks of anxiety. By firstly understanding your triggers, and by secondly managing a healthy lifestyle to avoid those triggers, you’ll be able to reduce your exposure rates.
Prioritise your sleep, your nutrition, your physical activity, your work-life balance and your relationships.
Become more mindful
Anxiety can aggravate once anxious feelings start to heighten, once thoughts start to run away with themselves, and once triggers are enabled. By promoting mindfulness, you’ll be more present, to digest your thoughts and to avoid triggers of anxiety.
Consider meditation and affirmations
Meditation and affirmations can help through a mental health crisis. Both can promote mindfulness, can restore balance and can provide an opportunity for rational thinking. Deep breathing techniques and repeating positive affirmations therefore stand as tips for overcoming anxiety, by rebalancing the mind.
Avoid addictive substances
The likes of drugs and alcohol, if misused are known to heighten the risks of anxiety. Avoiding all exposure will be recommended, to reduce the complexity of mental health issues, while providing clarity, and opportunities for balance.
Reach out to your loved ones
Many individuals suffering from anxiety will keep themselves to themselves. This is unfortunately down to the threat of stigmatisation for many. However, lone suffering can be extremely difficult, especially on the mind. One of our key tips for overcoming anxiety focuses on collaborative support, by reaching out to loved ones and those who you can trust.
Opening up about your emotions can lift a weight off your shoulders and allow for rationalisation to take place.
Remember you’re human
It’s easy to feel controlled and engulfed by anxiety. It’s also easy to feel pressured to maintain a positive lifestyle. It’s important to remember that you’re human, that emotional responses are natural and that you may have greater vulnerabilities in comparison to others.
Anxiety can be worked through, can be managed, and can be overcome. Remember this when experiencing negative thoughts or emotions.
Sourcing professional support here at Action Rehab
While self-help tips can help to alleviate and manage the symptoms of anxiety, unfortunately for some individuals, professional support will be necessary.
We at Action Rehab can help you in this situation, by sourcing and referring you to specialists within mental health recovery, to consider your triggers and form a personal, confidential treatment programme, to overcome anxiety.
Feeling anxious is normal. Yet if symptoms of anxiety are overtaking your life, it’s time to think about yourself and your mental health, by considering proactive recovery steps.
Sources
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/understanding-panic/
Posted on Friday, March 12th, 2021 at 10:12 am in Latest News.
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