Managing Anxiety - Practical Advice and Lesser-Known Insights
Rapid heart beat, shortness of breath, nervousness in the stomach – these are all normal feelings of stress and anxiety. From time to time when life gets stressful, these feelings of worry are natural and are to be expected.
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Managing Anxiety - Practical Advice and Lesser-Known Insights
Rapid heart beat, shortness of breath, nervousness in the stomach – these are all normal feelings of stress and anxiety. From time to time when life gets stressful, these feelings of worry are natural and are to be expected. However, when they become frequent, repetitive, excessive, and interfere with your daily life, you may have a bigger problem. It may be a sign that you’ve developed an anxiety disorder.
What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a mental health condition characterized by intense feelings of worry, fear, dread, or otherwise feelings of tension. Anxiety can cause physiological changes, like rapid breathing, racing heart, and sweating.
Anxiety is similar to stress, except anxiety is persistent and it may occur with or without a trigger or apparent cause. A person can experience anxiety even when there is no actual threat. It is future-oriented, whereas stress is occurring in the moment.
Stress may incur a similar response, such as worry and tension, but it is typically short-lived and goes away once the stressful event has passed. Chronic stress can lead to eventual anxiety disorder.
Common Types of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety that doesn’t go away or worsens over time can develop into an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are disruptive to normal daily activities and relationships.
According to the National Institute for Mental Health, there are several types of anxiety disorders:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is experienced as frequent anxiety that can occur nearly every day for 6 months or longer.
- Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) interactions cause intense fear of social situations. A person with SAD may feel overly fearful of social situations. They may feel self-conscious or embarrassed of being judged by others. This type of anxiety can lead one to avoid social situations, which can cause problems in relationships, work, school, or anywhere where interacting with others is important. Examples of SAD include agoraphobia and separation anxiety.
- Panic Disorder is when a person experiences frequent panic attacks. Panic attacks come on suddenly with no warning. They are characterized by intense feelings of fear even when there is no threat.
- Phobia Disorder is an irrational, excessive, or uncontrollable fear. There are phobias for nearly every situation, activity, or object, including animals and characters (like clowns). The fear is often out of proportion to the danger posed. Examples of phobia include fear of heights, fear of mice, fear of balloons, fear of blood, fear of bridges.
What is the difference between anxiety and depression?
Anxiety and depression are both mental health conditions. They can co-exist, but they present themselves very differently.
Anxiety is often intrusive, with intense worry, fear or rumination about what might happen in the future. The feelings that accompany depression are those of deep sadness, worthlessness or despair.
Someone with depression often has little to no energy, and finds it difficult to participate in activities they once enjoyed. Whereas someone with anxiety is likely to experience nervousness and agitation.
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Symptoms and Causes of Anxiety
Anxiety produces varying types of physical and psychological symptoms. According to the NIH, some symptoms are very common, while others may be overlooked or less obvious.
Common Symptoms
Common symptoms of anxiety include the following:
Physical symptoms
- Sweating
- Rapid heartbeat or palpitations
- Shortness of breath
- Trembling
- Stomach pain, headaches, or muscle tension
- Sleep issues
- Dizzy or lightheaded
- Dry mouth
Emotional symptoms
- Fear
- Panic
- Excessive worry
- Dread
- Irritability
- Feeling restless or on edge
- Rumination
- Obsessive thoughts
Overlooked Symptoms
Digestive issues are common among individuals with anxiety. Bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and nausea are common. There is a strong link between the gut and the brain. This is known as the gut-brain axis. The gut-brain axis is a 2-way communication highway between the digestive system and central nervous system where signals of each travel back and forth. What happens in the gut affects the brain, and what happens in the brain, affects the gut. The intense worry and fret of anxiety is often felt in the digestive system.
Chronic fatigue, lethargy, and muscle tension are common, yet often overlooked symptoms of anxiety disorder. In addition, living with a condition like Chronic Fatigue can be challenging, which can lead to mental health conditions like anxiety.
Not everyone will experience anxiety the same. Symptoms will differ depending on the type of anxiety and the underlying cause. An assessment from a compassionate professional is essential for an accurate diagnosis.
If you think you may have an anxiety disorder, contact Mood Clinic and start healing now.
Root Causes of Anxiety
Reasons for anxiety are complex. Research has uncovered a variety of risk factors that may cause, including genetic, psychological, and environmental. Common causes include:
- Genetic – family history of anxiety or other mental health conditions puts one at higher risk for developing anxiety disorder.
- Environmental – traumatic events, including childhood trauma, or long-term stress events are closely linked with anxiety disorder.
- Physical/biological – underlying health issues, such as gut health issues, hormone imbalance, nutritional deficiencies, or certain illnesses can cause anxiety. Some people have chemical imbalances that interfere with neurotransmission that causes anxiety and other mental health conditions.
- Medications or Substance use – certain medications, like birth control pills, or substance abuse are known causes for anxiety-related disorders.
- Digital overstimulation, or sensory overload is a modern factor that contributes to anxiety. This occurs when the brain becomes overstimulated by constant, 24/7 information from devices, social media, 24/7 news, and on-demand tv, etc. (Content Gap).
It is common for there to be cross-over with the factors above. More than one factor can build up and create anxiety in an individual, such as trauma and substance abuse, or family history and long-term stress events.
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Anxiety Triggers and Lesser-Known Causes
The feeling of anxiety is a natural human emotion to stressful events. When life’s stressful events become frequent, and the feelings become uncontrollable, it may be a problem.
Common Triggers
Well-known known triggers for anxiety include:
- Financial stress, like debt, living pay-check-to-paycheck, not being able to make ends meet.
- Work stress, such as job pressures, losing a job, or can’t find work.
- Family dynamics, such as poor communication, conflict, abuse, or rigid familial expectations.
- Trauma, events like accidents, death, war, natural disasters, violence and crime, including physical and sexual abuse, and neglect.
- Major life transitions, like moving, getting married, having a baby.
- Social events, including public speaking
Lesser-Known Triggers
Research has shown that diet and nutrition affect anxiety:
- Nutritional deficiencies (such as magnesium, B vitamins, zinc)
- Unhealthy food, like sugar, gluten, caffeine
- Skipping meals
- Alcohol use
Evidence shows that noise, lighting, and overuse of digital media also contribute to anxiety.
Noise pollution, even chronic, moderate noise increases the stress response.
- Poor lighting, such as fluorescent lights have been shown to increase anxiety
- Social media overuse is clearly linked to anxiety disorders, such as social anxiety, especially amongst the youth.
Effective Daily Strategies for Managing Anxiety
Anxiety disorder is best treated with professional help. It is not typically something you can just “get over”. However, there are tools and techniques that you already have at your disposal, such as your awareness or breathing, that can help you feel more grounded when you are experiencing symptoms.
Grounding Techniques
Grounding techniques are a good way to help you calm and refocus on the here and now. Two effective grounding techniques that can be used with anxiety include the 3-3-3 Rule and the 5-4-3-2-1 Rule.
The 3-3-3 Rule
The 3-3-3 Rule is a coping strategy that helps you regain control of your mind and body and remain calm. The steps are very simple. When you begin to experience symptoms of anxiety, stop and look around:
- Step 1: Identify 3 things you can see
- Step 2: Identify 3 things you can hear
- Step 3: Identify 3 things you can move or touch
It’s a quick and readily accessible way to bring yourself to the present moment, calming your mind and thoughts.
The 5-4-3-2-1 Method
The 5-4-3-2-1 method is similar to the 3-3-3 rule. When anxiety starts to pick up, try to focus on the following:
- 5 things you can see
- 4 things you can touch
- 3 things you can hear
- 2 things you can smell
- 1 thing you can taste
You don’t need any special tools for these techniques to work. Just focus on the things around you. However, you may find it helpful to keep sour candies on-hand for taste, or peppermint or lavender oil for smell, for quick ways to redirect your mind when anxiety persists.
Breathing Exercises
Breathwork is when you purposely control your breathing pattern to bring your rate of breathing back to a normal rhythm when experiencing anxiety symptoms, such as shortness of breath. Research has shown that breathwork helps reduce symptoms of anxiety. It helps relax the body, calm the mind, and improve focus.
Two breathing methods that clients find useful include box breathing and the 4-7-8 method.
Box breathing
Box breathing involves inhaling, holding, and exhaling for 4 seconds each.
- Inhale: Slowly inhale to the count of 4
- Hold: Count to 4
- Exhale: Release slowly for 4 counts
- Hold: for 4 counts
Imagine breathing rhythmically in the pattern of a box. (Insert box breathing graphic??)
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4-7-8 method
The 4-7-8 breathing technique is a pattern of breathing that is done in the following way:
- Inhale for 4 seconds
- Hold for 7 seconds
- Exhale for 8 seconds
This breathing pattern is effective at reducing anxiety. It is also helpful for helping get back to sleep during a restless night.
Lifestyle Adjustments
Lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise compliment other therapeutic treatments for anxiety disorders. Research shows, when lifestyle is addressed as part of an integrative treatment plan, anxiety is significantly improved.
Foods that help reduce anxiety
Diet plays a significant role in helping to manage anxiety. There is a strong link between the health of the gut and the health of the brain. This is called the gut-brain axis – a communication highway between the gut and the brain.
Most of your serotonin receptors are found in the lining of the gut. Serotonin is a chemical messenger that influences mood, among other things. The foods we consume influence the health of the gut, which affects the messages we receive in our brain. So if the gut is not healthy, we are not going to get the right messages, which will affect our mood and mental health.
A balanced diet rich in whole foods has the most positive impact on those with anxiety:
- Fish
- Lean meats
- Healthy fats
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Complex carbohydrates, like whole grains and legumes
The following foods can deteriorate the gut microbiome and should be eliminated to improve anxiety symptoms:
- Processed foods
- Refined carbohydrates
- Fried foods
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
Blood sugar stability is another factor when it comes to anxiety symptoms. Skipping meals can lead to low blood sugar, which can increase or worsen anxiety-related symptoms. Eating wholesome, regular meals is important for keeping blood sugar stable.
Exercise for anxiety management
Among the wide range of benefits of exercise, it is particularly helpful in preventing and improving symptoms of anxiety and other mood disorders. According to research, exercise releases endorphins – your feel-good hormones. Regular, routine exercise keeps these chemicals present, improving your overall feeling of well-being.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Physical Activity Guidelines recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week. However, all forms of exercise are beneficial.
When it comes to mood disorders like anxiety, mindfulness activities like yoga and tai chi are especially beneficial because they bring in mindfulness and breathwork along with the movement. This combination helps reduce anxiety symptoms and improve mood.
Apps and Tools for Anxiety Relief
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Advanced Therapies and Treatment Options
Mood Clinic takes a modern approach to treating anxiety. We’ve created a patient-centered system, tailoring treatment to each individual.
Our integrative approach includes several therapeutic techniques. We combine evidence-based practices, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or Dialectical Behavior Therapy with emerging treatments, virtual reality exposure therapy. We also utilize lifestyle medicine and medication, depending on the severity and underlying cause of a patient’s anxiety disorder and what would be most effective for each individual.
Evidence-Based Therapies
Evidence-based therapies are practices that utilize the most up-to-date research and knowledge rather than traditional methods.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is an approach that helps clients examine negative or unhelpful thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Through therapy, patients find ways to create new and more constructive thoughts and response patterns.
According to the NIH, Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has the most evidence for its effectiveness in treating mood disorders like anxiety.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT is a type of talk therapy that can help with emotional regulation. It is useful for gaining an understanding of intense emotions to learn radical acceptance and make positive changes in how they think and feel. Mindfulness and stress reduction are also a component of DBT therapy.
Emerging Treatments
Emerging treatments for anxiety are innovative approaches to manage symptoms through such practices like simulation. These alternative approaches are non-invasive and can be done safely and with compassion alongside a practitioner to help manage symptoms. Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy and Ketamine therapy with biofeedback are two such emerging treatments that have shown promise.
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
allowing patients to safely confront anxiety-inducing situations within a controlled virtual environment, making it a promising approach for various anxiety disorders like social anxiety, fear of heights, and panic attacks.
Ketamine Therapy & Biofeedback
Recent studies are showing that ketamine therapy is effective against treatment-resistant anxiety. Ketamine helps rewire and change the structure of the brain.
Biofeedback is a mindfulness technique that can be used to control certain bodily functions that are typically considered involuntary, such as heart rate.
By combining ketamine and biofeedback, patients can make new neural connections with the ketamine, while using biofeedback to train the body’s response to a new state of being.
Studies show biofeedback is very effective when combined with other therapeutic techniques at improving long-term treatment outcomes for mood disorders.
Medication for Anxiety
Medication is not a cure for anxiety. The purpose of using medication for anxiety treatment is for symptom management. SSRIs and benzodiazepines are two types of medications that have been found useful in managing anxiety symptoms:
- SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are a type of antidepressant. SSRIs help with anxiety by keeping serotonin levels up in the brain. Serotonin is a mood-elevating hormone.
- Benzodiazepines are a type of depressant, or tranquilizer. They are useful in easing anxiety disorders that cause panic attacks because they work quickly. Benzodiazepines are OK for short-term treatment of anxiety, but they are addictive, so should be used under the supervision of a trained practitioner.
- Beta Blockers are another short-term treatment for anxiety. They help manage physical symptoms of anxiety, like trembling or rapid heartbeat. Beta blockers are quick-fixes, but not appropriate for long-term treatment.
- Alternative treatments to anxiety may include certain herbal remedies. Herbal treatments are highly individualized and are not for everyone. Working with a trained practitioner is essential and considering herbal treatments.
Anxiety Across Different Life Stages
Research shows anxiety can present differently depending one’s stage of life.
Recognizing anxiety and how it differs for each life stage is important for receiving care and managing overall health and wellbeing.
Anxiety is not the same for everyone and can vary depending on life experiences. However, in general, anxiety in youth usually centers around school issues. In adults factors include work and family, and for older adults, healthcare and caregiver burden are major factors attributed to anxiety.
Children and Teens
Anxiety in children in teens is on the rise. Studies show that recently, phenomena like social media use and the COVID pandemic has increased the prevalence of anxiety among these populations.
Adverse childhood events and trauma are also reasons that children will develop anxiety-related disorders. Phobias are common amongst children with anxiety.
Adolescents experience anxiety related to peer pressure, school pressure, and performance-related pressure (sports, academic, or otherwise).
Symptoms of anxiety in children and teens may include the following:
- Irritability
- Nervousness
- Restlessness or feeling on-edge,
- Fatigue
- Difficulty with focus and concentration
- Insomnia or disrupted sleep
- Muscle tension or pain
- Frequent headaches or stomach aches
These symptoms may increase when it comes to school or social activities.
Adults
Common causes of anxiety in adulthood include pressures with work, home, family, or finances. Common symptoms of anxiety in adults
- Fatigue
- Poor sleep
- Irritability
- Worry and rumination
- Panic
- Physical symptoms, like trembling, sweating, rapid heart rate, and chest pain
Adults are more prone to burnout and chronic stress disorder, which can coincide with anxiety.
Older Adults
Anxiety may be triggered in older adults when aging becomes more of a factor in daily life such as with the following:
- Health concerns
- Life transitions, such as retirement
- Caregiving
- Death of a spouse or friends and peers
Symptoms that are more common in older adults than other populations include:
- Memory or issues with focus and concentration
- Fatigue
- Poor sleep
- Physical symptoms
Long-Term Strategies for Building Resilience
When you are living with a mental health condition, like anxiety, finding ways to build resilience can help you cope when things get challenging. Strategies for building your resilience include a strong support network, learning to cultivate a more positive mindset, and leaning on spiritual or philosophical beliefs
Building a Support Network
Evidence shows that anxiety sufferers who have support networks have significantly better treatment outcomes than those who don’t. Social support significantly impacts the following:
- Feelings of distress
- Improved outlook on life
- Decreased stigma
- Improved treatment adherence
Support systems can include friends, family, your therapist, and other professional help.
Cultivating Mindset Shifts
If you let it. anxiety can be a useful tool for growth, as the emotion usually indicates something important is at stake. You can use your anxiety as a data point that shows where you may need to reframe and refocus your attention when faced with a challenge rather than fearing it. It gives you awareness of the areas that you can improve and where you can learn to develop resilience:
- View challenges that trigger anxiety as an opportunity to learn and grow.
- Harness the energy of anxiety to strategize a solution to your worries.
- Use mindfulness practices to be a neutral observer to your anxiety to help identify underlying reasons for your worry.
- Practice gratitude and self-compassion to help you reframe your thoughts and feelings about your anxiety.
Cultivatting a new mindset takes practice. A professional who has compassion and expertise in anxiety can work with you to shift and create a new way of looking at things.
Faith and Philosophy
Mindfulness practices, including spiritual and philosophical frameworks have been shown to be a successful tool for treating anxiety. Mindfulness and spirituality practices increase resilience by reinforcing a sense of inner well-being and connection to a greater force, which takes a load off an overburdened and anxious mind.
Research supports the wide-reaching benefits that spirituality has on the mind-body, such as
- Increase acceptance
- Decrease negative emotions
- Improves a sense of meaning and purpose
- Deepens relationships with others
Spiritual practices can be a useful and integral component to a holistic treatment plan for mental health conditions like anxiety.
When and How to Seek Professional Help
Recognizing the Need
When anxiety becomes frequent, uncontrollable, or interferes with daily life, it may be time to seek support.
Anxiety is ignored and left untreated it can have a serious negative impact on your health and life. For instance, it can lead to complications, such as:
- Relationship difficulties, whether personally, professionally, or socially.
- Misuse of alcohol or drugs
- Co-occuring mental health conditions, such as major depressive disorder, chronic stress, or burnout.
- Suicidal thoughts or ideation
- Health conditions, like cardiac issues, hormone imbalances, lowered immunity.
If you have an anxiety disorder, seek help. Treatment works and can help improve your quality of life, relationships, and overall well-being.
Choosing a Therapist
Choosing a therapist is an important and personal decision. It’s important that you find someone you can trust and feel comfortable with.
When choosing a therapist, key questions to ask include:
- What are their credentials?
- What is their experience dealing with your concern?
- What is their approach to therapy?
- What are their fees? Does insurance cover fees?
- How frequent are sessions?
- What should you expect during a therapy session?
- Where are therapy sessions held?
Take your time finding the therapist who is a good fit for you and who will put you at the center of care. It’s not unreasonable to set up initial appointments with a couple of potential therapists to see if one is a better fit than another.
Making Therapy Accessible
Quality therapy is more accessible than ever. At Mood Clinic, we provide holistic, individualized and accessible care from the comfort of your home:
- Immediate access to care
- Telehealth options available
- Flexible scheduling
- Options for affordable care (insurance coverage, self pay, etc)
- Personalized and comprehensive treatment
How To Get Started
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