Is Having Anxiety Normal?
Every person on the planet feels worried sometimes, especially when times are stressful. Unfortunately, if you have developed an anxiety disorder, your worries exceed normal levels and make it difficult to maintain a normal life.
Any person of any group can develop an anxiety disorder. The most common diagnosis is a generalized anxiety disorder, but there are other anxiety disorders like panic disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that are also fairly common.
Living with any sort of anxiety disorder can be a challenge, and your future may seem bleak or hopeless. The truth is most cases of anxiety can find relief with the right treatments.
Anxiety Symptoms
Symptoms appear differently in different people, but generally, the most common symptoms are:
- Feelings of worry that are out of proportion to the actual events
- Overthinking frequently
- Falsely perceiving events or situations as threatening
- Trouble making decisions
- Trouble with uncertainty
- Trouble relaxing
- Trouble concentrating
While anxiety is primarily a mental health condition, it can also bring on physical symptoms such as:
- Fatigue
- Changes in sleep pattern
- Muscle aches
- Twitchiness
- Trembling
- Being easily startled
- Sweating
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Irritability
You may go through periods where your feelings of anxiety or stress do not seem as intense, and you may also go through periods where the symptoms are worse and more persistent. Sometimes, you may be filled with an overwhelming sense of dread brought on by nothing in particular.
How To Control Anxiety
Ketamine Infusion
Though most popular as a powerful FDA-approved anesthetic, Ketamine is the treatment that some doctors and researchers are calling the biggest breakthrough in mental health treatment in over half a century. Research indicates that a series of IV Ketamine infusions can provide relief in up to 80% of patients.
Fact-Check Your Anxiety
One of the primary symptoms of anxiety is the tendency to fixate on worst-case scenarios. It is important to remember that these thoughts are most of the time both unrealistic and out of proportion to the actual danger they are.
Deep Breaths
Concentrated, deep breathing is an age-old, tried-and-true method of calming yourself. There are not any particular breathing exercises to concentrate on, but rather you should focus on making sure you are inhaling and exhaling evenly and deeply.
Find Something To Do
Find something to distract yourself with: take a walk or eat your lunch outside for a change. Anything you can do to derail your train of thought can help combat the symptoms of anxiety.
Cut Out Sugar
It is easy to turn to comfort food during periods of stress and anxiety. Unfortunately, research shows that high sugar intake can increase the symptoms of anxiety. Choose a glass of water or a healthy snack instead.
Be Active
Anxiety can have a negative impact on your motivation and make it difficult to even get out of bed on some days. However, engaging in regular physical activity is important to overall physical and mental health. Exercise can be just as effective as some medications in terms of providing relief from symptoms of anxiety.
Avoid Substance Abuse
Much like comfort foods, many people try to find relief from their anxiety in harmful substances like alcohol or cigarettes, but these substances will only worsen your symptoms. What’s more, you run a risk of growing dependent on and addicted to these substances.
Lower Caffeine Intake
Caffeine is an easy fix for feelings of tiredness or fatigue, but it also increases feelings of nervousness – essentially the chief symptom of anxiety. Caffeine can also contribute to panic attacks.
Sleep Better
One of the more common symptoms of anxiety disorders is insomnia. If you are struggling to get to sleep or to stay asleep, try not reading or watching television in bed or getting off electronic devices an hour before you aim to be asleep. You could also cut back on caffeine or large meals before bedtime.
Meditation
Research indicates that meditation is useful at relieving the symptoms of anxiety and is also an opportunity for you to learn how to manage your negative thinking patterns.
Practice Self-Care
It is important to occasionally take some time off to take care of yourself and engage in something you enjoy.
Clean Up
You’ve likely heard the old expression, “a cluttered desk is a cluttered mind”. While it may sound cliché, it’s true. Take some time to clean up the clutter around you to improve your mood.
Be Social
Your anxiety symptoms may make it difficult to reach out and be social, but it is important to get out of your comfort zone and surround yourself with people you love.
Seek Treatment You should not feel ashamed to admit that your condition is making your life more difficult and find a treatment that works for you. Your anxiety may only grow worse in time if left untreated.
If you have exhausted other treatment options to cope with your anxiety and are looking for a new treatment for anxiety in Edinburg, TX, contact us today for your free consultation.
