Anxiety affects millions of Americans every year. There are various levels of anxiety as well as treatments. Understanding what is causing the anxiety can help. However, generalized anxiety is very common as well. If you suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, know that you are not alone. And, certainly, reach out for help should you feel that it is too overwhelming to handle on your own.
There is no reason for patients with anxiety to suffer as there are a lot of safe and simple medications to help. And, there is anxiety relief that may help you.
Weight blankets, for example, are great for anxiety at night. These, for whatever reason, tend to help people that get anxious when going to bed. This is a simple solution and certainly doesn’t hurt to try. Clearly there are no side effects to this as it is simply a blanket with weights in it. But, helps people with anxiety sleep better and with a better night’s sleep, it is easier to be less anxious in the morning.
Therapists can help, especially with art therapy. Sometimes it is difficult to say what is truly troubling you deep down, so why not draw or paint it? Art therapy is a great way to let loose and express yourself, without words.
Try Medications
Anxiety medications can be discussed with your doctor. These medications can be something you take all the time or they can be something you take when it is really bad. Anxiety medications should be taken as prescribed by your doctor and should not be shared with others.
Sometimes anxiety can come from things of the past that are haunting us. These can be things such as the loss of a loved one, a car accident or something that has caused trauma to the brain. This trauma can continue to resonate within us in the form of anxiety as the brain continues to try to process the memory. This, oftentimes, is called PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
If you have had a lot of trauma in your life that has gone on untreated you can find yourself with C-PTSD which is Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which is worse than PTSD. Either way, your brain is having a hard time processing this trauma and it is causing you to be anxious.
Reasons For Anxiety Differ
The horrific things from the past can be played over and over in our dreams and thoughts. This overthinking can also be a reason to have anxiety.
If you have nightmares often and don’t know why you should discuss this with a therapist as well. There are traumas that we might not even remember as they are too hard to remember, which is also a seed for anxiety.
Some people suffering from anxiety may have hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is a condition caused by low blood glucose levels. Though it is difficult to test for in a blood test, if you notice when you intake certain foods or beverages and hours later, or the next day, you don’t feel so great this may be a sign.
Whatever your reason for your anxiety, remember it doesn’t own you. You don’t have to live this way forever and there is hope and help out there. All you have to do is speak up to a professional and ask for help. Through therapy, trauma treatments and medications there is hope for a normal life one day.
Take a day at a time. Sometimes you might just take life hour by hour. Allow yourself to not be okay if you have to. But, take care of yourself.
Take a nice long hot bath and find things that relax you in your own ways. This could be reading a book, playing video games or watching a movie in bed.
Remember to breathe. Concentrate on your breathing and when a panic attack strikes, change what you are doing and what is around you. This means move rooms, stop thinking about something or watching something in the movie. By changing up what you are doing you can calm the brain back down.
If you are in crisis or think you may have an emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency room, or call 911 immediately. If you’re having suicidal thoughts, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to talk to a trained counselor.
