Easy And Effective Ways For Coping With Anxiety

Coping with anxiety is often more difficult than we imagine. Physically and mentally demanding lifestyles definitely take a toll on one’s health, and are manifested in the form of extreme anxiety and even panic attacks. Healthy living, positive thinking and constructive changes in one’s daily life practices are a few ways of doing away with unwanted stress and moving towards a more relaxed, hassle-free and enjoyable life.

When facing a panic attack, one is likely to suffer from symptoms such as:

•    Trembling;
•    Dizziness;
•    Numbness of feet and hands;
•    Extreme and unnatural fear, unrelated to a specific cause;
•    Nausea;
•    Sweating, etc.

It is unlikely that one would be able to think rationally or take any carefully planned steps. The easiest way to deal with this, and a commonly practiced exercise, is deep breathing. Often, it is an imbalance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body that leads to an unnatural bodily response to certain situations, in the form of such attacks. Long, deep breaths help correct this imbalance and help the body recover quickly. Hence, it is an extremely useful exercise in dealing with panic and anxiety.

If panic attacks are recurrent, it may be signal of a more serious problem like panic disorder. Cognitive behavioural therapy is a form of psychotherapy commonly used as panic attack treatment. Herein, the patient is made to identify the major causes for the occurrence of these attacks. Once these are identified, the therapist helps the patient understand the extent to which the issues involved, starting with trivial matters and escalating to important ones, have a strong bearing on one’s state of mind. The patient is then taught to deal with these in a positive and healthy manner.

During therapy, the patient may even be exposed to certain negative stimuli to evoke a response. If the stimulus evokes panic in the patient, his reactions are recorded and shared with him later on. Such an exercise helps the patient understand the pattern of his reaction, and measures that could be taken to avoid such a reaction.

Although panic attack medication is normally avoided, other than in extreme cases, relatively safe and mild drugs are now available to treat panic attacks and anxiety. SSRIs or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors are a form of such medication. SSRIs are antidepressants that are most commonly prescribed to patients suffering from panic disorders or such other problems. They do not, generally, have any serious side-effects.

TCAs or tricyclic antidepressants are another form of medication used to treat panic attacks. However, they are known to cause serious illnesses such as diabetes and cancer and are, therefore, not used often. Benzodiazpines, such as alprazolam and clonazepam, are also commonly used as panic attack medication. However, these may have withdrawal symptoms and may also lead to excessive dependence and are, therefore, prescribed in small dozes and for a very limited period of time.

Minor changes made to one’s lifestyle can go a long way in coping with anxiety. Alcohol is known to be a major cause of anxiety disorders, and so is nicotine. The intake of both should either be minimized or altogether avoided. Pessimistic thinking is a major deterrent to one’s morale and health. It is important that one view things in positive light always and remember that opportunities often come disguised as problems. One should work constructively towards dealing with problems and remain optimistic in difficult situations.

Yoga is an excellent cure for a number of problems, anxiety, chief among them. The healing powers of meditation and yoga are known and accepted the world over. Yoga not only helps in curing panic attacks, but also leads one to a more peaceful, healthy and fulfilling life. It is a highly recommended cure for all kinds of stress.

Techniques like time management and anger management are effective techniques for avoiding or dealing with stress. Effective planning enables one to foresee problems and deal with them beforehand. At the same time, it is vital that one understand and accept one’s limitations and work towards coping with them in the right manner. Spending time in the company of loved ones, or in the pursuit of a hobby, may easily be considered the best ways to panic-free and happy living.