What is Anxiety and How Can We Manage It?

Anxiety is a condition most of us face at some point in our lives. Anxiety is not always clinical. It can be situational, or chronic and persistent. In the fast-paced world we live in, it is common to feel anxious if we believe that we are not measuring up to standards (of ourselves, others, or society as a whole), if we are feeling tired and overwhelmed, or if our stress and worry have escalated. However, persistent or chronic anxiety can prevent us from enjoying life and living up to our full potential. It can create an underlying uneasiness or dissatisfaction.

What is Anxiety?

Generally speaking, when we feel uncertain or fearful regarding a particular occurrence, possible future event(s), or anything related to us, it is known as anxiety. Anxiety can cause racing thoughts, stomach- and headaches, muscle tension, fatigue, poor sleep and irritability. Anxiety can range from mild to severe.

Mild anxiety can often be managed by a person when they take a break from their routine, talk to a friend, get some rest, or engage in self-care. People usually get mildly anxious during stressful times such as preparing for a big deadline, experiencing a major life transition (going away to college or starting a new job) or when meeting someone new or important (going on a date with someone new). Mild anxiety will normally subside when the situation(s) causing the anxious feelings is resolved.

People who experience moderate anxiety usually have recurring symptoms that surface during their daily routine as well. They may be in a state of anxiety or worry most of the time, but many people with moderate anxiety are able to control their symptoms through self-help and lifestyle changes.

Severe anxiety may often lead to a clinical condition that sometimes requires professional help, such as psychotherapy or medication. People with severe anxiety find it extremely difficult to relax and constantly worry about many things at any given time. However, severe anxiety may also be situational and may occur in certain situations (social activities) or in response to experiences (flying) and result in a panic response.

What are the Common Symptoms of Anxiety?

Anxiety manifests in many ways, both physical and emotional, however most types of anxiety have certain common symptoms. The most experienced symptoms of anxiety include:

• Agitation
• Excessive worry
• Fatigue
• Poor concentration
• Irritability
• Fatigue or lethargy
• Restlessness
• Sleep difficulty – unable to sleep restfully, difficulty going to sleep, difficulty staying asleep and/or waking early or multiple times in the night
• Muscle tension or aches
• Panic Attacks
• Fears about things that are inconsequential or harmless
• A tendency to avoid being social

What Causes Anxiety?

A person who experiences anxiety may have it rooted in one or a few of the following causes:

• Hyperactivity in regions of the brain that are concerned with emotions
• Imbalance of brain chemicals Serotonin and Noradrenaline, both of which are hormones that are concerned with determining our mood and emotions
• Singular or multiple traumatic life experiences
• Genetics – if a parent or a close relative in the family has anxiety, you may be predisposed to develop it.
• Long-term chronic illnesses and worries about health/quality of life
• Other psychological conditions such as PTSD, ADHD, and depression are often co-occurring
• Substance misuse/abuse

What are the Different Types of  Anxiety?

There are different types of anxiety disorders, common types include the following:

• Panic – People with panic disorder often experience moments of intense anxiety and fear. These feelings peak within minutes or even seconds and symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, and palpitations begin to manifest. This is known as a panic attack and the alarming symptoms often cause the person to go to the emergency room as well.
• Agoraphobia – People who suffer from this disorder often experience a feeling of helplessness and embarrassment in certain places or during certain situations, such as using public transport or being in large crowds.
• Generalized Anxiety – Manifests in the form of almost constant worry or fear regarding different things which may include health, money, work, family, etc. People experiencing this type of anxiety find it extremely difficult to stop worrying.
• Separation Anxiety – With this anxiety, people are often worried about being separated from their home or from people to whom they have become emotionally attached.
• Social Anxiety – With this type of anxiety, people are at intense unease in social situations. These people find it difficult to talk to people and attend social gatherings. There is often a fear of being scrutinized as well.
• Phobias – A phobia is a fear of a specific object or situation. Individuals with phobias will often react with anxiety and panic when faced with the object of their phobia.
• Obsession and Compulsion – This type of anxiety causes persistent, unwanted, and uncontrollable thoughts (obsession) or repetitive behaviors or acts (compulsions). The repetitive behaviors are performed to get rid of the unwanted thoughts. These obsessions and compulsions are time consuming and interfere with the everyday activities of life.
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder – Anxiety that occurs after experiencing a traumatic situation, such as disaster, rape, abuse, war, an accident, or any situation that causes you to feel physically or emotionally unsafe. These experiences can occur in childhood or adulthood and may include a re-experiencing of the trauma physically or emotionally, and/or avoiding things related to or reminders of the experience. It can cause feelings of dread, fear, avoidance, irritability, hypervigilance, and distrust.

What Are Effective Methods of Treating Anxiety?

Thankfully, there are quite a few ways to manage anxiety and its symptoms. In a way, we are lucky to be alive in an era where there are numerous strategies for managing anxiety and stores of information available about anxiety and awareness about it. Some of the most common methods include:

Natural Remedies

If the symptoms of anxiety are mild, certain natural remedies can help in soothing the symptoms of anxiety immediately. These remedies may include the following:

• Drinking chamomile tea
• Eating chocolate
• Avoiding caffeine, since it can severely aggravate anxiety
• Getting a massage or going for a spa-day
• Talking to a friend

Lifestyle Changes

For everyday stress and worry, lifestyle changes may be helpful. Anxiety might subside if people went on vacation and took a break from their routine, or if they started eating better or working out. Keep in mind that implementing positive lifestyle changes is amazing but may not help moderate or severe anxiety. If this is what you need, we can help you with tailoring lifestyle changes for you. We also know that lifestyle changes may not be feasible or look the same for everyone, and we will support you in finding what works best for your lifestyle!

Psychotherapy

Perhaps the most sought-after treatment for anxiety is psychotherapy. We have accomplished therapists in our practice who provide psychotherapy in our office and online to help you. Online or virtual therapy may be especially helpful for people with social anxiety, and for people who generally feel anxious outside the comfort of their homes. Our therapists are qualified practitioners who have experience dealing with many complex mental health issues, including anxiety. We can help our clients to bring about changes in their life through supportive and intentional care, including teaching anxiety-reducing techniques such as grounding and breathing exercises, homework, and breaking unhelpful thought and behavior patterns.

Medication

People who have severe anxiety may need the help of a physician or psychiatrist in addition to psychotherapy to help them cope with anxiety. The physician or psychiatrist often prescribes medication that further helps with the management of symptoms of anxiety. Medication can have severe side effects, which should be considered before committing to such a treatment and should be continually monitored. If medication is determined to be needed after meeting with one of our psychotherapists, we can help you locate a psychiatrist to meet your needs.

Help for managing anxiety is available, and we can easily help you find the help that you need to manage the symptoms of anxiety effectively. Contact our office today at 678-205-0838 to schedule an appointment or a free 15-minute consultation. We provide therapy for anxiety in our office or online.

What is Depression and What Can We Do About it

Most people today are aware of the term depression. Many of us may use it nonchalantly on occasions that are of little inconvenience to us, such as breakups and the end of our favorite TV show. Depression goes much deeper than that and it profoundly affects the lives of the people who are experiencing it and those of their loved ones.

What is Depression?

Depression is classified as a mood disorder; it is a psychological condition that causes people to feel sad, helpless, hopeless, and worthless. People who suffer from depression often end up losing interest in their lives and their daily activities as well. If depression is not appropriately managed or treated, it can last for years, and the symptoms can escalate over time.

Even though it is a mood disorder, depression also affects the immune system and can aggravate the symptoms of other illnesses such as obesity, cancer, chronic pain, and heart disease.

What are the Causes of Depression?

There is no single cause of depression. It can stem from any number of factors from genetics to neurological causes to life experiences. A common explanation for the cause of depression is “chemical imbalances in the brain”. Although this is true, it is only a portion of the complexity of depression. Despite the complexity of the causes of depression, there are also some general causes that can lead to an individual experiencing depression:

• Genetics – People who have a family history of depression can often develop it themselves. This may be due to the genes themselves or a person may become depressed if they are constantly surrounded by other people who are depressed in the family.
• Traumatic Events – Traumatic events such as being the victim of a crime or an accident that leaves you with lifelong consequences can all be a cause of depression.
• Abuse – People who have been abused physically, emotionally, or sexually at any point in their lives are highly likely to suffer from depression during and after the abuse.
• Grief and Loss – The loss of a child, a loved one, or a pet can often plunge people into depression when they are grieving.
• Illnesses – Debilitating illnesses such as chronic diseases / pain or disabilities are a major cause of depression in many people.
• Medication – Medications such as Corticosteroids can disrupt the delicate chemical balance in the body and lead to depression.
• Age – As people grow older, the possibility of becoming depressed increase. This usually results from loneliness, isolation, and an inability to perform daily tasks the way they did when younger.
• Conflicts – Personal conflicts within family members and loved ones can cause depression. These may often turn into abuse or cause people to become isolated which can escalate the depression.

What Are Common Symptoms of Depression?

There are many symptoms that people living with depression experience on a day-to-day basis. These include the following:

• Mood swings, which can range from irritability to aggressiveness, anxiety, and restlessness
• General feeling of worthlessness and hopelessness
• Disinterest in sexual activities
• Difficulty concentrating during work or conversations, talking slowly and inaudibly, not doing well in school
• Insomnia or excessive sleep or disturbances in sleep throughout the night
• Anxiety
• Loss of interest and motivation to do activities previously enjoyed
• Suicidal thoughts or attempts
• Lack of appetite
• Substance misuse/abuse
• Excessive menstrual cramps, headaches
• Significant weight loss or weight gain
• Fatigue and a lack of energy
• Digestive issues

What Can we do to Manage and Treat Depression?

The good news is that depression is treatable and manageable. There are many ways to treat depression. It is all about finding what works for you and the best-case scenario would be for you to…

Consult a Therapist

While self-help is effective with decreasing some depression or alleviating the symptoms, consulting a professional psychotherapist can expedite the process and help you manage your depression quicker. The help a qualified psychotherapist can help you feel more confident in your treatment options. A psychotherapist can help you out in the following ways:

Understand Your Condition

Depression manifests differently in everyone who experiences it, so treatment for depression must be just as unique as the person experiencing it. A psychotherapist can help develop a treatment plan customized to address your specific symptoms and lifestyle.

Figure Out the Cause

As we have already mentioned, there is no single cause of depression. Similarly to the symptoms of depression, the cause of depression varies from person to person. We often see people who seemingly have everything they want experiencing this condition, which can escalate the depression as they feel guilty for experiencing it without an apparent reason.

A psychotherapist can help uncover the cause of the depression, which makes creating a treatment plan and managing symptoms somewhat easier.

• Interpersonal Therapy (IPT): This therapy is known to help people suffering from depression nourish their relationships with other people, especially their loved ones. Since isolation can worsen depression as well, building social relationships and networks and navigating life with the help of other people can help the individual see their lives more positively.
• Stress Management: The psychotherapist will try to teach the individual new life skills and explore talents that can help them cope with life more healthily. Since stress is a huge part of depression, learning how to manage it can help in relieving it as well.

A psychotherapist can be an effective option a person can have if they wish to overcome depression and live a happier, healthier life.