Anxiety

Have you ever felt anxious?  Stressed?

There are various different components to both of these:

• Physical symptoms (i.e. your heart is pounding, you feel jittery, your stomach may be unsettled, your shoulders may be tight)
• Emotional symptoms (you feel sad, fearful, etc)
• Mental symptoms (you worry and fret, your mind seems to run in circles of the same thought over and over again, you can’t seem to focus or concentrate)

Everyone feels anxious or stressed at some point in their life.

Common examples of the types of events that can trigger anxiety are an upcoming...

• presentation
• job interview
• family conflicts
• pressures of work
• event that will cause you to step outside your comfort zone (i.e. asking for a raise, trying to address a situation of conflict, praising or criticizing someone else)
• live changing event (birth of a child, marriage, move, separation)
• and may more...

These are all natural.  Anxiety is how your whole body responds to danger or perceived danger (the danger doesn’t have to be physical or even real, for that matter).  It is like an automatic alarm that goes off when you are in danger.  Stress is similar in that your body is trying to notify you that something is out of alignment or balance.

Neither of these are bad in and of themselves – they are the body trying to communicate with you, and sometimes will help you become aware of things you might not otherwise have realized or problems that you may want to solve or resolve.

But as humans we don’t do everything in moderation.  Some people get to the point where they have anxiety or panic attacks (episodes or intense panic or fear).  These usually occur suddenly and can be triggered by an external event (going into a confined space if that makes you anxious) or by an internal event (thinking about an upcoming job interview that you are fearful about).  The physical symptoms of an anxiety attack can be so strong that they make people suffering from them think they are having a heart attack.  An unfortunately, the anxiety attack itself can lead to more fear and anxiety (what is wrong with me?  did I embarrass myself?  what if it happens again?) in a spiraling vortex of fear creating more fear.

Because anxiety disorders are a group of related conditions rather than a single disorder, they can look very different from person to person. One individual may suffer from intense anxiety attacks that strike without warning, while another gets panicky at the thought of mingling at a party. Someone else may struggle with a disabling fear of driving, or uncontrollable, intrusive thoughts. Yet another may live in a constant state of tension, worrying about anything and everything.

Anxiety is more than just a feeling. As a product of the body’s fight-or-flight response, anxiety involves a wide range of physical symptoms. Because of the numerous physical symptoms, anxiety sufferers often mistake their disorder for a medical illness. They may visit many doctors and make numerous trips to the hospital before their anxiety disorder is discovered. The physical symptoms of anxiety include: pounding heart, sweating, stomach upset or dizziness, frequent urination or diarrhea, shortness of breath, muscle tension, tremors & twitches, headaches, fatigue, insomnia. The emotional symptoms of anxiety include: feelings of apprehension or dread, problems concentrating, tense, jumpy feelings, irritability, restlessness, watching for signs of danger, feeling like your mind has gone blank. The symptoms of an anxiety attack include: a surge of overwhelming panic, feeling you are losing control or going crazy, heart palpitations or chest pain, trouble breathing or choking sensation, hyperventilation, hot flushes or chills, trembling or shaking, stomach cramps or nausea, feelings of being detached or unreal.

There are many different ways to treat anxiety, from conventional to complementary or alternative.

Some doctors will prescribe medication for anxiety in certain situations, and for some people and in some situations this may be effective in providing relief, whether long enough for them to deal with the underlying causes or to allow them to continue to function.  However, medication is not the only possible treatment – there are many holistic practices that can also help with the treatment and alleviation of anxiety or anxious symptoms.  Check out the many articles below to get a sense of the wide variety of possible forms of treatment for anxiety.

Some practitioners treat anxiety through some type of counseling, therapy or emotional release. 

Others may treat it through lifestyle modifications (whether the food you eat or the exercise you get or how you structure your days).

Others may treat it with physical aids (i.e. acupuncture with needs or treatment using some type of essential oils or traditional Chinese medicine or homeopathy where you may be taking supplements or pills).

Still others may treat it with their particular expertise; for example, hypnotherapy, or reiki or medical massage or meditation or yoga – there are too many to name, but the following articles will give you a taste of the wide variety of possible treatments available.