Anxiety: An Overview
Anxiety is defined as “apprehensive uneasiness or nervousness usually over an impending or anticipated ill” or “an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physical signs (such as tension, sweating, and increased pulse rate), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one's capacity to cope with it”, by Merriam-Webster. Did you know that anxiety is one of the most common complaints in people of all backgrounds? You do not need to have an official diagnosis of anxiety, to understand and know what it’s like to feel some sort of anxiety. We have all felt it at one time in our lives. Some people, however, have these worried thoughts and anticipated fears more often and it can interfere with everyday life.
Dealing with anxiety doesn’t need to be a struggle, and there are many ways to control it. Since there are several things occurring in our bodies with the onset of anxiety, sometimes it may take time pinpointing the best approach, especially with medications. However, there are a plethera of therapies that are effective. Usually a combination works best. I will say, that from experience, my favorite way to help eventually alleviate the occurrences of anxiety is using thought stopping.
Thought stopping is a simple method that everyone can do, but it takes time and effort. It’s basically acknowledging and then stopping the worried thoughts in your mind when they start. You can usually rationalize it away, and then move onto to something else. You do not allow your mind to go into a spiral of “what if’s”. I have personally used this in the past, and have had amazing results.
Other things the consider are diet and exercise. Caffeine is known to exacerbate anxiety, so it may be s good idea to avoid it. I understand that we all love our coffee, but this is why I opt for decaf. Also, studies have shown that diets of processed foods, added sugar, refined grains, and alcohol increase anxiety. Cutting these foods out of your diet can not only improve your overall health, but decrease your anxiety levels. Another simple way to improve health and anxiety is exercise. Taking a 30 minute walk daily. That is all you need to do, and we all have time for that even if we think that we don’t. I like to walk around my yard for about 30 minutes after dinner.
Alternative therapies to medication will usually take more time to implement and to achieve your goal of feeling better, but they work well and don’t come with unwanted side effects. If your anxiety is harder to control, then medication may want to be considered, along with utilizing different complementary treatments. If you are needing help with controlling your anxiety, we can help. Contact us to set up an appointment to start working on your journey to feeling better and healthier.