Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Coping from Anxiety: Ways and Means

If you are suffering from bouts of anxiety attacks, you can seek professional help. While anxiety medications like buspar medication and counseling sessions can help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and reduce the frequency of attacks, there are also ways on how people can manage their anxieties.

Recognizing Causes of Anxiety

The most logical thing to do in trying to treat anxiety – aside from seeking treatment, that is – is to find out what causes it. Worries, job pressures, and social demands can all snowball into one big pile of anxiety-inducing problems. Here are some tips on recognizing the causes of your anxiety:

Pay attention to the times you feel anxious.
Some studies show that certain times of the day and occasions can trigger anxiety. So the next time you start to feel anxious, take note of the time and place. Manage this anxiety trigger by making a list of what you have accomplished during the day. This way, you have a visual proof that you did your work and have been productive.

Take note of places you feel anxious in.
Places have a lot of effect on how you feel. Their influence can be so strong as to trigger an anxiety attack. For instance, places that evoke negative memories are likely to trigger anxiety episodes rather than those that remind you of happy events.

Reflect on events that make you feel anxious.
When you have time, reflect on situations and events that make you feel anxious. Driving, teaching, and a variety of other events can trigger anxiety attacks. You can manage events that trigger anxiety by taking a token with you that will remind you of good times.

Take time to listen to yourself.

While the anxiety feels real, people may not realize that it is unfounded. Identify the cause of your anxiety by talking to a tape recorder the next time you feel anxious. After recording and when you feel relaxed already, listen to yourself on tape. List all the worries the plague you then proceed to write the reasons they are not true to dispute them one by one. The next time you feel anxious, you can read the reasons you gave to dispel any excess anxiety.

Fighting Anxiety

The Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA) reports that a third of all health care expenses in the United States goes to the treatment of anxiety and anxiety-related disorders. If you are interested in seeking treatment, listed below are some tips you should not forget:

Seek professional help.

You can enlist the help of a psychologist or counselor to help you deal with your anxiety. A professional can also prescribe anti-anxiety medications that can help relieve your symptoms and reduce the frequency of attacks.

Be diligent about your therapy sessions and medications.

A lot of people complain that therapy session or medications do not work for them. But, many of them forget to examine a critical aspect – their attitude towards these treatments. If you want to maximize the benefits of these forms of treatment, be diligent in attending therapy sessions and in taking your medications.

Take care of your physical health.

Your current psychological state may be riddled with anxiety attacks but that is no reason to allow your body to be unhealthy. Take time for exercise and regular physical activity. Building your diet around anxiety-fighting foods can help supplement your medications.

No comments:

Related Posts with Thumbnails