Anxiety…how to manage it.
What is anxiety, why do we have it & what can we do about it?
Anxiety is a normal response to stressful situations & can make you feel nervous, panicky & fearful. In Australia, anxiety is a prevalent mental health concern with more than 1 in 6 of us experiencing it for longer than a 12 month period. You might not be surprised to learn that women are more likely than men to experience an anxiety disorder and that 16 to 24 year olds are at the highest risk, with almost 1 in 3 reporting anxiety that lasts 12 months.
types of anxiety disorders
There are several different types of common anxiety disorders such as generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), social phobia & panic disorder. Anxiety can significantly impact our mental & physical health & have a huge effect on quality of life. Anyone who’s had a panic attack knows how frightening & embarrassing it can be & for anyone with social phobia life can become almost unbearable at times.
anxiety & women
Throughout our lives we are subject to fluctuating hormones (go back & read my menopause blog for more info about this) & we know this can have a big impact on our mood. We, as women, are often experiencing societal pressures & expectations which are difficult to manage & research has shown that women are more likely to ruminate & worry than men.
Traumatic & stressful life events can increase the risk of developing anxiety, with research indicating that childhood sexual abuse occurs twice as often to girls as boys. We also know that girls more often than boys experience multiple forms of abuse, neglect or household dysfunction & anxiety disorders are more prevalent in women.
In adulthood women experience sexual assault at 10 times the rate of men & women are often more physiologically reactive to stressors which may contribute to anxiety disorders & the physical symptoms that accompany them.
We’ll now look more closely at the three main types of anxiety disorders & what you might be able to do about them.
what is gad?
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterised by constant, nonspecific, difficult-to-control worry.
You may find yourself anticipating the worst case scenario, feeling agitated, struggling to focus & remember things, feeing tense in all your muscles & having headaches or experiencing disturbed sleep.
GAD often begins in childhood or during your teens & can be diagnosed when your worrying happens on most days for at least 6 months.
If it begins to prevent your from participating in your usual routine of life, it might be time to seek help.
Anxiety is a natural part of life, not something that can be completely cured, however there are treatment options available.
gad treatment options.
Education: learn about why you worry & how the worry effects you.
Recognition: the first step to change is recognition & identifying unhelpful thinking patterns can help to shift things in a more positive direction.
Behaviours: identifying how behaviour changes can help, means that you can put into place practical steps which lead to long term solutions.
Facing fears: gradually working up to dealing with those situations which cause you the most anxiety, by changing behaviour slowly, can make long term changes more realistic & sustainable.
Talk to a therapist: I can support you as you navigate your way through anxiety. We work together to build healthy habits, practice mindfulness & find ways to reduce symptoms of anxiety.
what is social phobia?
Also know as social anxiety disorder.
A condition characterised by an intense & persistent fear of social situations.
A fear of being judged or scrutinised by others.
Can manifest in physical symptoms such as sweating, trembling & a racing heart.
There are many situations, which can be a trigger for social phobia. Things like going to new places, attending social gatherings, meeting new people and eating or drinking in public can be overwhelming & have a negative impact on a person’s life.
social phobia treatment options.
Talk therapy: is the first line treatment for social anxiety disorders.
Behaviours: therapy works to identify thinking patterns which are unhelpful & give you tools to help you change.
Understanding: you can learn about why your symptoms occur & gain knowledge about how to manage them.
Medications: in some cases antidepressants may be prescribed, however psychological therapies are the most effective treatments.
Talk to a therapist: I can help you identify unhelpful patterns, understand why they occur & work with you to find new ways of coping.
Relaxation: I can guide you in techniques which support you to relax, set small goals & overcome overwhelm.
What is panic disorder?
Attacks of anxiety & overwhelming fear that last several minutes.
Occur unpredictably with no apparent trigger.
May feel like a loss of control & occur frequently.
Begins late teens/early adulthood & is more common in women.
Can manifest as sweating, chills, trembling, weakness, difficulty breathing, nausea, racing heart & chest pain.
Panic disorder sometimes runs in families & researchers think that panic attacks are a ‘false alarm’ in which our body’s survival instincts are too active too often. Sometimes a person experiencing panic attacks for no discernible reason might think they are having a heart attack which may lead to more panic attacks & this sets up a vicious cycle.
panic disorder treatment options.
Psychotherapy: talk therapy, preferably CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy).
Identifying: unhelpful thoughts once identified can be changed.
Exploration: by exploring the connection between thoughts, feelings & behaviours you gain understanding of why you experience panic attacks.
Coping: find strategies for managing difficult situations & put practical safeguards into place.
Goals: setting realistic goals & developing plans helps to make positive change.
Talk therapy: together we can identify, understand, develop coping strategies & set SMART goals which move you into a more helpful space, better able to cope with & overcome panic.
You don’t need to struggle alone. Reach out to one of the resources below if you need emergency support. Anxiety can be overcome, it takes work but it is possible. I have worked with lots of clients to help them manage their anxiety & I can help you too.