Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress. It’s a feeling of fear or apprehension about what’s to come. Ordinary anxiety is a feeling that comes and goes, but does not interfere with your everyday life. But if your feelings of anxiety are extreme, last for longer than 3 months, and are interfering with your life, you may have an anxiety disorder.
How do I know if my anxiety is extreme? Symptoms of general anxiety include:
- increased heart rate
- rapid breathing
- restlessness
- trouble concentrating
- difficulty falling asleep
Your anxiety symptoms might be totally different from someone else’s. That’s why it’s important to know all the ways anxiety can present itself simply by observing the way you react to things and how you feel about things in general.
What Can I Do About It?
Lifestyle changes can be an effective way to relieve some of the stress and anxiety you may cope with every day. Most of the natural “remedies” consist of caring for your body, participating in healthy activities, and eliminating unhealthy ones.
These include:
- getting enough sleep
- meditating
- staying active and exercising
- eating a healthy diet
- staying active and working out
- avoiding alcohol
- avoiding caffeine
Treatment for anxiety falls into two categories: psychotherapy and medication. Meeting with a therapist or psychologist can help you learn tools to use and strategies to cope with anxiety when it occurs. Medications typically used to treat anxiety include antidepressants and sedatives. They work to balance brain chemistry, prevent episodes of anxiety, and ward off the most severe symptoms of the disorder.
It’s important to understand that anxiety disorders can be treated, even in severe cases. Although, anxiety usually doesn’t go away, you can learn to manage it and live a happy, healthy life.
Post Credit: healthline