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How to Cope with Anxiety: 11 Simple Ways and When to See a Doctor
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps people learn different ways of thinking about and reacting to anxiety-causing situations. A therapist can help you develop ways to change negative thought patterns and behaviors before they spiral.
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SIMILAR ARTICLES & IDEAS:
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Key Ideas
Normal And Clinical Anxiety
Short-lived episodes of anxiety are normal and can actually enhance productivity. But if they last beyond truly stressful moments and seep into everyday situations, they can be a clinical problem.
Too much anxiety can affect your relationships, your work, and even your health. So it’s important to know how to differentiate between healthy anxiety and a potential anxiety disorder, and what to do if you see your anxiety getting out of control.
Risk Factors For Anxiety
- Being female (women are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety than are men
- Caving into societal pressures to be ‘nice’ or be a high achiever
- Being a perfectionist
- High reluctance to share feelings
- Childhood trauma
- Cumulative stress
- Genetic predisposition
Tips For Treating Anxiety
- Visit your primary care doctor. Your symptoms may be from another condition with similar symptoms.
- Ensure your chosen mental health professional is well versed in cognitive behavioral therapy, which involves the active restructuring of anxious thoughts and behaviors.
- Consider skipping the caffeine and other stimulants that may exacerbate anxiety.
- Exercise. Research indicates that routine exercise wards off the development of panic-related disorders.
- Remind yourself that it’s okay to be anxious—in fact, the more demand you put on yourself to not be anxious, the more stressed you become.
- Recognize, identify and cope with your anxiety to stay in control.
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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is a mental health disorder that begins after a traumatic event. Events may include:
- A natural disaster like a tornado
- Military combat
- Assault or abuse
- An accident
PSTD is also known as "shell shock" or "battle fatigue." People with PSTD feel a heightened sense of danger. They are always in the fight-or-flight response mode, causing them to feel stressed or fearful, even in safe situations.
PTSD symptoms
Words, sounds, or situations that remind you of trauma can trigger your symptoms. Symptom categories:
- Intrusion: Flashbacks, where you relive the event. Clear, unpleasant memories or nightmares about the incident and intense distress when you think about the event.
- Avoidance: Avoiding people, places, or situations that remind you of the event.
- Arousal and reactivity: Trouble concentrating, easily startled, feeling of being on edge, irritability, moments of anger.
- Cognition and mood: Negative thoughts, feelings of guilt, worry, blame, trouble remembering parts of the event, reduced interest in activities you enjoyed.
PTSD treatment
If you're diagnosed with PTSD, you will likely be prescribed therapy, medication, or both.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or "talk therapy" helps you to process the traumatic event.
- Exposure therapy lets you re-experience elements of the trauma in a safe environment. It desensitizes you to the event and lessens your symptoms.
- Antidepressants, anti-anxiety drug**s, and sleep aids** may help relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety.
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Key Ideas
Slow down
Try not to react immediately, but be patient and gather as much information as possible.
If the problem will not matter a year from now, distance yourself somewhat from the situation to gain perspective.
Stay positive
When you are in a stressful situation, do not allow your mind to imagine the worst-case scenario.
Focus your mind on something positive.
Never ask “what if?”
The "what if" line of questioning induces panic and lets you focus on imagined situations that escalate the problem.
Focus on the facts and work on a solution.