ANXIETY – What\’s Important to know

WHAT IS ANXIETY

In the world of Mental Health and wellness anxiety is a commonly used term. It feels extremely familiar something that we can cavalier pull out to explain when we are feeling anxious. The truth though is that anxiety disorders are a sub-branch of mental health illnesses and in that sub-branch, there are six main categories of anxiety disorders and three of them are more highly diagnosed.

1. Generalised Anxiety Disorder
2. Social Anxiety Diorder ( social phobias )
3. Panic Disorder
4. Separation anxiety Disorder
5. Phobias

FAQs and What causes anxiety and anxiety disorders

Imagine being a Gazelle in the wild. Yes, there is plenty of green grass to be fed on but there is a plethora of potential predators lurking in each corner. So often, you, the gazelle has to be extremely aware of your surrounding with heightened senses and a ready to go fight or flight response. Mostly flight.

Now imagine being in an extreme fight or flight response with your heart rate high, excessive breathing, complete physical shut down, yet there is no extreme perceived danger. Or the event causing you such an extreme reaction is not equivalent to the extreme reaction.

In a nutshell, anxiety is caused by exposure to a traumatic event or many traumatic events that the brain processes as complete threat to survival. Now every time the said event is triggered in normal day to day setting your brain and body translates it as extreme danger and seeks to defend itself and protect itself.

Is anxiety Genetically passed down?

Yes, It has been researched that most anxious personalities come from a family history with anxiety or mental health issues.

To be noted as well, if we are raised in an environment where an anxious parent or caregiver has not learnt how to process their anxiety and manage it properly. We will not learn how to properly manage our own fears and may not have the proper coping tools for this. It could lead us to mismanage our own anxiety.

6 COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL TECHNIQUES TO MANAGE YOUR ANXIETY

Like I have talked about often in my platforms and on my blog, I am continuously finding ways to manage my anxiety and I am thriving at it. I have learnt to turn my fear into power. Here are six Cognitive Behavioral Techniques I have used and guided many clients to use. Feel absolutely free to add to them or ask for more exploration on each.

Journaling

I have always been a writer, I enjoyed writing essays and compositions back in school and then, I as well enjoyed writing poetry as I grew older. So Yes, this is my favourite CBT. Journaling allows one to physically put down what they are going through at the moment.

It is a great way to process your emotions. Writing them down in whatever form doesn\’t have to be in impeccable vocabulary or even the right spelling. Take your time to pour out what you are thinking and feeling in ink. It has this overwhelming release and it brings out a clear perspective on the facts on what you are feeling and the decisions to make in response to the facts.

Rating My Anxiety

I am getting great at the art of speaking in public, but at some point in my life, it would give me the most anxiety. At the point of going in front of people, I may not have time or even be able to start writing down my feelings. So I began the self-talk of a rating system. Where I run down what level my anxiety is at. (sometimes it could be even a warping seven).

Then, I would rationalize what the worst-case scenario would be and how impactful that would be to me in a days time and why even I think that worst-case scenario would occur. Then I would rate it. And finally, come to a rational factual based reaction at maybe a one or two.

Breathing and Visualization

Learning to breathe and breathe intentionally is important. Breathing deeply in and letting go of the air intentionally and for a longer period of time generally has a calming effect. Take time to speak life into your power while taking way any authority the event has on you. Visualize in a therapy session the triggering event and then learn to breathe through it. Your brain wants any signal to allow it to relax, any message to explain to it that all is well. Breathing is such a signal.

Exercise

Generally, physical fitness is aligned with mental fitness. especially for those individuals self-aware enough to handle ones mental health appropriately. Exercise triggers similar physical reactions as anxiety and anxiety attacks. When the body is used to being exposed to the adrenaline of physical activity then it can easily translate anxious attacks into a common and positive reaction.

Exposure Therapy

This is better done with the assistance of a mental health professional. It can also be offered as an assignment to those who are attempting to manage anxiety attacks. A slow, continuous, step by step guided exposure to the event that causes you trauma. It can start small from visualization to actual exposure. It should be done planned and guided.

Chewing Gum

Scientists discovered that it\’s an innate animalistic and instinctual form that we communicate security when we are eating. When our saliva glands are stimulated, we communicate to the mind that there is no danger in sight since we are eating. Honestly, since it sounds pretty quirky even for me, try it, tell me your experience lowering your anxiety levels by the simple act of chewing gum.

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