Anxiety
It’s normal to feel anxious when facing a challenging situation, such as a job interview, a tough exam, or a blind date. But if your worries and fears seem overwhelming and interfere with your daily life, you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder.
There are many different types of anxiety disorders and many effective treatments and self-help strategies. Once you understand your anxiety disorder, there are steps you can take to reduce your symptoms and regain control of your life.
What you can do:
Emotional Symptoms
- Learn to recognize the signs, symptoms, and types of anxiety
- Recognize that anxiety affects the whole body with a wide range of physical symptoms
- Make it a priority to connect face-to-face with supportive people
- Move your body frequently—don’t sit for more than an hour
- Get the full amount of restful sleep that you require
- Learn about and practice relaxation techniques
What’s the difference between normal stress and anxiety?
Anxiety is the body’s natural response to danger, an automatic alarm that goes off when you feel threatened, under pressure, or are facing a stressful situation.
In moderation, anxiety isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, anxiety can help you stay alert and focused, spur you to action, and motivate you to solve problems. But when anxiety is constant or overwhelming, when it interferes with your relationships and activities, it stops being functional—that’s when you’ve crossed the line from normal, productive anxiety into the territory of anxiety disorders. HelpGuide.org
Support Organizations for Anxiety Disorders
Access to workbooks, activities, videos or a trained coach who can provide up to 6 phone sessions.
U.S. Call: 1 (800) 950-NAMI (6264), Mon-Fri, 10am – 6pm, Eastern
Anxiety disorder treatment providers in the U.S. Advice on selecting the right doctor/therapist.
Guide to the different types of anxiety disorders, their symptoms, and how to get help.
Many treatment options for anxiety, including exercise and breathing techniques.
Severe anxiety may be a risk factor for suicide. A significant number of people who committed suicide were diagnosed as having an anxiety disorder.
2005 Swedish study: people feeling anxious and nervous were more likely to attempt suicide.
Anxiety, depression, insomnia and many other common disorders respond positively to even short releases of everyday stress.
The history of stress, how it affects the body, and how stress management techniques can help to reduce the burden.