Everyone feels anxious from time to time – whether it's due to a challenging work presentation or a nerve-wracking social event. However, when these feelings become overwhelming or chronic, it may signal an anxiety disorder.
Recognizing the difference between common worry and a clinical disorder is vital to getting the appropriate help.
What is Anxiety and Its Types?
Anxiety is a normal, adaptive response to stress or potential threats, characterized by feelings of unease, worry, or fear. It's a built-in mechanism that helps humans recognize and respond to dangerous situations.
Anxiety comes in various types. These include the following:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Many individuals commonly experience occasional worries, but when anxiety disrupts daily life, it could indicate GAD. It's a chronic, excessive worry about various aspects, from health, work, social interactions, to routine life events.
People with GAD often struggle with how to get rid of anxiety that seems to have no particular trigger. The uncertainty and unpredictability of certain situations can amplify their concerns.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety disorder involves a deep fear of being judged or scrutinized by others. It can lead to avoidance of social situations, causing feelings of isolation. People with this disorder often ruminate about how to help eliminate severe anxiety feelings when thinking of past or upcoming social interactions.
Panic Disorder
This disorder is punctuated by sudden intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions, even when there's no apparent danger or cause. It can feel like a heart attack or that you're losing control. Because these episodes are unpredictable, individuals often live in fear of another occurrence, exacerbating their anxiety.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Beyond the urge to double-check things, OCD involves persistent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) that drive someone to perform certain rituals or routines (compulsions) to get rid of anxiety. An example might be someone who's plagued by intrusive thoughts about germs and feels compelled to wash their hands repetitively.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Traumatic events, including military combat, assault, or a serious accident, can have lasting effects on one's mental health. PTSD is characterized by reliving the trauma through flashbacks or nightmares, causing severe distress and interference with daily life.
How To Treat Anxiety?
The question of "how to make your anxiety go away" can seem challenging, but the good news is that effective treatments can alleviate its symptoms. Below are some scientifically backed approaches to treat this condition, which we also offer here at Roots Mental Wellness.
Psychotherapy
One of the most common and effective treatments for anxiety disorders is psychotherapy, specifically Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is a structured approach that helps individuals identify and adjust negative thought patterns and behaviors that perpetuate anxiety.
Through regular sessions, patients learn strategies to cope, change their reactions to anxiety-inducing situations, and challenge their underlying beliefs that contribute to anxiety.
TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) Therapy
This non-invasive treatment uses magnetic fields to stimulate brain nerve cells, aiming to improve symptoms of anxiety and depression. It's particularly beneficial for individuals who haven't found relief from other treatments. By targeting areas of the brain related to mood and anxiety, TMS offers a unique approach to mental health treatment.
Ketamine Treatment
While traditionally used as an anesthetic in medical settings, low doses of ketamine have been found to provide rapid relief from anxiety and depressive symptoms. The treatment is believed to affect the way certain neural pathways operate, essentially "resetting" them.
Psychiatry
This medical specialty focuses on diagnosing, treating, and preventing mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. For anxiety disorders, psychiatrists often prescribe Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) as it can regulate brain chemistry and help manage anxiety symptoms.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Initially developed for individuals with PTSD, EMDR is a phased approach to therapy that involves recalling traumatic events while receiving bilateral sensory input, like side-to-side eye movements. This process can help diminish the emotional charge of traumatic memories and reduce associated anxiety.
Medication
Apart from SSRIs, several other classes of medications can be effective in treating anxiety, such as benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, and buspirone. The right medication and dosage depend on the specific anxiety disorder, its severity, age, health condition, and other factors.
You must consult with a healthcare professional to determine the most appropriate treatment. A combination of therapies might be recommended to address individual needs best and enhance the likelihood of a successful outcome.
Easy Ways How to Fight Off Anxiety
Incorporating simple practices can also help reduce anxiety levels. Let's explore these methods further:
Limit Stimulants
The intake of caffeine and sugar can exacerbate anxiety symptoms. Research shows that excessive caffeine consumption can increase feelings of nervousness, amplify heart rate, and even induce panic attacks in predisposed individuals. Similarly, high sugar consumption can lead to blood sugar spikes and crashes, potentially triggering mood swings and anxiety.
Prioritize Sleep
Adequate, quality sleep is crucial for mental well-being. A consistent sleep routine that ensures 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms. Studies have linked sleep deprivation with elevated anxiety levels, with one study noting a direct correlation between the two — the more sleep deprived, the higher the anxiety levels.
Stay Connected
Human beings are inherently social creatures. Talking to someone trusted, whether friends, family, or a professional, can provide a comforting feeling of being understood. A study found that social connections can decrease the risk of anxiety, with the opposite — isolation and loneliness — being linked to increased depressive and anxiety symptoms.
Practice Deep Breathing
Deep breathing techniques can act as a "brake" for the stress-induced "accelerator" in our body. By controlling our breath, we can regulate our body's response to stress. One study noted that deep breathing practices could reduce cortisol levels, the body's primary stress hormone, which can help fight off anxiety.
Limit Screen Time
Overexposure to screens, especially before bedtime, can lead to disrupted sleep patterns due to the blue light emitted by most digital devices. This blue light can suppress the production of melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone.
Moreover, excessive exposure to negative news or social media can amplify anxiety and stress. Research indicates that limiting screen time, especially before bed, can improve sleep quality and reduce anxiety.
Anxiety can be tough, but you don't have to face it alone. With proper understanding and tools, it's manageable.
At Roots Mental Wellness, we're committed to helping you find the best ways to address your anxiety. From advanced treatments to traditional therapies, our dedicated team is here to guide and support you every step of the way.
Ready to make a change?
Contact us at Roots Mental Wellness to schedule a consultation.
