Take Charge of Your Health - Addressing Anxiety
Everyone remembers the remark of the old man at the point of death
that his life had been full of troubles - most of which had never happened.
-Winston Churchill
It is normal to experience occasional anxiety when we feel a lack of control or are fearful when we are faced with personal, relationship, school/job/career, or health challenges. As the pandemic has raged through the world for the past twelve months, certainly none of us have been immune to anxiety. When faced with everyday stress and anxiety, there are ways to step up our own resilience. For instance:
Gain knowledge by gathering factual information from trusted medical sources.
Communicate, be open with others, and if you feel out of control seek help from your friends, family, or a professional. Communication allows us to share our burden and increase our connection with others.
Create new routines that include enjoyable tasks.
Stay connected - virtually and through outdoor activities with a friend.
Practice self care by listening to upbeat music, eating healthy, and taking time to relax and de-stress.
Find the positive by acknowledging that as difficult as these times are there are still opportunities for goodness to be celebrated.
Exercise and movement releases endorphins aka the chemicals that help us feel good.
Meditation, mindfulness, and breathing exercises can also release stress.
Reflect on what matters most.
Covid has provided many of us with an opportunity to reflect on our own lives. Have we learned lessons about what's important, how to show our care and concern for others, and move forward with a greater sense of gratitude and appreciation?
It is when people experience more than temporary worry or fear or their anxiety does not go away, and gets worse over time that the diagnosis of an anxiety disorder is made. Currently, there are over 40 million adults in the U.S. (approx. 20%) with a diagnosed anxiety disorder; most developed symptoms before the age of 21. Common risk factors are:
A traumatic event
Stress due to a serious illness, death of a loved one, or loss of income
Personality type
Family history
Use or misuse of drugs and/or alcohol
People with anxiety disorders are often plagued with emotional symptoms such as a feeling of dread, stress, irritability, jumpiness, a focus on the worse case scenario, and an ongoing feeling of impending danger. Physical symptoms can include a racing heart, shortness of breath, sweating, shaking, upset stomach, headaches, fatigue, and insomnia.
Understanding whether your level of anxiety is "normal" or if you have an anxiety disorder is the first step toward management. Some of the more common types of anxiety disorders are:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) produces chronic and exaggerated worrying about everyday life. GAD affects twice as many women as men and the worry can consume many hours each day, making it hard to stay focused and productive. Often a person with GAD feels exhausted and suffers from headaches, trembling, sweating, hot flashes and/or nausea.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder marked by fearful ideas and
ritualistic behaviors. A good example would be the excessively checking of things like doors, appliances, and switches. Although people with OCD may know that their thoughts and behavior are not logical, they are often unable to stop them. People with OCD feel compelled to perform the obsessive behavior in order to control or decrease the anxiety created by their obsessions.
Panic Disorder involves repeated episodes of fear that come without warning and are
accompanied by physical symptoms such as chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, sweatiness, feeling faint, or dizziness. Given the similarity in symptoms, panic attacks are often mistaken for heart attacks. Panic attacks usually stem from a fear of impending doom or a fear of losing control. People with Panic Disorder can become consumed by a fear of when the next attack will happen and therefore try to prevent attacks by avoiding places or situations they associate with the attacks.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) typically develops after a terrifying event or when physical harm either occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events such as sexual violence, death, war, car accidents, floods or fires can cause heightened fear, worry, sadness and/or anger that affects the person's ability to function.
Social Phobia or Social Anxiety Disorder is characterized by overwhelming anxiety, intense fear or excessive self-consciousness in social situations. Social phobia can be limited to only one type of situation or can be broad and lead to social isolation. There are also “specific phobias” that exist where people have an intense fear or anxiety about specific objects or situations. As examples, a fear of flying, heights, spiders/snakes, injections or blood.
Treatment
Anxiety disorders are most frequently diagnosed by primary care physicians and psychiatrists when symptoms occur for six months on more days than not. Treatments can include:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Self-help or support groups
Stress-management techniques
Medications including: antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications such as benzodiazepines, or beta-blockers
Do not hesitate to see your doctor if your worries are interfering with your relationships, work, or schooling, or you find your fears difficult to control on your own. Anxiety will be part of our lives as long as we live in an ever-changing and unpredictable world. The key is finding the right individualized strategies to reduce our anxiety.
As always, join us on the Health-E³ website blog page. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences. Feel free to ask questions about anything on the website or suggest ideas for additional helpful information. And remember, it's up to you to Take Charge of Your Health.