Have you been watching the news lately? I know I have. It seems the world is coming apart at the seams! The economy is in trouble, the war is creating uncertainty, politics are getting more and more nasty and everywhere we turn, there is a crisis threatening the future.
Okay. So life is tough right now. In large terms and probably in smaller terms too. But if YOU fall apart at the seams then the responsibilities you have will fall to the wayside and nothing will be accomplished. So. Take a moment. And Breathe. Slowly.
Anxiety can be one of the most destructive of moods and emotions. It can make a strong man freeze in his shoes and an accomplished woman turn into a puddle of tears. But if you know how to manage your anxiety it will put you back in the driver’s seat and help you in those moments of crisis. Anxiety occurs when we are not certain what is happening around us, or are uncertain of the outcome of any particular situation. We can have anxiety about small things, like whether it will rain on the morning we have a golf game scheduled, or about big things, like whether our son will sign up for the military during this time of war.
The symptoms of anxiety are increased shallow breathing, racing pulse, feeling like your heart is pounding, sweaty palms, shaking/trembling, nausea, chills/hot flashes and even feeling like you might die. Of course, you don’t have to have all of these symptoms to know you are anxious! Sometimes, we can have a generalized anxiety, which is a feeling of discomfort or uneasiness that encompasses pretty much everything. Or we can have a specific anxiety, which is about a particular event. A panic attack can feel like having a heart attack and we might even feel like we are dying, when in fact we are just having a severe anxiety episode. Any experience of anxiety can be uncomfortable and disruptive.
So how do we deal with anxiety? Well, the answer is that it depends on the anxiety. How often are you experiencing anxiety? Is it severe or is it mild? Is it about specific things, or is it an overall feeling?
If the anxiety is about relatively small things, then we learn how to stop, take a moment, breathe or take a break, and then refocus on what is important and needs to be dealt with immediately. Or we learn to disconnect from whatever is provoking the anxiety and distract ourselves with something else, until we are ready to return and take care of business.
If the anxiety is an all-encompassing feeling or as severe as a panic attack, then it’s time to go to your primary care doctor and talk to them about what you are feeling. There are medications to alleviate anxiety that are very effective, but like most medications for emotional/mood issues, they are most effective when used in combination with psychotherapy or counseling. Simply taking a pill is not going to completely get rid of your feelings of anxiety. What the medication will do, however, is help get the symptoms enough under control for you to be able to function and work with a therapist to determine what is provoking your feelings of anxiety. Once you know what is provoking the anxiety, then you can begin to work on better coping skills.
Anxiety is a feeling everyone experiences. Stress is a part of the modern world and with stress comes anxiety. Like all feelings, it is neither good or bad, it’s simply a feeling. By recognizing and acknowledging what makes us anxious, we can better deal with our lives and help those around us.
