Anxiety is a general term for several disorders that cause nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worrying.

Things I’ve Learned From Living With Anxiety

Anxiety is a general term for several disorders that cause nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worrying.Depression and anxiety are like brother and sister- they are really two sides of the same mental illness. You are right in that mental illness does evolve, change, “mutate”, lets say. This is  the same mental illness you’ve always had, only its showing its “anxiety” face at the moment. We all go through stages where different “faces” of our illness show.You need to learn to accept the feeling and allow it to stay there for a bit.Instead, tell yourself you are bigger than the anxiety.

Living with anxiety can feel like you are trapped in your own skin with no way out, or a black hole placed in the center of your life that consumes everything good around it.It has always been a strong belief of mine that the cheesy quote “knowledge is power” holds its weight in gold.The only way to slay a dragon is to know its weaknesses.Once you know what it thrives on and what causes it to starve you can start to get on the offence.

If your problems are bad enough, look for a support group and hear some real insight of other people going through similar situations.They may even be worse off and help you realize that your anxiety isn’t so bad (relatively speaking).High quality relationships can be formed and you will have some shoulders to lean on when times are tough.If speaking out scares you at the moment, a forum is a great place to start. You can still hear great stories and insight and make relationships without putting a face to your comments.

When faced with potentially harmful or worrying triggers, feelings of anxiety are not only normal but necessary for survival.Ever since the earliest days of humanity, the approach of predators and incoming danger has set off alarms in the body and allowed an individual to take evasive action. These alarms become noticeable in the form of a raised heartbeat, sweating, and increased sensitivity to surroundings.A rush of adrenaline in response to danger causes these reactions. This adrenaline boost is known as the ‘fight-or-flight’ response. It prepares humans to physically confront or flee any threats to safety.

Some important truths that will help others who live with the daily struggle of chronic anxiety.

  1. You can’t always trust your own feelings.
  2. Talk about it.Whether it’s general anxiety, or specific anxious thoughts, labeling them and talking about them to someone else helps, talking about the thoughts and feelings, instead of keeping them secret, gives them so much less power. Alone in my head, they are all-powerful.
  3. They’re wise – so wise – about who they choose to be part of their tribe.
  4. Thoughts have more pull than knowledge. Yep. They run the mothership.
  5. Thoughts that begin as little thoughts can change the entire day.
  6. ‘There’s nothing to worry about.’ The best thing to hear. Wait. No. It’s not.
  7. People with anxiety are quicker to perceive changes in facial expressions.
  8. Your friends actually think you’re pretty fabulous.
  9. Certain diets can influence anxiety.
  10. Stimulation or isolation. I’ll take isolation.
  11. Anxiety and Courage. They exist together.
  12. They’re awesome to have in your tribe too.
  13. Anxiety is the fuel of contradictions.
  14. You take your diet and exercise seriously
  15. Control what you can and let it show itself out.
  16. Make self-care a priority.
  17. Anxiety has a genetic basis.
  18. Exercise can reduce anxiety.
  19. Anxiety widens personal space.
  20. Anxiety can be physically painful.
  21. Anxiety can confuse the sense of smell.
  22. Overdoing it will just make the situation worse.
  23. Getting help does not make you a failure.

There is something troubling you, then your restless mind gets ahead of itself and starts to think this problem will never end.After a little while longer, you might start to worry about how much you have been stressing, and how bad stress is for you.Now your heart is racing and all you want is for it to stop, the only problem is; there is no off switch.One thing that took me a long time to learn is the fact that fighting anxiety only makes it worse.

There is no single way that you will possibly let this anxiety bother you any more than it needs to.When living with anxiety, you are exposed to a level of vulnerability and desperation.Hearing of a new herb or vitamin that may miraculously cure your anxiety may have you throwing cash out of your wallet.The fact is most supplements only do a very little bit to help.When you feel trapped in an anxious cycle, sometimes it is hard to believe you could actually fix yourself without medication.

When it comes to courage, anxious people have it in truckloads. Just getting through the day can call on enormous reservoirs of courage that the rest of us would only need to draw on now and then. Anxiety and courage always exist together. They have to. You can’t get through day after day with anxiety blocking the path, without having courage to help push a way through.

Anxiety Creates Anxiety

  1. You Are Not Alone
  2. Coffee Is Not Your Friend
  3. It’s OK To Use Medication
  4. It’s OK To Be Selfish Sometimes
  5. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Is Effective
  6. Anxiety & Depression Often Go Together
  7. You’re More Capable Than You Think You Are
  8. Anxiety Doesn’t Make Sex Or Dating Any Easier
  9. Some People Might Never Understand Your Anxiety
  10. It’s Crucial To Find Coping Strategies That Work For You
  11. Natural Supplements May Help But They Aren’t Guaranteed
  12. Living With Anxiety Can Have Long-Term Health Effects
  13. Many Brilliant People Have Struggled With Severe Anxiety

Anxiety comes from a hair-trigger threat sensor, remember, and the threat of psychological harm (humiliation, rejection, shame) can feel just as real as the threat of physical harm. Because interacting with people can be so anxiety inducing, people with anxiety are choosey about who they let close. They’re not rude about putting up the wall to those who don’t quite make the cut – not at all – but they’re decisive. If you’re one of the ones for whom the fortress is lowered, feel blessed, because you are. There’s something about you that feels safe and lovely to be around.

Nothing about us is all good or all bad – nothing. If you’ve struggled with anxiety, for all the angst it causes you, it’s also helped to shape the person you’ve become in positive ways – the choices you make, the friend you are, the partner, colleague, sister, brother, leader or employee you are. Anxiety is not who you are, it’s something that happens to you sometimes. It’s part of being human and the sometimes beautiful, sometimes messy, sometimes extraordinary art that it is.

Realistically though, your panic attacks won’t disappear overnight,  and your General Anxiety Disorder won’t cease to exist for the rest of your life.Furthermore, long term anxiety causes the body to be in a state of chronic stress.Stress is the anti-christ to those of us looking to reclaim our physical and mental health.This can take a serious toll on your adrenal glands and adrenal fatigue is a vicious cycle you don’t want to end up in.