Her doctor asked what she was so afraid of, and the woman shrugged and told him ?I really don't know.? She was obsessed with the thoughts of dying among other things. ?I seem to have this ?spells? ', she said. I was washing the dishes one day, and out of the blue, I feel so frightened, I can't move, I was shaking and then I can't catch my breath and next thing I knew I wanted to faint.?
She pauses for a moment ?You think I'm crazy don't you??. The doctor shook his head ?No...but I do think your are sick...you show signs of stress and anxiety and...you are suffering an anxiety over death.?
It has been said that anxiety is being afraid of an unknown danger whereas fear is being afraid of a definite and specific harm. For the nervous woman inside the doctor's office, thinking her death is near and was real enough causes her so much fear. Her therapy with the doctor in weekly intervals have helped her understood a lot of things. The root of her anxiety? She was having a hard time accepting her aging process. She becomes aware of her own mortality.
LEARNING TO LIVE WITH ANXIETY
Sometimes we are anxious over things that don't exist. We imprison ourselves unconsciously when we ought to be free and try to enjoy life a lot more. Of course, there are real dangers of which we are afraid. These are genuine threats to our security and stability like emotional and physical problems. To feel anxious and in need of professional help doesn't mean that we are ?crazy?. In today's hectic world, all of us have good reasons to react to events. Events like global warming, terrorist attacks, tsunami and add to that, situations that we have to deal with our own personal lives.
From time to time, it is alright to have legitimate feelings of depression and anxiety. And if things can really go out of hand, a psychiatrist, psychologist, and counselors well-trained enough can provide the kind of help you need. But even with professional help, you must also do your part, you need to get busy and make use of what ever talents you have and not dwell on you ?melancholic? moods.
With the proper perspective you can get out of your obstacles and find the way out being trap in the cycle of anxiety. Most often, people are anxious because they are mostly stuck in the past than living in the present. It is not just plain nostalgia but it seems their ?present? situation is not the way they wanted to be. Dissatisfaction and the tendency of past failures and guilt dominates us and changes our personalities. In addition, to much preoccupation of the future robs us also of our joy. We worry too much on what lies ahead.
ACCEPT AND LET GO
We deny and we don't learn to accept our imperfections. We hated ourselves...how we looked and how others perceived us. A lot of people doesn't even like the sound of their voice while others can be downright embarrassed if they are fat and too skinny. We let this illusion of beauty, wealth and success on which we get from magazines, TV and even the Internet be the source of our misery as we constantly compare ourselves to others. It is only through acceptance and letting go if things which is external is one way of lessening our anxiety panic attacks.
Another clue to overcoming our anxieties is to know that we are not alone in our fears and worries. Anxiety is often an introspective activity and it thrives on isolation. But we don't have to be alone. We are not strange and inferior. The moment you learn to accept who and what you are is also the time that you will discover that you are not set apart from everybody else.
Anxiety is a normal thing and that everyone goes through with life with it. However, it also doesn't mean our anxieties will go away and never come back.
But the bottom line is, we need to control it and not let it dominate our own lives. There would be trouble, there would be pain, there would be sorrow but we can survive. Learn to let go and try to be free.
Everyone experiences anxiety, even children. In fact, being unable to do so can be the sign of quite a serious problem. In our hazardous world, anxiety is a strategy that the body uses to help the mind recognize and keep well out of the way of danger. As with most mental illnesses, it's not the presence of anxiety alone that creates problems. It is more about how severe it is and how much it gets in the way of life.
Most people feel anxious at some time in their lives. However, about five per cent of people experience severe anxiety but rarely seek professional help. Anxiety is a mixture of physical and mental symptoms. They are part of what psychologists call the ?fight or flight? response. When the body is under threat, it automatically prepares either to defend itself or run.
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. It helps one deal with a tense situation in the office, study harder for an exam, keep focused on an important speech. In general, it helps one cope. But when anxiety becomes an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, it can become a disabling disorder. Effective treatments for anxiety disorders are available, and research is yielding new and improved therapies that can help most people cope with anxiety disorders lead productive and fulfilling lives.
However, studies have shown that having a healthy diet may reduce signs and symptoms of anxiety. Although food can't cure an anxiety disorder, consider some changes to your diet:
Avoid or limit caffeine intake as much as possible. Caffeine is present in many soft drinks, not just tea and coffee and it can set up its own vicious cycle. It can speed up heart rate and disrupts sleep which are signs of anxiety. Trying to overcome tiredness by drinking more caffeine only makes the long-term problems worse.
Avoid too much alcohol. Similarly, alcohol can worsen the symptoms of anxiety and disrupt sleep. Many people reach for a drink to calm their nerves, but the consequences of overindulgence can outweigh the benefits of initial relaxation. For some, a hangover, insomnia and dehydration make one feel worse than before one had a drink, and the depressants in alcohol can make you feel sluggish and anxious. Alcohol, like a simple sugar, is rapidly absorbed by the body. Like other sugars, alcohol increases hypoglycemia symptoms; excessive use can increase anxiety and mood swings.
Eat complex carbohydrates. During anxious times, turn to comforting carbs. These foods act as a mild tranquilizer by increasing the amount of serotonin, a calming neurotransmitter, in the brain. Complex carbs, such as potatoes, wholewheat bread and pasta, take longer to digest than sugary simple carbs like white bread, so one can stay fuller longer and blood sugar is likely to stay steady, eliminating stress and anxiety. Carbohydrate-rich meals and snacks are thought to increase the amount of serotonin in the brain, which has a calming effect.
Be sure to drink eight or more glasses of water a day. Dehydration can lead to fatigue, headaches and stress. One should be well hydrated and drinking lots of water a day can decrease symptoms of anxiety.
Take multivitamins and mineral supplement. B vitamins, whose role is to unlock the energy in food, are crucial, particularly B-6, which helps manufacture serotonin in the brain. Choose a daily supplement that supplies 100 per cent of the daily recommendation of all vitamins and minerals.
Although tension and daily stresses are unavoidable, one can relieve tension and manage stress and anxiety better by what a person do and don't eat.
Both Aseya & Cas are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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