Handling an anxiety disorder can be much easier when you take it one symptom at a time. For many people, learning how to deal with the individual symptoms of anxiety and panic disorders can make living with these disorders much easier. Here, we will look at ways that you can deal with some of the most troublesome symptoms of anxiety disorders.
Stopping Worry
worried woman
One of the biggest problems that come with anxiety is a constant state of worry. Sometimes you are worried about upcoming events, sometimes it may be about health, and sometimes you may even worry about why you worry so much. No matter what the reason, however, worrying rarely solves anything. Instead, it only serves to increase your anxiety and panic symptoms. So, what can you do about it?
If you are able to catch your worry as soon as the thoughts begin, the solution may be as simple as taking the time to look at things objectively. Ask yourself what benefit can come from continuing to worry about the situation or thing. Ask yourself whether any improvement will come from worrying or whether any damage could arise if you stop worrying about that particular thing. If there is no immediate or long-term benefit to worrying, then it is not worth your time. With a bit of practice being mindful, you can realize that this worry is pointless or groundless, focus on the here and now, and put it out of your head.
Another important part of stopping worry is to counter some of the beliefs that many of us hold. As we get older, we start to believe that when there are things in our future that could possibly be negative, we do not deserve to be or simply should not be happy in the present. This is of course completely untrue, but convincing ourselves of this can take some work. Practice saying positive affirmations each day to remind yourself that you deserve to be happy. You might be surprised at how helpful this can be in enabling you to break the cycle of worry.
If you simply cannot seem to stop worrying about a specific event or thing, try a different strategy. Make a list of all of the possible outcomes and make a plan for each outcome. Be as detailed as possible. Determine what you will do in the event of each possible outcome. When you have a solid plan in place no matter what happens, you will find that oftentimes, there is nothing left to worry about.
Alleviating Morning Anxiety
For many anxiety and panic disorder patients, the time of day when anxiety is at its worst or is the hardest to manage is first thing in the morning. Many people seem to dread waking up. From the moment the alarm clock goes off, they experience a sensation of a pounding heartbeat, shortness of breath, or other anxiety symptoms as well as headaches, irritability, and more. The good news is that there are things that you can do to help stop early morning anxiety.
One technique that can make a remarkable difference in morning anxiety is to change your sleeping habits. Try going to bed at the same time every night whether you are tired or not. Before long, your body will be on a schedule. Keeping a regular sleep schedule can help you get more restful sleep and more sleep in general, which is key to warding off anxiety symptoms. If need be, consider taking a melatonin supplement to help you safely fall asleep without the risk of side effects. Ensure that you do not drink any caffeine for at least eight hours before going to bed and keep the television, radio, and computer turned off while you are sleeping as they can disrupt your brain waves and keep you from resting. If the silence makes sleeping difficult or if you can hear outside noises, consider a white noise machine or a CD that plays nature sounds.
If changing your sleep habits doesn’t work, consider changing your waking habits. Instead of waking to an alarm clock that jolts you out of bed with a sudden, high pitched, loud sound, consider waking to a favorite CD. Make a CD of songs that you enjoy that leave you feeling calm or set your alarm to wake you to a radio station that plays soothing music. You might just be surprised what a difference not being jolted awake by an alarm can make.
If you wake feeling anxious because you have so much to do, setting an earlier bedtime for yourself and waking a bit earlier can work wonders. Even going to bed fifteen minutes sooner and giving yourself fifteen more minutes for your morning routine can often make a huge difference. Nobody wants to be rushed in the morning, and it can create major anxiety.
Eating a high protein snack right before bed can be a good idea. While it is typically advised not to eat large meals at bedtime, a snack bar or a piece of fruit can be a great option. Anxiety is often exacerbated by low blood sugar, and blood sugar levels can drop significantly while we are sleeping. Eating a snack at bedtime can help keep blood sugar levels elevated while you rest, resulting in decreased anxiety the next day.
You may also wish to consider starting and ending each day with positive affirmations or relaxation exercises. Relaxation just before bed can help release tension in your muscles that will lead to a deeper level of sleep and rest, while doing these exercises upon waking can quickly help to dispel any anxiety symptoms. Positive thoughts and affirmations can put you in a better mental state before sleeping, which can also improve the quality of your rest, while repeating them in the morning will help you start the day with a more positive outlook.
Stop Jaw Clenching or Teeth Grinding
Bruxism, or teeth grinding, is another common symptom for people with anxiety and one that can cause severe headaches, TMJ disorder, and dental problems. The problem is that many people don’t even realize that they are clenching or grinding until symptoms start or until someone else hears the sound. The good news is that there are things that can help stop this behavior.
One of the simplest remedies for bruxism is to become mindful of your jaw. Pay attention to your mouth and to your teeth and become aware of when you are starting to feel tension in your jaw. Relaxation techniques or even tightening and releasing the muscles in the face can help alleviate the tension so that you can stop clenching.
If you smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, or drink caffeine, you should make an effort to quit. In addition to adverse health effects, all of these substances contribute to the tension that causes bruxism and clenching. By eliminating these substances, you can reduce the frequency with which this symptom appears.
Chewing a piece of sugarless gum is a very simple and highly effective technique to stop clenching and grinding during the day. When you are chewing gum, your jaw is constantly moving, which means that you are unable to clench. By opting for sugarless gum, you can ensure that you are not doing more damage to your teeth.
Last, if your clenching and grinding is happening while you are asleep, consider wearing a night guard. Many dentists can make these for you by taking a mold of your teeth, or you can even buy a mouth guard designed for athletes and follow the instructions to fit it to your bite. While these may not prevent you from grinding, they can keep your teeth from grinding together, offering some give whenever you clench that prevents tooth damage and keeps you from waking with a severe headache and a tense neck.
Improving Concentration
Difficulty concentrating is common for people with anxiety, and it can have major effects. When you are unable to concentrate, it can affect your performance at work or school, your ability to complete important tasks at home such as cooking, or even your ability to remember things. Improving your concentration is important, and it can even help reduce the anxiety that accompanies diminished performance. There are a few things that you can do to better help your ability to concentrate and focus.
One way that you can help improve your concentration is through meditation. Meditation offers many benefits to people with anxiety. It is a very powerful relaxation technique that can be employed almost anywhere. In addition to promoting a sense of calm and relaxation, it is also designed to help boost focus and concentration. By focusing on your breath or by meditating on a visual target, you can help increase your brain’s ability to maintain focus.
Believe it or not, another great way to improve concentration is to play games. If concentration problems seem to happen to you quite often, try picking up chess or another game that requires you to focus and concentrate in order to win. Sudoku and other number or word puzzles or even a jigsaw puzzle can be great for helping to increase focus while also offering a sense of fun.
Many video games can also be ideal for boosting concentration. Try to find a game that requires you to pay attention to details or to maintain your focus. There are a number of games that can help boost your concentration, and the benefit of many video games is that they also allow you to play along with your kids, your spouse, or your friends, offering the added benefit of social interaction.
Dealing with Dissociation
Dissociation is a common symptom for people with PTSD, though it can accompany other panic and anxiety disorders as well. This is a phenomenon that happens to all of us during certain times in our lives, but for people with anxiety disorders, it can be frightening and it can happen at times when we really need or want to be in control of our faculties, words, and actions.
If you have ever been driving and suddenly realized that you don’t remember the last few seconds or minutes of your drive, you have dissociated. The same if you have ever been on the phone and realized that you have no idea what the other person is talking about. We have different names for it, such as zoning out or tuning out, but it is still the same thing.
For people with PTSD and other anxiety disorders, dissociation develops as a response to significant emotional or physical distress. Our brains disconnect from our bodies so that we do not have to consciously process what is happening. It is a defense or survival mechanism. The problem is that for many people, the symptom continues long after the trauma is over. In fact, it can reappear any time we are emotionally or physically overwhelmed, any time we are reminded of the trauma, or even when we are just exhausted or stressed.
Dealing with dissociation can be hard, especially until you learn some techniques that can help you prevent it. If you know what it feels like before you begin a dissociative episode or if you have learned what triggers you to enter into a dissociative state, there are actually a few things you can do to help keep it from happening. Ideally the goal is to keep yourself in the here and now.
One technique can be to do something to shock yourself into the present. Because many people entering into a dissociative state feel as though they are drifting or floating away, this can be an easy way to bring yourself back into awareness. The idea is to create a sudden or sharp sensation, but not one that will cause you physical harm. Holding an ice cube in the palm of your hand can be an excellent way to achieve this.
Another way to ground yourself firmly back in the present is to say things that have to do with the present moment. Say to yourself, aloud if possible, where you are right now, what today’s date is, and other things that are true in the here and now. Mindfulness exercises can also be helpful, such as verbally noting things that you can see, hear, taste, smell, or feel in the moment. Grounding yourself is an excellent way to help stop dissociation.