What Is the Best Way to Treat Anxiety?
Question by Sophia: What is the best way to treat anxiety?
Hi all!
I feel as if I have been battling anxiety for as long as I can remember (age 8 is the earliest I can remember). The constant worry, the sweaty palms, the panic mode thoughts. This is mainly triggered when I come into a close relationship with someone and this person gives me anxiety. I get anxious that the person is constantly mad at me, I also am anxious that I constantly have done something wrong. Although it seems irrational, it’s totally real for me. I also have general anxiety feelings in daily situations, the most intense anxiety however is with my close interpersonal relationships. I also have OCD symptoms as well (an obsession with symmetry). I also suffer from misophonia (hatred of certain sounds) and I also suffer from sleep paralysis (paralyzed awake state [incredibly frightening]) every once and a while as well. This is me in a nutshell (I don’t want to go too deep into my problems and bother y’all.) Anyway, I have a friend who has anxiety and I confided in her what I am going through. She told me that with proper therapy and medication, her quality of life has tremendously improved. I am going to an appointment on Tuesday to speak with a therapist. I am incredibly worried she is going to discount my symptoms and just tell me to yoga or something. (I’m not and have not been very flexible so yoga isn’t for me. ;P) I do exercise and I do deep breathe when I get into panic situations but when my mind gets in ‘panic mode’ there is nothing in the world that can calm down how badly I freak out. I simply get in this “world is going to end state”. I do think that I would benefit from medication (short term of course, I really don’t need to add addiction to my list of problems :p). I just don’t know how to ask my doctor that I think medication may be beneficial to my treatment plan. Any suggestions? I’m also open to any techniques other anxiety sufferers have to reduce their anxiety. Please help. <3, Sophia. Also, the reason my anxiety has gone untreated is because my parents do not believe that anxiety is a real thing. They think I need to just deep breathe and I will be fine. I'm 22 and finally able to seek help. Best answer:
Answer by Richard
I suffer from the same severe anxiety issues and it was years before I had the courage to see my gp. just think of it like this, do I want this for the rest of my life, or should I try do something about it. it’s difficult to talk about, but the doctor will know exactly how you feel I promise. it affects me at work I lost a lot off friends too. speaking to the doctor was the best thing I ever did
Answer by Helping You ?
Here are some tips for beating anxiety:
1. Boost your confidence:
– When we’re stressed out, we can start to lack confidence in ourselves. You might feel like you can’t do something because you feel like you’re not good enough.
– Try and challenge these negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones, such as, “I am worthwhile” instead of, “I am worthless”. The more you repeat them, the more likely positive thinking will become a natural way of thinking.
– Make a list of all the good things about yourself in a diary or notebook and if a negative thought appears scribble it out and replace it with something that makes you smile.
2. Distract yourself:
– Focusing your attention on something else is a good way to distract yourself and stop you feeling anxious. The more difficult the activity, the better. It could be a crossword, puzzle or counting backwards from 100.
3. Gentle exercise:
– When we get anxious, adrenaline rushes through our bodies to prepare us to either run away or fight the feared object / situation. This causes the physical effects of anxiety such as feeling shaky or light headed. By undertaking regular activities such as walking, going to the gym, running or swimming you can burn off the adrenaline which will reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety.
4. Diet:
– Paying attention to your diet can help you to improve your mood and help reduce mood swings.
Reduce your sugar and caffeine intake – these stimulants can make the anxiety worse.
– Try and eat balanced meals at set times.
– A healthy diet will provide you with enough strength to successfully deal with stressful situations. Having your breakfast, lunch and dinner at the right times will also help your body to fit into a routine.
5. Relaxation techniques:
– Meditation – find a quiet room away from any distractions and let your mind clear, focusing only on your breathing.
– Deep breathing exercise – gently breath in and out from the diaphragm instead of the chest.
– Muscle relaxation – focus on each muscle group, one at a time, tensing and then relaxing the muscles.
6. Diary writing:
– Writing a diary can be very helpful for some people. Writing down what you are experiencing can be an effective way of gaining a new perspective on the problem, making it easier to deal with. You can also keep a gratitude journal where each day you write or draw 3-5 things that you feel grateful for.
7. Active problem solving:
– When a problem seems really big, it can be scary to know where to start sorting it out. First of all, look at what the problem is. Think of all of the possible solutions and write down the consequences of each one. This will help you choose what the best solution would be.
8. Talk to others you are close to:
– Talking with a friend, family member or trusted person about how you feel can often leave you feeling calmer and more comfortable.
9. Reward yourself:
– When you have avoided being negative or used new coping skills – reward yourself. Make a list of things you enjoy and choose one to reward yourself with. This can be something as simple as a trip to the cinema or reading your favourite book.
Part of rewarding yourself is having the will to recover from anxiety. Go and see your GP and s/he can help you with all these problems you are having. You can get referred to a counsellor or a therapist who can help you overcome these feelings. Seeing your GP is the best thing to do, and since you are an adult, you can go without your parents’ permission so what they think is not relevant at all. Your GP may also give you medication to help with your OCD which is a type of antidepressant called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors SSRI, only if your OCD is severe enough. You can also get help with your sleep paralysis from your GP. Visit this page for tips on how to cure it: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Sleep-paralysis/Pages/Treatment.aspx
I hope I have helped a bit.
Good luck!
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