“Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength”- Charles Spurgeon.
Anxiety is a condition of intense fear and discomfort that is often accompanied by unexpected panic attacks. According to Scott Bea, PsyD, “Anxiety is really a reaction in our body and brain that can be a feeling of worry, apprehension, sometimes excitement in anticipation of an event or in the face of uncertainties.” Anxiety Attack help is widely available now. The attacks are a lot like being drunk in some ways, you lose self-control and cry for seemingly no reason. Anxiety attacks develop due to some sudden unexpected fearsome incident over a short span of 10-15 minutes.
Symptoms of the attacks
- Shivering of hands and legs followed by excessive sweating, palpitation.
- Feeling shortness of breath along with a slight chest pain(might even result in a heart attack).
- Nausea along with dizziness. “You can get stomach pain or digestive problems [with anxiety] because the body reduces digestive functioning,” according to licensed clinical psychologist Aimee Daramus, PsyD.
- Feeling a total lack of sensation in the entire body along with a tingling effect.
- Too much anxiety might also result in hypoglycemia and hyperthyroidism. Generalized anxiety disorder is a condition which develops over a certain period of time due to some shocking and violent incident. This also has certain symptoms like
- The inability to concentrate; a feeling of restlessness and temporary loss of energy and strength.
- Violent and uncontrollable anger with frequent peevishness.
- Inability to sleep along with a problem in the metabolic system.
Controlling Anxiety Attacks
- Make a way out plan – Often, people are stuck in situations that might trigger anxiety, but having an exit plan in order to get out of the situation can help the mind keep its control. “Find a safe place to be – the floor, your bed, the bathroom – and if possible, go there. If you are in public, find a place to sit or lie down.”, suggests Alicia H. Clark, PsyD.
- Have someone you can always talk to – Patients suffering from anxiety should always get in-touch with a person on whom they can rely and can vent out their feelings. Sometimes talking with a person who guides you towards the positive side of everything can help lower anxiety levels.
- Cry (if needed) – Sometimes, crying and throwing out the pent up heavy emotions relieve us a quite a bit. Just go to your room and simply let out your emotions, this helps lighten your heart.
- Keep a handy ataractic drug – If one feels that even after practicing certain natural ways to reduce anxiety, it may accidentally hit them and they might lose control of the situation, they can keep an ataractic drug or a tranquilizer with them. But make sure to resist it as much possible.
- Go for a walk and exercise – A 10-15 minutes walk in some natural environment along with an hour of some free hand exercises can act as a stress reliever. Exercising regularly (or for at least 3-4 times a week) can help a person become less prone to anxiety attacks.
- Tratak meditation – This type of meditation includes a person (suffering from anxiety) to stare at oneself in the mirror for some time. It is proven to return the person his self-belief and confidence. This should be done when one is patient enough to help himself resist anxiety.
- Laughing – Having a good hearty laugh can calm your nerves and make your mood light (try watching funny videos or reading comics ).
- Get plenty of sleep and restrain from alcoholic drinks – getting a good amount of sleep releases the tension; resistance from alcoholic drinks, smoking, etc helps reduce anxiety.
Conquering anxiety takes time indeed, but if the right therapy is applied in dealing with these cases, it can be cured. It all depends on the resiliency of the person. As said by Shelley “life is not how it’s supposed to be. It is the way it is. The way you cope up with it is what makes the difference.”