Coping with Anxiety: Techniques for Managing Symptoms and Finding Relief
I've spent the past few years in therapy, studying anxiety, and learning how to live with chronic illness. I've noticed that there are some common themes in the lives of people with anxiety disorders. Here are four of them, along with techniques for managing your symptoms and finding relief.
- Feeling overwhelmed by the world
People with anxiety disorders often feel overwhelmed by the world around them. Some feel like they can't handle any more stress or anxiety, and their symptoms worsen as a result. Others cope by avoiding the stressors altogether.
There are two main strategies to manage this feeling of being overwhelmed:
• Understand the causes of your stress and anxiety
• Seek help from others when you need it
- Feeling like you're going crazy
People with anxiety disorders can feel as though they're losing touch with reality. They may have thoughts that they don't understand, and they may even believe that they're losing their mind. In addition to the fear of going insane, people with anxiety disorders are also worried about hurting themselves or harming others.
The key to managing this fear of going crazy is to make sure you have some support systems in place.
• Talk to someone
• Get a prescription for anti-anxiety medication
• Find a therapist who understands anxiety disorders
- Facing the fear of failure
When it comes to dealing with anxiety, we all face fears. It's normal to feel scared and nervous when you face a challenge. However, people with anxiety disorders are afraid of failing at something big. Even worse, they can experience intense feelings of panic when they fail at something that matters to them.
Managing your anxiety doesn't mean you won't ever experience fear. It just means that you can work on preparing for the fear instead of letting it paralyze you.
• Prepare for challenges ahead of time
• Practice facing the fear head on
- Feeling like you're going to lose control
People with anxiety disorders worry about losing control. They fear that their symptoms will spiral out of control, and that they will either act in a way that makes things worse or hurt themselves.
In order to manage this fear, you need to learn how to deal with it before it becomes a problem.
• Learn how to manage your symptoms
• Understand why you're having these thoughts
• Practice self-care