Dealing With Anxiety

Anxiety is a condition that causes you to feel worried or frightened about a situation. It can cause your heart to pound and your stomach to grow tight. It can also make you feel weak, tired and dizzy. It can even prevent you from sleeping properly.

Anxiety can occur in some people without any underlying health problems, but it is more common for it to be caused by an illness or other stressor. It can affect how you think, behave and interact with others.

Some anxiety symptoms may be a sign of a medical problem, so it’s important to see your doctor for evaluation. He or she will check your blood work and perform an exam to see if there are any other conditions that might be causing your symptoms.

There are a number of treatments that may help reduce your symptoms. Some of them include a combination of medications, psychotherapy and exercise.

Medications can help you reduce the feelings of fear and dread that are part of an anxiety disorder. These drugs can also help you cope with the situations that trigger your anxiety.

You should speak with your doctor about your symptoms before taking a medication to reduce your anxiety. He or she can discuss whether the medication you are taking is safe for you and how to use it correctly.

Many people find that exercise, particularly walking, helps relieve their anxiety. Getting regular exercise can help lower your levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increase your endorphins, or happiness hormones.

It’s also helpful to get enough sleep and keep a routine. For instance, try to go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning. This will ensure that your body gets a consistent rhythm and can help you deal with anxiety better.

Another approach is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It’s a form of psychotherapy that focuses on changing how you think about a situation so that it doesn’t trigger anxiety. It can also involve a process called desensitization, where you slowly expose yourself to situations that are considered threatening.

This can be done in group or one-on-one sessions with a mental health professional. A therapist will teach you new strategies to handle your anxious thoughts and emotions, such as breathing exercises or mindfulness meditation.

Other techniques that can help reduce your anxiety include keeping a journal, learning to manage your time and finding support from friends and family. Joining a support group can also be a good idea. These groups offer compassion, understanding and shared experiences, says the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

In many cases, the best way to reduce your anxiety is through a combination of medication, therapy and exercise. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, these treatments may help you improve and lead to more quality of life.

Medication

When it comes to treating anxiety, your doctor can prescribe medicines that are either taken orally or applied directly to the skin. These medications can help control your feelings of fear and dread, as well as decrease the amount of adrenaline that your body produces. They can also lower your blood pressure and heart rate, which are often triggered by anxiety.