1.Do I Have an Anxiety Disorder? 4 Tips on How to Cope Are you a constant worrier? Do you often find yourself worrying orstressing over things that have not yet occurred? Do your friends and family ever tell you tostop worrying or just relax? If so, you may suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).Its finally time to put that worry to rest. As a San Diego counselor, I have seen and treatedmany individuals with a wide range of Anxiety Disorders, including GAD. In fact, did you knowthat 1 in 4 Americans meet the criteria for an Anxiety Disorder at some point in their lifetime?While stress, anxiety and worry are all very common and normal feelings, too much of themcan be problematic and may end up taking a toll on our overall health both physical andmental. Whether you reside in the central San Diego area or the suburbs, such as LaJolla, Oceanside, or Carmel Valley, the stress of our day-to-day lives can have an adverseeffect on our bodies and our minds.It is normal to feel anxious in certain situations, such as giving a speech in front of a largeaudience, or attempting to complete a big work or school project by a certain deadline.However, stressing out about the what-ifs and the probabilities or the likelihood of somethingbad happening is unnecessary as well as potentially harmful to your health and well-being. ASwedish Proverb describes excessive anxiety well by saying Worry gives a small thing a verybig shadow. People with Anxiety Disorders can relate to this saying well, even though thesmall thing may seem very big and as something that requires immediate concern andattention. Constant and chronic worriers tend to magnify situations, seeing themselves aspeople who need to be responsible for the issue that demands worry. People with GAD differfrom individuals with Phobias, which are fears of specific things or situations. People with GADare also unlike those who experience frequent panic attacks, where the worry is intense, butonly lasts for a few minutes or so. Instead, people with GAD suffer from worrying thoughts andfeelings for a prolonged period of time, and tend not to worry about one specific thing. GADsufferers usually worry about a multitude of situations, and they are often ones that have noteven occurred yet! It may sound silly, but it is believed that people with GAD are attempting toprotect themselves in some way, by worrying about the what-ifs and focusing on thenegatives in preparation for something bad to happen. This is unproductive worrying, andindividuals with GAD will tell you that it takes away from their time to enjoy friends, family, andsignificant others.People with GAD also have difficulty keeping their worries under control. As I said, a normaldegree of stress and worry is necessary for our daily functioning. For instance, if we neverworried about anything, nothing would ever get accomplished! Therefore, it is good to have1/4

2. feelings of anxiety and stress over some situations, since this worry motivates us and pushesus to get things done. But when worry starts interfering with your life (i.e. your relationships,your ability to work/concentrate, your social life, etc.), it becomes a problem and needs to beaddressed.So when does it go from normal worrying to problematic worrying, you ask? Here are a fewquestions to ask yourself in order to determine whether or not your worry is realistic/normal orperhaps a symptom of a larger problem.1. Do you worry excessively about things that are beyond your control? (i.e. what-ifs)2. Is your worry debilitating (meaning it is negatively affecting one or more aspects of your life)?3. Are your symptoms of anxiety and worry so intrusive that you find them uncontrollable?4. Do you tend to expect the worst possible outcome in most situations?5. Do you find yourself unable to tolerate uncertainty? In other words, do you feel the need toknow what is going to happen in the future?6. Is your worry constant, occurring every day for the past 6 months?If you have answered yes to any of the above questions, you may indeed have an AnxietyDisorder, or specifically Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). GAD is also accompanied byseveral other physical/bodily symptoms, such as excessive sweating, increased heart rate andblood pressure, muscle tightness, body aches, diarrhea, nausea, and trouble falling asleep orstaying asleep.As we have come to learn more about worry, anxiety and stress, we have also learned thatanxiety is a very treatable condition. Depending on the type of anxiety you are experiencing,therapies such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Psychotherapy may be helpful foryou. Please do not hesitate to contact me about Anxiety Therapy for a free consultation, where Iwill be better able to help you target the problems you are having and address themaccordingly. In the meantime, and in between therapy sessions, there are several ways you cango about attacking your worry-symptoms on your own!Tip #1: Understand Your Worry: While worry can disguise itself in many different ways, mostworry stems from our perceived inability to control our future, leaving us feeling powerless andvulnerable. We often blame the external environment for our worries when in fact we are theones perpetuating the anxiety and worrisome thoughts around and around in our brains. Anexternal event may trigger the anxiety, but we are the ones who allow the circular internaldialogue to keep going inside of our head. Remember the what-ifs, and think to yourself:Has this situation actually happened yet? If the answer is no, then you are worrying aboutsomething that has yet to occur, and essentially wasting your time and energy which could beput to better use elsewhere. This is perhaps the most difficult challenge for GAD sufferers,however, the first step in every Disorder is to understand it and educate yourself. Once you2/4 3. realize how common it is and how irrational your thinking may be, you will be better able to keepyou worries in check.Tip #2: Practice Relaxation Exercises Regularly: Think about it it is impossible to beanxious and calm at the same time, right? Therefore, you have to begin integrating relaxationtechniques into your daily routine (minimum 30 minutes a day) so that eventually, your body willbecome accustomed to utilizing these techniques when worry does strike. Three different typesof relaxation exercises you can practice are as follows: 1. Progressive Muscle Relaxation This technique involves systematically tensing andreleasing the different muscle groups of your body, one group at a time. The focusshould be solely on the tensing and then the releasing of your muscles, and your mindshould be otherwise blank. You will begin to see that as your body relaxes, so will yourmind! 2. Deep Breathing Exercises Most people, particularly anxious people, do not breathdeeply (from the diaphragm). Anxiety can involve short and fast-paced breathing, whichcan exacerbate your anxiety symptoms and make you feel worse. Try breathing verydeeply and slowly, focusing on your diaphragm. After all, when you are breathingdeeply, it is impossible to hyperventilate! 3. Meditation Mindful meditation in particular has been shown to be successful withpeople suffering from GAD. In fact, mindful meditation can even change your brain! Ifyou practice it regularly, mindful meditation can increase the activity of the prefrontalcortex (the part of the brain responsible for feelings of serenity).Tip #3: Learn to Self-Soothe: This involves activating your different senses (touch, taste,smell, sight and sound). For Touch, pet your cat or dog, or get into a comfortable pair of sweatpants and wrap yourself in a soft blanket. To activate your Taste sense, you could either cookor purchase a delicious meal, and while eating it, make sure to savor every last bite! ForSmell, you could simply light a scented candle in your home, visit a local bakery, or walk alongthe beach and take in a huge breath of fresh ocean air! For Sight, you could take in a gorgeousview by going hiking, walking along the beaches of San Diego, or simply by visiting a local artmuseum! And for Sound, throw on some of your favorite tunes on your iPod or CD player (justmake sure the type of music you are listening to is soothing!)Tip #4: Change Your Lifestyle: This is a big one, and includes things like your diet andexercise habits. Make sure you are eating (for the most part) nutritious meals that are high invitamins and minerals. And be sure not to skip any meals, as this can lead to low blood-sugar,which in turn can increase anxiety levels. Try to avoid consuming foods that are high in refinedsugar, as these foods will only temporarily elevate your blood-sugar and then cause it toplummet. It is also wise to avoid alcohol and caffeine if you experience a lot of anxiety, as bothof these can intensify your symptoms. Also make sure that you are getting regular exercise (aimfor 30 minutes per day) that is a combination of cardiovascular exercise and weight-training.Aerobic exercise in particular releases chemicals in the brain known as endorphins, which arethe brains natural feel-good chemicals. And last but not least, make sure you are gettingenough sleep! Most of us dont get enough sleep we need 7-8 hours per night. Adequatesleep promotes physical and mental health and helps reduce anxiety by keeping our emotions3/4 4. balanced. Above all, please remember that Anxiety Disorders are manageable and treatable! While some of our anxiety symptoms may be deeply rooted in the events of our past and our upbringing (in other words, things we cannot change), it is comforting to know that our brains are flexible and adaptable. This means that with adequate practice and training, you can alter the way you react to situations and events that once provoked high-anxiety, and learn to respond in a more productive and healthy manner. Copyright 2012 Jan Rakoff. All Rights Reserved. http://www.sandiegotherapistcounselor.com/do-i-have-an-anxiety-disorder-4-tips-on-how-to-cop e.html 4/4Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)