About 19% of people in the U.S. have had an anxiety disorder in the last year and 31% will have one in their lifetime (National Institute of Mental Health). One out of every five people you know is suffering from some kind of anxiety disorder. You might be that one.
Some anxiety is normal. We get nervous about a new job, a date, an event, or anything that sparks that sense that something could go wrong. Things go from normal to debilitating when your anxiety starts taking over your life. Your “Fight, Flight, or Freeze” instincts are for bear attacks, not for choosing breakfast.
Read on to understand more about what it’s like to suffer an anxiety disorder and how you can manage things if you’re that 1 in 5.
1. ANXIETY CAN BE PHYSICALLY UNCOMFORTABLE AND PAINFUL.
Anxiety can feel constricting like you’re being held in place, trapped by something you can’t see that always surrounds you. It can feel like you’re being separated from other people, from the things you love, and from life in general. Your chest might feel tight like there’s a boulder sitting on you that makes it hard to breathe.
Chest pain. Nausea. Stomach pain. Dizziness. Racing pulse. Tired and wired at the same time.
Imagine trying to function when you feel terrible almost constantly.
2. ANXIETY CAN MAKE EVEN SIMPLE TASKS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE.
Imagine having a panic attack when choosing between oatmeal and a muffin for breakfast. You start worrying that one choice is perfect and the other is disastrous. What if you pick the oatmeal but then you run out and someone else desperately needs that oatmeal and it’s the difference between your kids going to college or not?!
That’s the kind of thought spiral that anxiety brings on. Everything either is or has the potential to be a crisis of life-threatening proportions.
3. ANXIETY CAN RUIN SLEEP, WHICH STRENGTHENS ANXIETY.
When you’re doubting yourself, struggling to maintain relationships, and having regular panic attacks, a good night’s sleep can work wonders. Unfortunately, anxiety doesn’t sleep and it doesn’t seem to want you to sleep either. It’s common for people with anxiety to stay up at night overthinking, ruminating on decisions, and generally thinking in ever worsening circles. Panic attacks at night are distressingly common. This lack of sleep worsens anxiety during the day, which makes it harder to sleep at night, and that worsens anxiety during the day, which…[vicious cycle continues].
4. ANXIETY CAN DAMAGE OR RUIN RELATIONSHIPS.
People without anxiety (good for them, seriously) don’t always get what it means to be someone with anxiety. They see things from the outside – the panic attacks, the constant indecision, the persistent worry – and have a hard time understanding that you’re not doing it on purpose.
Yes, you would love to pick the oatmeal, have breakfast, and not worry that you’ve ruined your future with that choice. You desperately want to just have the muffin and buy more if you run out because it won’t lead to losing your job if you run out of muffins!
It’s not a matter of want; it’s a matter of cannot. Not everyone gets that someone with anxiety cannot do things that simply; the anxiety won’t let them.
5. ANXIETY CAN BE ISOLATING.
When you spend your time worrying about everything, lamenting every decision, overanalyzing every interaction, catastrophizing every misstep, and second-guessing every interaction with another person…it can be hard on your relationships. People with anxiety, especially in more severe cases, have trouble maintaining friendships, romantic relationships, and professional decorum. It has the potential to be one of the most isolating disorders a person can suffer.
Managing Anxiety Disorder
The good news is, anxiety doesn’t have to be forever. Here are some quick tips to manage symptoms and get further help.
TIP 1. EDUCATE YOURSELF
Read blogs and articles about managing your symptoms – check! You’re here and you’re doing great! But keep going. There are thousands of resources for every kind of anxiety, most (if not every) symptom, and every complication it throws your way. The more you know, the better you can react when anxiety rears its ugly head.
TIP 2. REACT IN THE MOMENT
There are as many ways to reduce or stop anxiety when it pops up as there are people suffering from it. The trick is to find what works for you to alleviate those feelings when necessary. Some examples of interrupting behaviors are deep breathing, positive affirmations, and reframing. What works for you is what is important.
TIP 3. FIND THE MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM
When anxiety happens, addressing the feelings is a critical step in reducing the symptoms short- and long-term. Identify what you experience, what triggered it, when it’s typically triggered, and if you can, why you think it’s a trigger (this can be helpful in therapy, especially, but you can’t always identify the why and that’s okay).
Knowing everything you can about where your anxiety comes from can help you plan, address, and manage it more effectively. Speaking of which…
TIP 4. MAKE A PLAN
Understanding a problem often leads to solutions for that problem. Anxiety is a disorder, a disease, and every disease can be treated to some extent. Knowing what your triggers are, how you can effectively cope in the moment, and how you can reduce your symptoms overall is a solid combination of planning activities. Having a plan and sticking to it is a tried and true method for most people to manage anxiety disorders.
Yes, this is a hard step for someone who already worries about (almost) everything or who has a lot of trigger responses. Planning might be a trigger for you. In that case, your best bet is to seek help from a professional therapist.
TIP 5. GET HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT
Anxiety disorders are not the normal way our brains are meant to act. When things get too bad and you’re suffering, you don’t have to do it alone or in silence. A qualified mental health professional (like the therapists at Village Counseling) have the training and experience necessary to help. Even the most severe cases can get better with targeted treatment and a good plan. It will be work but it will be worth it.
If you or a loved one are suffering from anxiety, make an appointment with a counselor today. Tell them what you feel and think, and let them help you forward. Best case scenario? You’re okay and now you know. Worst case? You’re not fine and now you have help.