In recent years, the number of people who suffer from anxiety has grown dramatically. Increasingly volatile situations in homes, schools, and the world, in general, have caused many people already prone to having an anxiety disorder to either start developing symptoms or make those symptoms much worse.
Typical symptoms for people with anxiety include panic attacks, increased agitation with their loved ones, and mood swings. But anxiety can also present itself as periods of depression in which a person feels that they can't get out of bed or starts to cry uncontrollably.
All too often, the people surrounding a person suffering from anxiety believe that this disorder is something they must learn to deal with on their own. Frequently, this leads to situations in which people hide their symptoms and feelings from their friends, parents, spouse, and other loved ones.
In some extreme cases, people with anxiety will also turn to self-harm, medications (both legal and illegal), and other unhealthy coping behaviors to deal with the feelings they cannot deal with in any other way.
Therapy with a professional like John Maret Counseling is often seen as a last resort for many people with this disorder. Still, the truth is that waiting until a victim is showing severe symptoms or unhealthy coping behaviors can be dangerous. Anxiety disorders are closely linked to depression, which can lead to very serious outcomes such as self-harm and even suicide.
Fortunately, there are a number of healthier anxiety treatments. If you or a loved one are suffering, try these solutions:
Meditation
Meditation has been shown to help people calm their thoughts and feelings. It allows a person to focus on things other than what is causing them anxiety while also diminishing the "mental real estate" of the event or situation causing it.
Meditation is a skill that must be developed over time, however. This can be time-consuming, and it might not work for people who react quickly to situations. Because of this, meditation is often seen as a long-term coping strategy but not necessarily a good way to deal with immediate symptoms.
Reading
Reading a book, magazine, or social media website can help some people deal with anxiety. Again, this is a long-term strategy; people will rarely be able to get over acute symptoms, such as an anxiety attack, by reading a book.
Socializing
For some people, talking with their friends and family can help with both acute and long-term symptoms. This assumes, of course, that a person has a supportive group of people around them.
Deep breathing
Thanks to modern media, deep breathing exercises are one of the first things people think of when they think of ways to deal with anxiety. While this method works for some people, it might not be the best method for everyone.
Exercise
Walking or running is an excellent way to increase heart rate, which can help the brain produce chemicals that control anxiety. Other people like to lift weights or participate in sports. Exercise has been clinically shown to help with both near-term and long-term anxiety symptoms.
Journaling
Writing about the thoughts and feelings you're experiencing can benefit some people suffering from anxiety. Again, this tends to be a much better long-term strategy for reducing symptoms rather than a way to deal with acute symptoms in the short term.
Spirituality
Working with a religious leader or on your own has been clinically shown to help patients with severe and minor anxiety issues. In fact, people who stated that they were religious in some way are much less likely to feel overwhelmed by anxiety. These individuals also reported fewer severe symptoms, such as self-harm or panic attacks.
Thought reframing
Learning to control how your brain deals with anxiety is a time-consuming process, but it has been shown to help the most with anxiety issues. Thought reframing forces your mind to change the nature of your thoughts, so they don't become overwhelming. For example, a person who is experiencing anxiety over an upcoming home purchase may use this process to instead imagine how happy the new home will make them.
Of course, this process can be a lot more complicated regarding much more serious issues. The method takes time to learn, and it's generally a good idea to learn to do this under the guidance of a professional.
Behavioral therapy
All of these methods can be explored under the guidance of a trained mental health counselor who is familiar with all of these techniques. Behavioral therapy will likely touch upon most of these methods of anxiety control. Talking with a professional counselor is one of the best ways to determine which methods might be the best for you.
Professional counseling is one of the most effective ways to deal with anxiety. If you or a loved one is struggling with anxiety, guilt, fear, or depression, contact us at John Maret Counseling. Our staff counselors have years of experience helping people from all walks of life with issues like these, and they would love the opportunity to meet with you.
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