| Everyone
is born with a normal capacity to feel anxiety. Although
it is not comfortable, it can be appropriate and helpful in
certain situations. For example, an appropriate amount of
anxiety may help to motivate you to meet deadlines on time,
or remember to do something important without forgetting.
However, increased anxiety becomes problematic when the
thoughts and feelings become much stronger and more intense.
It tends to interfere with your relationships, feelings about
yourself, job, school and /or other daily living activities.
Anxiety is the anticipation of future oriented
danger or misfortune, accompanied by a feeling of hopelessness,
being uncomfortable and unhappy. It is usually
expressed in some sort of physical way in your body and accompanied
with a thought or feeling.
Some of
the ways anxiety manifests itself behaviorally are:
- A feeling
of restlessness
- Feeling
on the edge
- Irritability
- Diminished
interest in activities
- Difficulty
getting things done or feeling motivated
Some of
the physiological things that may happen when you
feel anxious are:
- Increased
heart rate/palpitations
- Increased
breathing
- Sweaty
palms
- Muscle
tension (backaches, stomachaches, headaches, chest pain,
tight shoulders)
- Dry
mouth
- Fatigue
- Dizziness/light
headed
- Sweating
- Trouble
swallowing
- Nausea
Cognitively
there are also some symptoms that may occur when you feel anxious.
These may include:
- Difficulty
controlling worry
- Ruminating
thoughts
- Difficulty
with concentration
- Difficulty
with memory
- Difficulty
with decision making
- “What
if” thinking
- Cognitive
distortions
Anxiety
is different than fear. Fear is an immediate,
intensely experienced emotion. It is experienced in both
your brain and your body, as they rev up to take immediate
action. It is the fight, flight or freeze response. Your
focus is like a tunnel vision focusing on the thing that
has triggered the fear. Your senses become heighted, as
well as your awareness of your surroundings that is a threat.
The difference
between anxiety and fear is that fear is usually more short
lived. Your body cannot sustain the reaction to fear for months
and years, while you may experience anxiety for long periods
of time. Also, fear is more closely related to overt behavioral
actions (running, hiding, fighting, screaming, freezing) where
as anxiety behaviors have more to do with what you think and
say to yourself (worrying, self defeating statements, ruminating
thoughts, sabotaging plans).
Anxiety
can be very debilitating and you may suffer to varying degrees.
It can affect how you feel about yourself, your relationships,
your job, how you present yourself to others, decisions you
make, and many more. The good news is that there are a number
of ways to help you when you experience anxiety. I help people
who experience anxiety. A portion in the healing process is
through talking to someone who cares about what you are going
through and who listens to what you are experiencing. Some
techniques that are useful include: visualization, breathing,
mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation, positive self
talk and listening to your body. There are also other ways
to address anxiety in which I would refer you out to other
professionals. These would include a physical to see if there
is something medically going on that has caused the anxiety,
acupuncture, massage therapy, exercise, medication, herbal
supplements and nutritionists. You don’t have to suffer
with this alone. I look forward to working with you.
I invite
you to call me at 303-514-4732 for a free consultation. |
