Sunday, November 6, 2016

Coping With Stress and Anxiety


Every one of us suffers from some form of stress and anxiety. 1 in every 20 people over the age of 12 suffers from depression. But for those who suffer from extreme Anxiety and Depression, Life can seem extremely overwhelming.

I personally have been diagnosed with Bi-Polar disorder and Acute Anxiety. Every day is a struggle to even get out of bed and start my day. Complete tiredness from not being able to rest my mind and fully go into a deep sleep, the constant worry that something bad will happen no matter how well the day is going, thinking that I am not worthy to be around others and have no will to do anything.

For those who suffer, I know you understand the struggle. For those who aren't familiar let me explain...

There are 4 types of anxiety disorders



Generalized Anxiety Disorder- excessive, unrealistic worry. Even when there is nothing to provoke the anxiety.





Social Anxiety Disorder-  self-consciousness about everyday social situations. The worry often centers on a fear of being judged by others or behaving in a way that might cause embarrassment or lead to ridicule.

Panic Disorder- People with this condition have feelings of terror that strike suddenly and repeatedly with no warning.

Specific Phobia- These are intense fears of a specific object or situation, such as heights or flying. The level of fear is usually inappropriate to the situation and may cause you to avoid common, everyday situations.

To those who do not suffer from extreme cases of Anxiety and Depression, you may not understand how real it is to someone who does. Those of us who suffer from the disorder often get told "You're just overexaggerating" "There's nothing wrong with you" I've even heard " You just need to get over it" We are often called crazy or psychotic but no one ever seems to want to help get to the root of the problem. Often times those around us think that it can just be turned off with a switch and everything will be fine. It doesn't work that way and often times results with suicide. The sufferer feels like no one cares, no one understands and no one wants to take the time to help.

Anxiety is more often than not, completely ignored until it's too late. Then those who are left behind are left hurting and wondering...WHY?

Here are some signs to look for if you think you may be suffering:

Feelings of panic, fear, and uneasiness
Problems sleeping
Cold or sweaty hands or feet
Shortness of breath
Heart palpitations
Not being able to be still and calm
Dry mouth
Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet
Nausea
Muscle tension
Dizziness

My personal experiences with Anxiety include every single one of those symptoms. But I have found some great ways to help me cope with my Anxiety that may help you as well.

Journaling- Writing down our feelings can sometimes be a harsh reality of our behaviors. But learning what we are feeling and what triggers those feelings can also help. When I get anxious I write down what I am feeling at the time, what was going on and the symptoms I was having at that particular time. Becoming aware of when and what- can help in the future to deal better with those situations.

Deep Breathing- Take a long deep breath. Be aware of how your breathing. When taking a deep breath make sure it is coming from your stomach and not just your chest. Using the lower part of the lungs helps get oxygen to the brain and naturally helps your body to calm. Breath deeply through your nose filling your lungs completely. Count the inhale for 4 seconds, then slowly let the breath out for 8 seconds. Continue until you feel your body relax.


Clear your mind- When I lay in bed at night I think and when I think it's hard for me to shut my mind down for the day and actually go to sleep. When I do fall asleep, I tend to wake up 2-3 times a night. So when I'm having those restless nights I try to clear my mind and picture somewhere peaceful. A safe place if you will. Picture a beautiful setting or a place that you have been that you felt safe and at peace.


Counseling- Having someone to talk to that is totally unbiased to your situation may be a great thing for someone with Anxiety and Depression. Often times our family and friends don't take the time to understand what we are going through so it's nice to have someone who is there to listen just to you and help. Some may feel like they don't need a "shrink", but just to have that person to vent to is nice. You also don't have to worry about them blabbing about you behind your back!


Relax your body- Start at your toes and think of them being completely weightless. slowly move your thoughts up to the foot, then ankle and so on and so forth until you reach your neck and head. Try to concentrate only on your body relaxing and not about the events of the day. Feel how relaxed your body is at that moment. I promise that when you do this a few times, you won't be able to reach all the way up before you are sound asleep. Having an oil diffuser with some Lavender essential oil is also a great way to help with the relaxation process.

Anxiety and depression are very real problems and often thrown aside because of embarrassment or you feel like you can get through it all alone. For the more serious cases, you need that extra help and support. Without it, you fall deeper and deeper until you're so overwhelmed that there seems like no hope is left.

Don't be embarrassed, try not to get discouraged. It is a REAL problem and you're not alone. www.healthyplace.com has a ton of great resources for those who may need a little extra help. Another great resource for help is http://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline Everything is confidential and you don't even have to give your name.

Just remember that you are not alone so don't be afraid to ask for help! 

24 comments:

  1. I rarely suffer from anxiety and stress because I always tell myself that life is too short and everything will WORK OUT in the end, regardless of how exactly you got there!

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  2. I've suffered terrible anxiety and panic attacks and I wish it was as simple as telling myself everything will work out. Breathing definitely helps and making sure I get enough sleep for some reason is another one. Great tips, thankyou for sharing.

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    1. I suffer from stress since my mom went from abroad because i been taking care of my kids and at the same for my children. Thank you for sharing! These are great tips!

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  3. I feel anxiety at times.... and it is so hard to talk about or explain. Thank you for this!

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  4. Good, solid solutions. Having written a few blogs about fear, stress and anxiety, I was interested to see someone else's take on the subject. Excellent read. Thank you.

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  5. It took me awhile to figure out that anxiety was something that a family member was suffering with. I used to get annoyed at constantly explaining that certain things were just not a big deal. Once I started reading more about the condition It completely changed the way that way I interacted with her.

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  6. I suffer from anxiety and it is something is hard to explain. These are great tips for helping to cope with it.

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  7. I suffer from anxiety and after a few years I am learning to control it a bit. It's been a rough battle.

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  8. I write about anxiety too and I can relate to this post very well. I am glad you are talking and sharing about it.

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  9. I have anxiety and it can come on for what seems like no apparent reason. It is important to deal with it and not ignore it.

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  10. These are great tips. I find writing things down helps me a lot too.

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  11. It's important to be there for loved ones who are experiencing this especially since it's not something that they can easily get rid of or control. Support, patience, and understanding are important. I appreciate that you shared your story with us to help raise awareness.

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  12. Such a hard subject to talk about even more so when you suffer. Society needs to be more caring and those you suffer may have more strength to speak up and gain the help they so need

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  13. I remember when I first read up on anxiety, I was surprised to find that there were so many variations of it.
    Thanks for sharing this. It's very interesting.

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  14. I have definitely had moments of extreme anxiety and stress. I need to keep some of these tips in mind if it ever happens again.

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  15. This was a very informative post where a lot of us can understand the true reason behind the behavior of those who suffers from this anxiety disorders. And of course the tips to cope with this stress is very helpful.

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  16. What helpful tips!!!!! My hubby has really bad anxiety. It's good to know what triggers it!

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  17. Great tips for handling stress and anxiety! Thank you for sharing.

    VA | Collectively Bee

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  18. Se manifique!! Such brilliant wisdom and insight shared. I related to alot of this post and it certainly helped me deal with a few issues bothering me today. thank you!

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  19. Such a great tips, my sister was suffering with anxiety. I will share this with her

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  20. These are some great tips esp for right now. I can certainly put some of this into practice now.

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  21. These are all such great tips! I know that I suffer from both of these things and so will keep these in mind.

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  22. awesome tips, i'll be sharing with a few of my friends. my daughter has anxiety as well and could use this.

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  23. It is really a helpful blog to find some different source to add my knowledge. burnout australia

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