What do mean by anxiety?

Anxiety is a human response to any stressful or happy situation. It is a feeling of fear, worry, or tension. A certain amount of anxiety is vital for your survival. Because it helps you deal with emergency or challenging situations and make the right decision. You experience stress almost every day either at school, college, or the workplace and at home as well. And it is completely normal to experience that stress because you go through a lot of things in your daily life.

You may become anxious before exams, job interviews, presentations, or any public interaction, etc. Feeling anxious is normal in the situations that put you under pressure. Anxiety does not last long in such situations, once the situation becomes normal anxiety vanishes. But anxiety becomes a problem when it lasts long even after the cause of anxiety goes away. In such situations, anxiety becomes a day-to-day thing and affects your life in every possible way.

Anxiety not only affects your daily life; it has serious effects on your physical and mental health as well. Anxiety makes it very difficult to live or enjoy life. In severe cases, it prevents you from going to school, college, or workplace, or any social gathering. You may start avoiding situations in which you may feel worried, feared, or tensed and increase anxiety.

It can be very difficult to deal with anxiety and live a quality life. For some people, anxiety becomes so serious and intense that they feel like everything is getting out of hand. But anxiety is treatable and there are several methods to cope with the physical and mental effects of anxiety.

What are the physical and mental effects of anxiety?

Whenever you are anxious or frightened, your body and mind undergo several changes. Your mind becomes over-excited and hyperactive whenever you are anxious. Here are the changes that your body and mind go through whenever you are anxious:

·         racing heart with irregular heartbeat

·         fast and shallow breathing

·         pain in muscles, chest, headache

·         sweating, chills, and hot flashes simultaneously

·         trembling or shaking

·         tingling sensations in hands and feet

·         difficulty in standing still

·         stomach pain, nausea, or digestive issues

·         weakness and fatigue

Psychological and emotional effects of anxiety

·         irritated and frustrated

·         dizziness and lightheadedness

·         excessive anxiety and panic attacks

·         insomnia and other sleep-related issues

·         feeling like dying or seems like everything is going out of hands

·         increased risk of depression or suicidal thoughts

·         increased risk of alcohol or substance abuse

Effective methods to manage the physical and mental effects of anxiety

Excessive anxiety is surely not good for your overall health. It not only affects your health but also your ability to live a normal and quality life. But anxiety is treatable and there is a wide range of methods to treat anxiety. But first, you should know the cause of anxiety. After that consult the doctor to choose the right method or combination of methods to treat anxiety.

Keep yourself physically active and practice regular exercise. Exercise is one of the best ways to alleviate anxiety. Because exercise increases the release of endorphins in the body. Endorphin is a “feel-good hormone” that boosts your mood and makes you feel better.

Regularly practice and follow stress management and relaxation techniques. These techniques include meditation, mindfulness, deep breathing, tai chi, etc. Taking a hot shower, and listening to soothing music will also help in stress management.

Besides these, you should practice the activities that distract your mind from negative and stressful thoughts. These activities include spending time with family or friends, following your hobbies, etc.

Avoid alcohol consumption, use of recreational drugs, and smoking. Moreover, limit the use of caffeine because all these things will make the anxiety worse. Because all these things will hyperactivate your mind leaving you anxious.

Getting sufficient quality sleep is very important to manage stress and anxiety. So, make sure to get quality sleep every night.

Various therapies are there that seem very helpful in alleviating stress and anxiety. These therapies include:

·         Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

·         Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP)

·         Aromatherapy

·         Massage Therapy

Medications to manage the physical and mental effects of anxiety

Besides these lifestyle hacks and relaxation methods, medication is also a good way to cope with anxiety. If you are not feeling better with the above-mentioned methods, you take medications to deal with anxiety. But first, consult the doctor before taking any medications for anxiety management. There is a wide range of medications effective in managing anxiety including:

·         Antidepressants like Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)

·         Benzodiazepines like Xanax, Diazepam, Lorazepam, and Clonazepam

·         Beta-blockers

Out of all these medications, benzodiazepines are the most effective medications to manage anxiety. Benzodiazepines have sedative properties and are CNS depressants as well. They slow down CNS activity and reduce anxiety. Moreover, they enhance the GABA activity which has a relaxing effect on the brain. So, the benzodiazepines relax your brain and alleviate anxiety.

But don’t take any medication on your own, consult the doctor before taking any medication. Always take the medications according to the doctor’s prescription.

Summary

I understand living and dealing with anxiety is not easy. Excess of anxiety is very overwhelming and frustrating. However, the management of anxiety is possible with several methods. Various lifestyle hacks and relaxation methods work great for anxiety. Along with that many medications are also helpful in treating anxiety.