How To Tackle Anxiety And Kick It To The Curb

Anxiety-related illnesses are on the rise. Every day, physicians are inundated with patients who report having some sort of anxiety symptom or problem. Most experience a short-term form of anxiety that goes away after a stressful or traumatic situation (for example, an exam). For others, however, anxiety persists and causes long-term effects. Anxiety can happen to anyone at any time. Unlike many other health issues, there is no single cause. Anxiety is complex, unique to each person, and for the most part, invisible to others. Here is what it is like to have anxiety along with a list of strategies to help sufferers and their loved ones cope with the condition.

What Anxiety Is Like

Anxiety is often linked to depression, so although anxiety sufferers feel anxious about a situation, they may also feel like they are unable to overcome it. Living with anxiety is exhausting because anxiety attacks can happen at any time, regardless of what is going on. Anxiety is not just in someone’s head as it often manifests in physical symptoms that can even mimic fatal illnesses. For example, some with anxiety experience a panic attack, which can vary in length and intensity. Panic attacks can be brief and intense or last for an extended period of time. Some common symptoms of anxiety are: depression, dizziness, fainting, heart palpitations, an inability to stay still, lethargy, loss of appetite, loss of sleep, nausea, nervous twitches, racing thoughts, sweating, shaking, stuttering, and suicidal thoughts.

A Constant Battle

For those who live with anxiety, every day can feel like a battle. The constant struggle can wear them down emotionally, mentally, and physically. When certain people experience anxiety during an exceptionally hard day, they may take it out on themselves, thinking they are weak. However, the truth is that those who suffer from anxiety are strong. They get up and go out even when their anxiety makes them feel everyone is watching them. They drive their cars even though they are terrified that the next drunk driver speeding down the road will kill them. They go to class even when they are afraid they will be called on to say something. And they love their children and their partners even though they are afraid of losing them.