How To Fight Anxiety?

Anxiety is an unexplainable feeling that can affect your quality of life. Fighting anxiety is a very hard battle. It will take time, a lot of effort, a lot of support and love from your family and friends and of course a lot of prayers. For those people who never experience anxiety attack will never understand that horrible feeling.

Anxiety is a severe fear, worry and uneasiness you will feel in your body when you are stressed or in a difficult situation. Anxiety becomes a disorder when it is persistent or recurrent over a relatively long period of time, interferes with our daily lives and our ability to function. Anxiety is a physical and mental condition that affects millions of people around the world.

It is important to know what kind of anxiety you are suffering so that you will be properly treated. You must not diagnose yourself. Always seek help from a mental health professional who is qualified to give diagnosis to your disorder.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) - is the most common type of anxiety disorder. It is a disorder that affects your mental and physical condition. If you always feel worried or stressed even there is nothing to be worried about and already affecting your daily lives, you might have Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

Social Phobia – is an intense shyness, fear and avoidance of social interaction with other people.

Panic Disorder – can be mistaken for a life-threatening physical illness that triggers future attacks. Palpitation, sweating, shortness of breath, dizziness and restlessness are some physical signs that you are experiencing during panic disorder.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition that developed when a person is exposed or experienced a traumatic event, such as natural disaster, sexual assault, serious accident and life threatening events.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that makes a person obsessed and uncontrolled in doing something repeatedly. Like checking the stove 15 times to make sure that it is really turned off.

Specific Phobias is an anxiety disorder that makes a person very afraid of a particular object or situation and may go a distance or far to avoid it.

• Sweating
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Trembling
• Headaches
• Difficulties in sleeping
• Heart palpitations
• Dry Mouth
• Difficulty In Swallowing
• Sense of impending doom
• Numbness in Arms, Legs and Feet
• Poor memory
• Upset stomach
• Diarrhea
• Irritable
• Restless

• Stress – it is the most common cause of anxiety. (ex. Stress on your job, family and relationship problems, pregnancy or giving birth)
• Trauma – ex. Sexual or physical abuse, natural disaster
• Medical Cause – physical illness may also lead to anxiety ex. Anemia, heart disease, side effects of medicine
• Substance use and abuse – using prohibited drugs and drinking too much alcohol may lead to anxiety
• Genetics – if you have a family history of mental health problems you might experience anxiety but it doesn’t mean that if a family member of yours has mental health problem you might also get it.

Fighting anxiety is not easy. You must seek professional help to guide you on what to do. You must talk to your family and friends and tell them what you feel and what are you afraid of. You need their support and love to be able to win this battle.

The best thing to do when you have anxiety is to seek professional help but because some of us prefer natural remedies in fighting our anxiety and are afraid to seek medical help here are some of the natural remedies I have researched that may help a person experiencing anxiety.

• Do Not Skip Meals Especially Breakfast

We know that Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. According to Diabetes.org, people who forgo breakfast are not as productive at work, are less effective problem solvers and have less mental clarity compared to people who regularly eat a healthy breakfast.

• Breathing Exercise

Breathing exercises like Yoga can help lessen anxiety.

• Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is one remedy for anxiety. It eliminates tension and reduces stress. It also relaxes your muscle.

• Reduce Intake of Caffeine and Alcohol

We know that drinking too much coffee will sometimes get you nervous so it may trigger anxiety.

• Drink Lots of Water

We already know that drinking lots of water really helps our body not only in lessening anxiety but also in having a good health.

• Drink Calming Teas

There are many calming teas that may help reduce your anxiety. Examples of these are: L-theanine (or green tea), Chamomile, red clover blossom, Valerian, catnip and lemon balm.

• Take a Break

Having a vacation with your family or friends, go outing and watch a movie, can help you reduce anxiety.

When I first experienced anxiety attack, I thought I was going to fall and have a heart attack. That is why the first thing I did, is drink water and sit. Simply because I thought that if I fall, it would not get a big impact to me and will not have a big damage to my body compared when I was standing. I felt that my head becomes big, and then it felt as if it’s empty. I felt dizzy, had difficulty in breathing, I was restless, my legs are shaking, and I remember I had difficulty in hearing maybe because I am trying to calm myself and at the same time I am afraid to have a heart attack. I went to the hospital to seek medical attention. I was checked and examined by doctors and nurses, they checked my blood pressure, my urine and everything. The result, I was very fit, nothing wrong, my blood pressure is 120/80, ha ha. I ask them if they are really sure? The result of my tests and the doctor’s assessments says a big YES.

So I wondered what happened to me? What did I felt? Why is it like that? What is that? If I do not have any medical issues, why I am feeling like that? There are many questions coming out on my mind. Maybe because that was the first time I felt like that. Ever since I was a child, I have never been hospitalized, I have never been sick. I think I only got 2 flu experience in my entire life. Fever is not also a big issue or even cold, since I seldom have it also. Maybe just once in around 10 years? I am not proud of that, I am just lucky and very thankful to God and to my mother who always had the time to have me vaccinated when I was a child.

So with my doctor’s advice and to calm myself, I decided to go to an EENT clinic. I thought that maybe I was having problem with my eyes because I always feel dizzy. The result - I have 20/20 vision, my eyes are good. I asked my EENT doctor why I always feel dizzy if I do not have problems with my eyes and the result of my laboratory test is okay. He told me maybe it’s because of stress. Ah, so that’s it – STRESS.

Now, I remember, I have been thinking too much on those days and not getting enough sleep. So, I searched online, read articles and found out that stress may lead to anxiety.

Anxiety is okay, because it’s a natural feeling you will feel when you are nervous or too excited for something but when it becomes a disorder and already affects your daily lives that will be a big problem. I also found out that many people suffered from anxiety. I was happy to know that millions of people are suffering from anxiety. Yes, I am happy, not because many have this illness, but because I am not alone. Many people are also fighting this horrible and unexplainable feeling. It gives me more encouragement.

1. I seek professional help. Going to a doctor helped me understand more about my illness and medical problem. After knowing that I do not have any physical problem, I was more relaxed.
2. Compare yourself to others. Anxiety can attack any age. Even children can suffer from anxiety. Whenever I was attacked by anxiety, I was comparing myself to others, I know that it is not good to compare others to you but in anxiety comparing others to myself gives me encouragement. I can fight anxiety because I am younger than them, or maybe I will tell myself I can fight anxiety because I am older than them. If children can fight anxiety, why can’t I? These are the encouraging words I am telling myself when anxiety attacks. And it really helped me a lot. I was able to talk to my other friends and colleagues who are also experiencing anxiety disorder. And when we talk to each other, we are excited to share our feelings and experiences which is another way of encouraging ourselves.
3. I share what I feel. I participated in online forums with topics about anxiety and with medical doctors online who give their advices and my anxiety lessens. I also met some people who are also experiencing anxiety and share their own experiences.
4. I lessen my intake of caffeine, good that I am not drinking alcohol nor smoking so my problem lessens. During my first month of anxiety attack I did not drink coffee and it helped.
5. I drink a glass of milk at night. It helped me have a goodnight sleep.
6. I drink lots of water. No explanations needed on that.
7. I always talk to my family and friends. Talking to them and telling them what I feel and how I feel and hear their advices and comforting words makes me stronger and happy.
8. I set a Devotional Prayer. Praying is always a part of my life. But when I experienced anxiety, I even scheduled a Devotional Prayer. Talking to Him makes my heart at ease and peaceful. Words and feelings that I cannot tell my family and friends, I can tell Him.

Anxiety can be short term or long term and because there are different types of anxiety, it is best to know what type of anxiety you are experiencing so that you can be able to choose a treatment that will be helpful to you and be able to challenge yourself to fight anxiety and wished that it will not come back again.

Fighting anxiety needs to start with your own self. You must first help yourself. That is the first thing you must do. There are many effective online therapies, programs, health professionals and services which can assist and treat anxiety. Some are free and accessible with internet access. Those treatments may help people with anxiety to learn how to control the condition so it would not control them.

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