Anxiety Treatment

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a very common complaint – it is a state of uneasiness or fear, either real or imagined, resulting from the thought of a threatening event or situation

Prolonged anxiety can disrupt work, relationships and sleep.

We can understand anxiety better by looking both at what it is and what it is not. When we are afraid our fear is usually directed towards some external situation. We might fear going to the dentist, being unable to pay the bills, being accepted by someone we like.

There are other times when we experience anxiety, when we cannot actually specify what it is we are anxious about – it seems more internal than external, a response to a vague or unrecognised threat, we might be anxious about losing control of ourselves, or of some situation, or feel anxious about something nasty happening.

We all experience these feelings sometimes. They are normal emotions that can be appropriate and even beneficial under certain circumstances.

Causes

Anxiety may be a symptom of depression, or alcohol dependence. It can be caused by taking substances such as ecstasy LSD amphetamines, cannabis, or by withdrawal from long term drugs .

Anxiety can be due to significant personal loss, life change, or childhood circumstances.

There are times when anxiety can be associated with a physical illness, or depression and it is important to see your GP for a diagnosis.

Some people are more prone to anxiety inheriting this through their genes.

Sometimes the cause is known and when the problem disappears so does the anxiety, and at other times the circumstances are so upsetting that the anxiety goes on long after the event

Some people feel anxious before a driving test, a presentation, going to the dentist, or into hospital.

There are many different causes.

Some of the Symptoms of Anxiety

• Upset stomach
• Diarrhoea
• Dry mouth
• Palpitations
• Feeling sick wanting to vomit
• Shortness of breath
• Dizzy feeling
• Feeling of a lump in the throat, difficult to swallow
• Shaking and trembling
• Tense muscles
• Tingling in the hands and feet
• Cold or sweaty hands
• Problems sleeping
• Fear of losing control
• Fear of going crazy
• Fear of dying
• Fear of a heart attack

If anxiety becomes more strongly marked it can show itself in different ways – we may have trouble falling asleep, think about a particular situation and find it difficult to think of anything else, feel tense, restless, have trouble concentrating. Some of us overeat or lose our appetite, have a feeling of disaster. All these symptoms can be very disabling and have great effect on our friends and family and our ability to work.

Anxiety problems are self-perpetuating with the overuse of flight/fight, negative thoughts, and avoidance strategies.

An example: Michael was terrified of going to the dentist, he booked an appointment, and the night before he start to think about the terrible things that might happen, what if he cannot control himself and faints, and he then experiences a considerable amount of anxious negative thoughts and physical symptoms, the more anxious he gets, the more catastrophic he thinks, until he can’t stand it any more and cancels the appointment. This brought about an immediate reduction of anxiety, and therefore, the next time Michael makes an appointment with the dentist, he will not only be likely to think even worse thoughts, but will experience more anxiety, he will also be strongly compelled again to cancel the appointment – and then he will be stuck in an anxiety avoidance cycle that is difficult to get out of.

It is important to realise that there are many situations that come up in everyday life in which it is appropriate and reasonable to react with some anxiety. If you didn’t feel any anxiety in response to everyday challenges involving potential loss or failure, something would be wrong. Anxiety disorders are distinguished from everyday, normal anxiety, in that they involve anxiety that is

• More intense, for example a panic attack
• Last longer – anxiety that may persist for months instead of going away after a stressful situation has passed, or
• Leads to phobias that interfere with your life.

Some of the various anxiety disorders are

• Panic disorder
• Phobias
• Agoraphobia
• Social phobia
• Obsessive compulsive disorder
• Post traumatic stress disorder
• Acute stress disorder
• Generalised anxiety disorder
• Substance induced anxiety disorder

Treatment of Anxiety

Medication

Tranquilisers, such as benzodiazepine tablets can help to relieve some short term stress related anxiety

Antidepressants can also treat certain anxiety disorders, such as generalised anxiety disorder, social phobia, OCD and anxiety associated with depression.

Some doctors may prescribe beta blockers. These relieve many of the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as palpitations and shaking are are helpful for some people.

Relaxation

You can improve your symptoms by using relaxation techniques, exercise, or by talking to other people in support groups. Yoga.

Counselling

This will involve talking through your problem with a counsellor who can help you focus on what it is you want to do and you you can achieve your goal.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Is a form of psychotherapy carried out by a trained therapist – it involves assessing the reasoning behind your thinking and based on the idea that abnormal thinking results in abnormal reactions, it aims to change your behaviour, and is very successful in many anxieties.

Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy, combining Cognitive behavioural therapy, is also very successful in many anxiety states. It also aims to change the way you think, the way you behave and the way you feel.

• Learning breathing techniques
• Muscle relaxation
• Learning new ways to change old thinking patterns.
• Slowing down
• Stopping automatic negative thoughts
• Positive self statements
• Changing behaviour
• Building a strong foundation of cognitive and emotional skills.
• Relaxation and de-stress strategy

The more your brain is relaxed, the easier therapeutic information can get in and be processed, as peace and calmness become stronger, It tends to crowd out the anxiety. That is why hypnotherapy is beneficial, it builds on the opposite to anxiety it builds on relaxation and confidence, changes your pattern of thinking so you can take positive action.

If you are anxious about driving tests, hospitals, presentations, dentists, pre-exam nerves or have an anxiety disorder, you can make an appointment with:

Lyta Humphris on Plymouth 01752 788321 or e-mail lhumphris@aol.com for an appointment or a Personal CD on Anxiety now.

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