From Anxiety to Comfort - A Guide to Treating Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are becoming a common cultural issue affecting more people than one might think. Seeking relief comes naturally under the influence of anxiety and often leads to developing coping mechanisms, which are not necessarily healthy. What might help your anxiety in the moment may make it worse later on hence it is important to draw a distinguishing line between techniques that help and the techniques that do the rather opposite.

Generally avoid the following:

Alcohol and cigarettes - sure they bring immediate relief with each gulp and puff, but also cause considerable damage if you rely on these aids daily and solely. Both exhibit neurotoxic and carcinogenic properties and fighting anxiety by inhibiting/pruning already malfunctioning neural connections does not induce relief, but on the contrary, produces anxiety.

Consuming excess sugars - dwelling on soft, sweet drinks as the primary source of fluids is a habit you might consider dropping. It is true that glucose is absolutely necessary for proper brain function, but only to a certain point. Beyond a saturation point you are inducing more brain fog and mood swings than clarity.

Lacking sleep - Sleep is absolutely necessary for proper body and brain function and regeneration. You might have noticed that a day after an inadequate sleeping session you find yourself experiencing elevated anxiety or depression levels, both of which you are here to avoid.

What you might consider implementing into your daily routine in order to bring relief without sacrificing, but rather preserving, long-term health:

Exercise - Aerobic exercise including jogging, swimming, cycling and many others do more good for your mental health than you would expect. Exercise results in formation of new neural connections within the brain region, inherent to memory formation and retention, known as hippocampus, so it actually induces morphological changes!

Meditate - Meditation too causes changes in brain's structure for the better - it results in thickening of the cerebral cortex, which is associated with a broad set of cognitive functions including self-control and focus.

Eat healthily - try to include, often repulsive yet healthy, vegetables and fruits in your diet and spread your meals into several small ones rather than few ample portions. A healthy diet equals a healthy brain. All the essential amino acids and vitamins, deficiencies and imbalances of which might contribute to the feelings of anxiety, are usually found in green foods.

Follow this basic guideline, or at least a part of it, and enjoy the gained benefits for yourself. If you do not feel like taking up on some of these tips then just supplement/substitute the items on the list with any additional techniques you consider are worth employing, you never know what might work the best for you.

As my guide to treating my anxiety I have used this web-page:
Treating your depersonalization -
It provides all the information about the supplementation, medication and natural techniques that will help you reduce and finally overcome your anxiety

I wish all of you the best and a quick recovery!

Paddy

Original article

Anxiety Disorder - The True Causes

For a very long time, I believed that anxiety and depression are illnesses that "just happen", something that we do not have any control over. I am thankful now for the increased awareness that there is not an external reason for what happens to us physically, rather we are the creators of our life. This knowledge gives us greater control over our lives and allows us to challenge limiting beliefs that we hold.

Increased adrenalin prepares our body for the "flight or fight" response. This causes us to experience physical symptoms. When the perceived danger disappears, the physical symptoms also disappear. Think about when you are watching a scary film, your fear (flight or fight response) returns to normal once the film has ended. If however stress continues over a long period of time, the increased adrenalin can cause complications. For some people this results in anxiety, depression, insomnia and various other conditions.

When I suffered from post natal anxiety I experienced a few panic attacks but mostly it was generalised anxiety. The physical and mental symptoms were quite extreme, including breathlessness, shaking, tingling sensations, constipation, extreme insomnia to name but a few. These symptoms were all a result of the increased adrenalin in my system.

The biggest problem with prolonged anxiety is that your body starts to believe that this increased level of adrenalin is the norm and the body resets itself to produce this amount of adrenalin. As we go about our daily lives we have the fight or flight response when doing completely "normal" activities i.e. shopping, going out, in the house. What is our response to this? We start to adapt our lives in many ways to avoid the "perceived" danger. But it is danger that does not exist, well only in our mind. We can see why many people attempt to use behavioural approaches successfully to re-train the mind.

The irrational thinking can quickly escalate out of control. The thoughts can continue to a level that is disturbing to anyone. This can very easily lead to feeling depressed, depressed at the inability to control the anxiety. With very few options available it is no surprise that many people take anti-depressant medication.

The adrenal glands also produce steroids including corticosterone. People who are depressed tend to have high levels of these steroids. Basically as was described with the adrenalin, the feedback loop is out of control and the body continues to produce these excess levels. People can get stuck because the feelings get retained in the memory. To break the feedback loop you have to stop sending the message to produce more steroids and reduce the chemical levels in the body.

It is also understood that serotonin levels (neurochemical) are low within people who are feeling depressed. Anti-depressant drugs can be used to block the re-uptake mechanism, allowing excess serotonin to flood receptors, aiming to correct the imbalance.

My own experience is that antidepressants are a short-term fix when there does not appear to be an alternative option. They do not cure, they are like a plaster and the wound still needs to be healed when you remove the plaster.

Top tips

Look to eliminate or reduce all stress in your life.
Avoid sugar in your diet, try to keep your blood sugar levels steady.
Take control of your mind rather than letting it control you!
The Law of Attraction teaches us the importance of what we think and speak about. We will attract more of this in to our lives. It is therefore very important to become aware of the way you think and speak so that you don't attract more of this in to your life. Start writing affirmations etc that will help to challenge the irrational thoughts. The quicker you can reduce your adrenalin levels you will start to feel better.
Make a list of all the things that you have adapted, avoided because of your irrational fears. The sooner that you return to everyday activities without adapting because of irrational fears the quicker life will return to normal for you.
Find activities that will help you to relax and divert your mind, watching TV does not work! Something that will help you to focus your mind will help.
Think carefully about taking antidepressants whilst they can be useful for a short-term fix, it is worth noting that no studies have been carried out as to the effect that these medications can have on other areas of our body.
Be aware that our body has a natural way of producing all the hormones that we need, we just need to know how!
Serotonin can be increased naturally through a healthy lifestyle including diet, exercise, laughter, sex and reducing stress levels.
Most of all never believe that there is an external factor causing your illness or believe that you need medication to manage your life longer-term. This will mean you live your life in fear, fear of it returning! Fear of not being able to control it again.

Kelly Menzies, Change and Personal Development Leader has been working in HR, Change Leadership and Learning and Development for ten years. She is currently working with fitness and nutrition professionals, using personal development techniques to help them attract and retain more clients and build their business. Get started today with her FREE 7 Day Training Series, "Build Your Client Base and Make More Money" http://www.life-is-now.co.uk/

Original article

Debunk These Common Anxiety Myths

A few common Anxiety Myths are:

Anxiety is a mental illness.

Anxiety attacks stem from a lack of courage.

Anxiety can only be cured with prescription medicine.

An actual panic attack or anxiety attack causes harm to your body.

Although the scientific cause of an anxiety attack or a panic attack is yet to be proven in the medical field, many doctors attribute the body's specific symptomatic reactions to a chemical imbalance, thus treatable with medicine.

This diagnosis is attached to many other illnesses for the motivation of prescribing medicine to a particular client. However, there is no medical test to diagnose an "imbalance" in the human brain. Therefore, the label "chemical imbalance" can be attached to certain patients to justify the need for medication. It is important to note that anxiety can be cured without the use of medication.

The most common triggers of anxiety or panic disorders stem from exhaustion that is either physical, mental or emotional. Internal conflict such as past issues of trauma or various categories of abuse can also trigger panic attacks.

Physical exhaustion can be the direct result of poor diet, any type of substance abuse, or hormonal changes such as menopause.

Mental exhaustion is the result of extreme worry or stress. Emotional exhaustion might be related to life's traumatic issues such as grief from the loss of a loved one or divorce from a spouse.

If any one of these exhaustions linger, the mind and body try to cope with the change by experiencing feelings of "different" and "heightened" bodily sensations. The heart beating fast, the tightness of chest, the feeling of being closed in are all sensations felt by a person having a panic attack also known as an anxiety attack.

The mind tries to decipher the different feelings in the body. Since the response the body goes through seems abnormal, it then becomes anxious or fearful in dealing with these bodily responses that are unusual.

The fear and heightened sensitive feeling becomes ever-present in the body of the person who has experienced these same symptoms previously. As a result, the lingering fear that the feeling will return stays in the thoughts of the person who has suffered from a panic attack. The mere thought of the attack returning again and the intense occasion of fear is a constant reminder of endangerment and entrapment of the person who has suffered from an anxiety attack.

The panic attack sufferer then continues this cycle of fear thus avoiding all circumstances which serve as a reminder of the fear and entrapment experienced previously. A person can then develop a fear of flying, driving, social interaction, public speaking, etc.

There is a cure for Anxiety Disorder that does not involve medication. Medication only serves to mask the feeling or cause the heightened sensations of anxiety and panic to subside.

To read more information and resources about this topic visit http://no-more-panic-attack.com

Tiffani has suffered from anxiety attacks, panic attacks and depression for many years. She successfully cured herself from these disorders without any medication or professional intervention. She now dedicates much of her time to helping others experience the same freedom from fear, panic and worry. To read more about how to cure yourself from anxiety visit http://no-more-panic-attack.com/

Original article

Suffer From Driving Anxiety

Does your heart rate increase every time you get behind the wheel of a car? Does your chest feel tight and do you experience difficulty breathing? If you experience these emotions, you suffer from driving anxiety. Many people suffer from this problem, and while some have been able to conquer their fear, there are those who have given up driving all together. It is important to understand why this happens, and why you are scared of driving. Having the knowledge and understanding is the best way to overcome the problem.

Those who suffer from driving anxiety find that it is extremely difficult to do many things. Visiting family and friends becomes difficult, and even the act of going to work everyday becomes nearly impossible. Fortunately, this does not have to be a permanent condition. Many people have managed to overcome the problem, and they do not have to suffer anymore. Once people understand what the anxiety is, and what causes it, they can find out what to do about it. They will be able to overcome it, and can start living a normal life.

Anxiety occurs due to brain conditioning and the subconscious mind. Those who experience the anxiety, do so because the brain has been conditioned to experience fear. They feel the presence of danger every time they are behind the wheel. This fear often develops and increases over time due to certain experiences, or situations that occur on the road. With time, the experiences cause the subconscious mind to develop an association between driving and the danger. Fortunately, these conditioning can be reversed. In most cases, the reversal is fairly simple and takes a short time once the concept has been grasped.

Once you have understood how the anxiety was developed, it is easy to overcome it. Everyone has something they fear, and in most cases, the fear is quite irrational. We tend to build up negative experiences, and every time you do this you create a problem. For most people, their fears do not affect their daily life and can be set aside. When the fear affects or interferes with your normal life, it has to be dealt with. Your brain and your subconscious mind have learnt to associate driving with the fearful experiences you have gone through.

It is important to remember that while there are dangerous situations while driving, the same can also be said of walking, crossing the street, and virtually everything we go through every day. It is important to see the fear for what it is. Once you are able to confront it, you can deal with it. The anxiety is brought about by blowing fear out of proportion.

Original article

How To Overcome Your Fears Of Anxiety And Panic Attacks

Controlling the amygdala is the main thing to mastering precisely how to halt panic and anxiety attacks naturally. These symptoms believe it or not execute a useful purpose as their purpose is to alert one of approaching threat so that one can do something to assure ones own survival. This procedure is called the fight or flight response. Panic and anxiety symptoms occur once this process becomes too easily induced due to over excitement of this response. The good word is that panic attacks and anxiousness are a behavioural patterns which one acquires over time when one is in contact with stressful stimulus.

Any kind of behaviour that is accepted may be unlearned as well. This is how to stop panic disorders naturally. Although there are natural remedies for these symptoms such as natural herbs, they simply give you short-lived reduction because the secret is to understand this behaviour, rather than manage it using drugs. Learning how to overcome one's anxiety and panic attack, necessitates finding out how to do a few easy techniques that can halt this pattern. It is easy to avert anxiety and panic attacks as soon as one feels anxious by carrying out psychological exercises which have been intended to retrain the amygdala.

The essential approaches to getting to understand how to halt panic attacks naturally is searching out how to breath the right way. When a panic attack arises ones breathing becomes quicker and shallower, It is a sign of the fight or flight response being triggered. By taking action over ones breathing by taking extended deep breaths one will be able to seize control prohibiting an anxiety attack. It is important to make deep breathing exercises a part of ones everyday process because this will help one to become a more calmer individual and less at risk from the stimulus that bring about these symptoms. The most rewarding step you can take with regards to ending panic attacks naturally would be to take vitamins or supplements each day. They are the most safest and most reliable way to help people with this condition. The best help I have found with regards to understanding how to halt anxiety symptoms easily are with vitamins and supplements. They are easy to take and you do not need a doctor's prescription. These self-help products are made for assisting one to simply triumph over any form of panic and anxiety disorder. Myself and also 1000's of other people have found these products to be effective in helping them with their anxiety and panic attacks.

If you are having panic attacks, or you are feeling down and depressed and you would like something for your condition, than just follow this link to a new you.

http://www.vitaminssupplementsnutritionalmedicines.info/

Original article

Social Anxiety Disorder Quiz

Using a Social Anxiety Disorder quiz or test can help you discover whether or not you need to seek further advice on your anxiety condition. Social Anxiety, also known as Social Phobia, is one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States today. Around 20 million of the American population has it at any one time. The statistics do not include those who have not reported their condition to mental health experts. If you feel you may be suffering from this type of anxiety, taking a social anxiety disorder quiz will help you make your own assessment. Asking yourself the following questions will help you verify if you are a potential sufferer:

1. Do you have an extreme fear of being in a social situation?

2. Do you always fear that people are judging you in whatever you are doing?

3. Do you prefer to be alone rather than going out with a group?

4. Do you need to drink alcoholic beverages before engaging in public speaking or performance?

5. Do you hate attending parties and other social gatherings?

If your answer is yes to the majority of the questions in the above social anxiety disorder quiz, then you are probably at risk for having social anxiety. Take note that doing a self-assessment is not a conclusive method of diagnosing the disorder. You would still need to consult the opinion of a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental healthcare professional for a definitive answer. Your Doctor would probably do another social anxiety disorder quiz, test or assessment before they can verify whether you have the disorder or not.

If your doctor does indeed diagnose you as having social anxiety disorder, they will recommend that you start some sort of treatment right away. Mental health disorders are highly treatable when they are still mild, because they have not yet caused any significant disturbances in your way of thinking. In this early period of the disorder, counseling is an effective form of treatment. Through counseling, your thoughts about your social anxiety are addressed and then challenged. In this manner, you will be able to construct positive thinking about this condition that will help you recover faster.

In cases where counseling has not proven to be effective, the Doctor may prescribe medications. Anti-anxiety and antidepressant drugs are given to relieve the symptoms of the disorder. The doctor can also give medications that will control the physical manifestations of anxiety. It is important to continuously monitor for side effects of medications, especially the psychotic drugs. Psychotic drugs can induce irreversible side effects when taken in high doses.

If you are presently undergoing therapy, it is important for you to cooperate with the Doctor to facilitate fast recovery. The treatment can be very frustrating and difficult to cope with, especially during its initial phase, because you are subjected to a lot of changes and interaction with different people. It is also important to be compliant with your medication schedule. When you miss or do not take the prescribed dosage, your treatment can be rendered ineffective and this can set you back in your recovery. Improper treatment will eventually lead you to Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD, which is very difficult, but not impossible, to manage.

If your social anxiety disorder quiz suggests that you have social anxiety disorder, do not hesitate in going to the Doctor for assistance. Your information is kept confidential, so there is no need to worry about other people knowing of your condition.

George Hunter is a writer and blogger about Social Anxiety Disorder and other anxiety related topics. He has created a website resource to help fellow sufferers find a solution to their condition. Why not try out one of the most common Social Anxiety Disorder Tests right now. It only takes a few minutes to run through it.
Also, have a look at http://www.socialanxietydisorderguide.com/ to find out what you can do about Social Anxiety (Social Phobia) and other Anxiety and Panic disorders.

Original article

Overcoming Test Anxiety To Pass Any Test

I have written other articles talking about abuse issues and how verbal abuse can be so harmful to self-confidence and self-esteem. In this article I will talk about how this impacts children and even adults with test anxiety. When we think of having test anxiety we normally think of kids. Not true many careers institute tests for promotions. Police Officers and Fireman for example have to pass a test to be able to advance in their careers. Law students must pass the BAR to be able to practice law. My point is that test anxiety needs to be addressed as children. The Institute of Heart Math and Claremont Graduate University states that students high levels of anxiety may jeopardize validity, thereby compromising testing results. What does this mean. 61% of all students report being affected by test anxiety. 26% of students reported frequent high levels of test anxiety. Twice as many females experienced high levels of test anxiety as compared to males.Students with high levels of test anxiety scored on the average, 15 points lower on standardized tests in both Mathematics and English-Language Arts than students with low test anxiety.

Why does this happen? As I have talked about in my previous articles, the mind can be your friend or your enemy. This means it responds out of programming from the input it hears. If the student hears negative be it from teachers, students, parents or even from outside stimuli. The confidence is effected. These are called blocks in the hypnosis world. Have you ever studied all night, went to take a test and totally forgot everything you know you remembered before taking the test? What happened? Blocks. The subconscious has retained the information it just will not allow you to retrieve it. Hands start to sweat, heart raises, sound familiar. Ever been there?

What do you do about that. As hypnotist we work with the subconscious. The first step is to get rid of the blocks. The next step is to give the subconscious a trigger that will be allow the subconscious to retrieve the stored information. When self-confidence is restored, relaxation is replaced. With relaxation, the subconscious will allow the stored information to come forward. Sounds easy? It really is to a trained professional. The rewards are life long.

I would like to talk a little bit about what I call the writing on your walls. This is your belief system. If we believe we cannot do something where does that come from. We are born with only 2 fears the fear of falling and the fear of a loud noise, the rest of the fears are learned. They are instilled in us by what other people have written on our walls. If your Grandma instills her belief that you must always be an over achiever, that very well by be your belief. Lets explore how that may impact you in regards to test anxiety. Let me be clear some anxiety is good. It keeps up motivated, but when it becomes emotionally stifling, that is a condition that can stay with you your entire life. Hence test anxiety occurs. In the instance of the Grandmas writing on your wall being an over achiever you may be very hard on yourself and expect perfection from your efforts. The result? Nervousness and anxiety about failing not only the test, but yourself and others you think may be disappointed in you. When I work with a Client the first thing I talk about is relaxation. This is the key. Some of the methods that work are meditation, yoga and self-hypnosis. How does self-hypnosis benefit someone with test anxiety? Simply this it not only teaches relaxation but also helps to train the mind to think differently. More positive, productive and respond to retention of what has been read and studied but also being able to retrieve what has been learned. With this method a trigger object is used. For example a pencil could be used as a trigger object that will stimulate the retrieval process during a test. Relaxation is important. With self-hypnosis someone can learn to use his or her mind to automatically relax.

With this article you will learn techniques to use to over-come test anxiety. If you suffer from test anxiety you can learn the signs the solutions to solving this problem and the possible causes of test anxiety.

Original article

Helpful Tips for Dealing With Blackouts and Disorientation From Anxiety Attacks

If you have anxiety or panic attacks, a good way to deal with them is learning to refocus. If you have an attack and stop what you are doing, it will not help. If you have an attack and keep doing what you were when the attack happens, it will not seem as severe. Having hobbies or other activities will help with this. When you have something else to do when an attack comes on, it will take the focus off the attack and make dealing with it easier.

If you are on the job and have an anxiety or panic attack, continue with your duties and the attack will be gone without much notice of it. If you don't have hobbies, finding one is also a good way to deal with the attacks. If you like knitting or crocheting, finding websites with instructions for knitting or crocheting and patterns for projects is a good way to divert your attention from an attack. Also, taking online courses through distance learning or other sources is a good way. Getting into the lessons or projects will help you be able to refocus and move from an attack. You will have to train your mind to do this. It is possible to do it. If you like to read books from the library or have an e-reader, this is also a good way to take your mind of the anxiety attacks.

If you are getting counseling from a psychologist or counselor, they will be able to suggest ways to deal with an anxiety or panic attack. Sometimes medication is suggested for patients who have anxiety or panic attacks. The medication is usually an anti-depressant and it will help you with an enzyme condition of some kind that may be causing the attacks. Your counselor will help you with this. Even talk therapy is a good way to deal with the attacks. If you choose not to take medication for the attacks, the counselor will focus on talking about the things that are making you have them. You will have to concentrate on handling the issues that may cause them. The counselor will help you with how to do this. They may suggest writing down things that are causing the attacks and help you learn what to do to refocus. You might have to do the thing that is causing an attack in an effort to learn how to do this.

Original article

Tested Tips for Alleviating Anxiety

Anxiety, just like any other emotion, is an abstract phenomena and therefore can be experienced in myriad ways. Psychological symptoms including shortness of breath, shifts in perception, impulsiveness, and inability to focus are only a few possible manifestations. Unfortunately, anxiety extends beyond our psyche and frequently victimizes our physical self too, making us lethargic, inflicting digestive discomforts and even muscle weakness or pain. This is a lot to handle, and I know this from experience, but luckily for us, there are also a lot of techniques that will mitigate, or even eliminate, anxiety:

Exercise - Aerobic exercise is a versatile weapon effective in soothing a diversity of mental disorders. Try to invest 15-20 minutes three to four times a week and judge for yourself. The results are not only anecdotal, exercise has shown to facilitate the formation of new neural connections within a brain region, called hippocampus, essential to memory and commonly attacked by depression.

Face your fears - Deliberately indulging in anxiety generating or apprehensive situations, such as being in large crowds of people, will desensitize your anxious response and eventually the feared situation will provoke little to no anxiety. This will be difficult at first, but if you manage to hold on you will soon recognize the inadequacy of your worries.

Meditate - Meditation will enable your mind to relax and supply you with lucidity necessary for rationalizing and analyzing the very sources of your anxiety, making its deciphering and solving an easy task. On top of that, meditation too, as exercise, causes morphological changes in the brain (thickening of cerebral cortex) that will directly benefit your problematic symptoms.

Drink water - Brain needs glucose to function properly, but all in moderation. Too much of sugar in your diet can promote unwanted mood swings and brain fog, none of which take away from your anxiety. Try to drink water instead of soft drinks as a subtle compromise and feel the benefits.

Patience - Although the above-mentioned techniques will bring you initial relief, their true, full potential can be felt with continuous use. Therefore try to be patient and experiment with any method you choose for a while to see whether it suits you. I know that being patient goes against the rules of anxiety, but try it nonetheless as it is an useful trait.

If you are eager to explore and experiment with techniques outside the scope of this text then go straight ahead, you never know what might work best for you. If that is the case I have included a link to an extended list in the resource section to satisfy your curiosity.

Here is the promised link to an extended list of techniques that will rid you of your anxiety: Anxiolytics - I wish all of you the best and a quick recovery!

Paddy

Original article

More on Driving Anxiety - Scared While Driving

For many drivers, once they get behind the wheel, they are totally calm and the act of driving is so natural, it becomes second nature. There are, however, those who get anxious about driving and every time they are behind the wheel, they experience different levels of anxiety. There are many ways to define anxiety and panic attacks. Most people define them as feelings of tension, fear or dread, in the absence of a direct threat or any clear justification. Those who get driving anxiety can not explain why they feel the way the do.

Psychologists describe anxiety as irrational fear. While it is common for most people to feel nervous or stressed when driving in heavy traffic, this is not the same as having anxiety. In some driving situations, some degree of fear or anxiety may even be justified. With driving anxiety, the physical and emotional symptoms are severe and go beyond nervousness. Those who experience the fear get physical as well as an emotional reaction, and the tension is often very high. This condition has left a number of people too scared to drive.

A number of people who get the driving anxiety often find that getting off the road and stopping, will often help to calm them down. The minute they feel an attack coming on, they can pull over and calm down which often takes a few minutes. Once they are off the road, the obsessive thinking that comes with the anxiety attacks is diminished. It is, however, important to get back on the road after the attack has passed. Like with most fears, the best way to deal with it is by not giving in to the fear. The more you build up a negative experience, the worse it becomes.

Most people who have given up driving all together, are those who chose to give in to the fear. What started off as anxiety has been magnified to larger proportions and they are too scared to drive? In order to deal with the panic attacks, it is important to reduce the level by giving yourself permission to fail, without remaining in that position for too long. You should never feel guilty about the need to pull over until you are relaxed. As long as you do not attach much significance to the act, then you will find that you will need to do it less.

Those who fail to conquer the fear are people who do not allow themselves to deal with it. They feel that they have to get it right every time, and the pressure they put on themselves causes them to fail. You must give yourself permission to deal with the anxiety by pulling over until the panic subsides.

Original article

Amazing How Fish Oil Can Help Those Who Suffer From Anxiety and Other Psychiatric Problems

We know that fish oil supplements can help individuals with various problems, including heart disease, diabetes, psychotic, Parkinson's disease and many others, now; however, research studies now reveal that fish oil my help with chronic anxiety too. Medical students in random controlled tests who received omega-3 supplements for 90 days demonstrated a 20% decrease in anxiety scores. This is quite amazing since we all know how stressed medical students are during their struggle to graduate medical school. The 20% is a considerable and surprising outcome of these random trials.

Omega-3 is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and if we consider that the medical students in the study listed above are younger people, the outcome for older individuals suffering from anxiety, if they too take omega-3 supplements, could have even greater benefits not only for anxiety, but for other conditions as well.

Inflammation is one of the major problems we face within our bodies today. It is the root of so many conditions we deal with on a regular basis. Chronic inflammation is seen in such health problems as cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, stroke, diabetes, and a myriad of other problems as well. Depression is thought to have roots in chronic inflammation and studies show that eating more fish or ingesting omega-3 or fish oil supplements can have a positive effect on people suffering from depression and help prevent many inflammatory problems.

In other research studies the outcome is that the fatty acids contained in fish oil may help mood disorders and assist with symptoms of clinical depression. Apparently the increase in production of "proinflammatory cytokines" goes along with both anxiety and depression. Omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish and in natural fish oil supplements can combat those cytokines and fight inflammation at the same time and, thus, help with anxiety and depression.

More research is underway to determine exactly what benefits are achieved by ingesting omega-3 either by diet or by dietary supplement, but to date generalized anxiety has been shown to respond to omega-3 therapy positively.

That is not to say that everyone should immediately run out and buy fish oil supplements. However, if you suffer from the symptoms of anxiety and/or depression, it might be a good idea to consult with your primary health care provider. You can determine whether using natural fish oil supplements can be a positive addition to your daily regime, can alleviate your symptoms. and assist in your health care goals.

Virginia takes a keen interest in all maters relating to health and fitness. She also does research in the areas of natural dietary supplements. I am sure you are concerned about your health; therefore; it is suggested that you visit Healthy Supplement to obtain additional information on the best natural fish oil supplement on the market to support a variety of health issues.

http://stayhealthyinfo.com/

Original article

Child Anxiety Treatment Is Sure to Become Easy

Suppose your minds unite, there are heavens to be explored. The converse also holds true; when minds are divided against each other there is a kind of fear which grips and doesn't let go of the person's subconscious. The period of activation of this kind of behavior varies from person to person. Here and there we may encounter some person who also exhibits rapid mood swings which exacerbates the condition of anxiousness. To know the ways to cure it, one must understand the child anxiety treatment is sure to become easy. In the first place eliminating the surrounding distress signals becomes the problem. The cognitive-behavioral understanding is necessary. It may not be manifested as a separate facet in itself; one may not show the changes to irrational behavior as something which is tangible but rather be making rationality to become the part which is irrational. This is easily recognizable in speech therapies and interactive sessions, where the recognition stops short of normal things and processes. Helping the child to recognize the way one goes about reacting to the two different things will help it to come to some conclusion regarding how to see the problem in perspective.

Acceptance Commitment Therapy is a child anxiety treatment found to be useful in relieving stress situations. The way the spontaneity is brought out to make the persons realize themselves and their actions is very helpful in bringing about the cure. Therapy Dialectical Behavioral (DBT) is used for persons who are capable of minding the behavioral aspects and could take control of situations. The responsibilities should be gradually increased without any accent or importance being given to the results.

Anxiety is now being understood as a state of mind where the physicality is at once in disharmony with the actions or the feelings of the person. Once the person is reconciled with the feelings and the physicality is removed then the person will start to overcome their anxiousness all by themselves. If they have trouble doing it on their own, they need to attend some social interactive sessions which will show them how the problem that they face is not unique. Then they will get the confidence to confront the problem on their own.

In the first case the separation of the real life and the imaginary life itself is a problem for some. This may be brought on by the action of drugs used to cure some other medical condition or it may be some inherited form of disability. In rare cases, the condition could be brought about through shock or accident in which the person will suffer a severe disturbance and often finds it difficult to recover from it. Most adults are able to deal with the situation on their own. The kid however is yet to understand the realities in the broader perspective and therefore the problem becomes severe.

If the child is treated in time, the shocks will go away and the person will start to behave normally to the social circumstances. Medication such as SSRIs and antidepressants are used commonly to treat these conditions.

Original article

Anxiety Disorder - The True Causes of Anxiety

The exact cause of anxiety disorder is unknown. Some people think anxiety is a result of weakness or some kind of character flaw. This is not the case. Research shows that these disorders can be caused by changes in the brain or environmental stress. People who are in situations such as unemployment can get anxiety disorder because of the stress connect to it.

Anxiety disorders may also be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. Long-lasting stress can change the balance of the chemicals in the brain and cause anxiety disorder. People with certain types of anxiety have changes in the brain that control memory or mood. Anxiety disorders can be inherited. Sometimes several members of a family may have tendencies toward these disorders.

Millions of Americans have anxiety disorders. Many of these disorders begin in childhood, teenage years, or early adulthood. Women have them more than men. They occur with the same frequency in whites, African-Americans, and Hispanics.

These disorders are diagnosed by an evaluation by a doctor. He will ask questions about medical history and may perform a physical exam. The doctor may do tests to find out if there is a physical cause for the symptoms.

If no cause is found, you may be referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist. These are mental health professionals that are trained to treat mental illness. They will use an interview and other assessment tools to evaluate people for anxiety disorder.

Diagnosis will be based on a patient's report of how intense the symptoms are. They will also look at the duration of the symptoms. This will include daily functioning with the symptoms and observation of the patient by the doctor. They will look for the behavior and determine if the symptoms and degree indicate a specific disorder.

Progress had been made in this area in the last few years in mental illness including anxiety disorders. The exact treatment approach will depend on the type of disorder, one or a combination of several therapies may be used. These include:

Medication: medicines used include anti-depressants and anxiety-reducing drugs.

Psychotherapy: This is a type of counseling which addresses the emotional response to mental illness. A trained mental health professional will help the patient by talking through strategies for understanding and dealing with their disorder.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy--People can participate in the type of therapy in which the person learns to recognize and change thought patterns and behaviors that lead to troublesome feelings.

Anxiety disorders cannot be prevented, however, there are things that can be done to control or lessen the symptoms. These include stopping or reducing the consumption of caffeine in coffee, tea, cola, or chocolate.

Ask the doctor before buying over the counter medicines or herbal remedies. Some of these may contain ingredients that can increase anxiety symptoms.

Seek counseling.

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Cuing Into What Makes You Tick: Overcoming Your Anxiety

We live in an age that wires us to worry. We get way too much information from the TV, radio, and especially the internet. There are no more secrets and almost everyone has 900 "friends" keeping them busy every minute of the day. There is never enough time to do the things we want to do. We often feel rushed, overwhelmed and frustrated that it is never good enough, fast enough or satisfying enough.

We want instant gratification and become angry or anxious when it doesn't occur. We have less and less patience and are becoming more and more anxious. This doesn't just affect us as adults, but also seniors, teens, and it is now showing up in our children who are exhibiting symptoms of school and social anxiety, as well as fear of being bullied.

We know that anxiety is not life-threatening, and we do survive it, but it can take over your life. People who experience anxiety attacks describe it as one of the most unpleasant feelings one can have, without being physically ill. People often are misdiagnosed as having heart attacks when actually it is an anxiety attack. Feeling that you can't breathe, hyperventilating, sweating, shaking, feeling flushed, overwhelmed with heart palpitations are only some of the symptoms.

The best way to deal with these anxious feelings are to observe them early on and use your toolkit of techniques to decrease their power. What most people do is ignore the signs, hoping it will go away, and then it just gets stronger and stronger until you feel overwhelmed with a tidal wave of anxiety and at that point nothing will work but riding out the storm.

If you have experienced your extreme worry or anxiety as a 10 on the scale, you want to be noticing it coming on when you are a 4 or 5. If you cue into the early warning signs and you use the techniques I am recommending, it should greatly lessen the anxiety and in some instances, when used often enough, clients have reported anxiety attacks ending completely.

1. Become aware of your body's signals. For example, let's say you have to make a phone call or confront someone, and your palms start to sweat or your mouth becomes dry. This is the time to start your deep breathing exercises. Inhale slowly, through your nose, to the count of 4, hold it in slowly to the count of 4 and exhale it through your mouth to the count of 6. This exercise is VERY effective in reducing worry and anxiety, but like all tips I will give you, they only work if you use it. If you are a worrier, you should be doing the breathing exercises at least 5 times a day.

2. Another technique known to quiet worry is to ask yourself the question, "In 5 years from now, how much will this matter?"

3. It also helps to be more proactive in certain cases. If you found a mole on your skin and are worrying about it, taking action will help you to eliminate the problem. Calling your dermatologist and arranging an appointment will help you find out if everything is ok and if not the doctor will take care of it.

4. Statistics help too! When you are worried about something like skin cancer. The statistics I believe are something like 95% of skin lesions are curable if caught early. Of course, the worriers will say, what if I am in the bottom 5%. But just knowing that there is a 95% cure rate is reassuring and will lessen the anxiety.

5. Distract yourself. One of the things that most worriers tend to do is over think and over analyze. You know you won't come up with a better plan, but you can't seem to stop yourself from re-thinking it. This would be a good time to take your dog for a walk and notice the trees, the sky, the peace in nature. Other options are going to the gym, taking in a feel-good movie, Distract yourself from the nagging thoughts.

6. You know the expression, "Misery loves company". Well worriers also tend to attract other worriers. While, it may initially make you feel better that you're not the only one worrying, it can just multiply other worries. Try to find a supportive friend who will validate your concerns but help you see the positives in the situations or at least make some helpful suggestions as to how you might deal with it. That way you won't feel so alone and will feel supported, which will also help lower the anxiety.

7. Another statistic worth remembering is that they say that 95% of the things you worry about, never actually happen.

8. Become aware of your self-talk. The average person thinks 60-80,000 thoughts a day. If you are feeling anxious and worried that means that those are the thoughts you are thinking right now. While you can't be aware of each of these thoughts, you always know how you are feeling. Notice it and then ask yourself if it is true. Is this a real concern? How likely is this really to happen? Is there something I can do about it? Are these old tapes from my childhood or my parents voices? Figuring out where these worries are coming from can help you to see that it may not even be your worry. These may be old tapes you have inherited from your parents.

9. If you are a parent who worries, there is a good chance that you have a child who worries too much also. Your child learns how to deal with life, not just from the words you use, but by your behaviour and how you handle stress. If you are anxious and worried, the messages many children receive, is that the world is not a safe place. If you are a worried partner, chances are it affects your ability to feel confident, to trust and relax and have fun in your relationships. Worry isn't an issue only affecting you, it affects the tone, the joy and feelings of peace that accompanies you into your home and with your family.

10. If you have tried these and other tips and still you live your life with anxiety, worry, and a constant feeling of distress; it may be time to accept some outside help. Whether it is some anti-anxiety medication from your doctor or cognitive tools and techniques from myself or another therapist, please consider it. See this as an opportunity to take back control over your life and find the solutions to lowering the anxiety, increase your confidence and learn how to dance with life.

Rhonda Rabow, M.A.

Author's Bio Rhonda Rabow is an author and a psychotherapist living in Montreal, Quebec Canada. She has over 25 years experience counseling individuals, couples and families facing a variety of life challenges; from parenting, grief, depression, and self-esteem issues, to conflict resolution and marriage counseling. Her approach is empowerment and she accomplishes this by helping her clients find solutions to their problems and teaching them the skills and tools they need to feel back in control of their lives. She has also recently published an e-book called, "Discover the 3 secrets to living happily ever after".

http://www.helphelpmerhonda.ca/
http://www.rhondarabow.com/

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What Triggers Anxiety While Driving, and What Are Some of the Solutions?

Anxiety while driving is a mental disorder affecting both males and females. This involves feelings of immense dread, anxiety and or apprehension towards driving with no justifiable reason. Experts have shown that this condition affects about one in ten people at some point in life. Anxiety while driving falls under mental disorders known as neuroses. Neuroses are phobias that affect individual´s behaviour but not their rational thinking. They may exhibit anxiety every time they sit in a car driving or not. Though it affects both men and women, women are more affected by this condition regardless of their age.

This condition may be triggered by a traumatic experience in the past that affected the motorist like a collision, car accident or any other event. This may cause a motorist to be more apprehensive, unsafe and insecure while driving. The condition may also be triggered by driving under stressful conditions like speeding vehicles on a motorway, or traffic congestion regardless of previous driving experience or accidents encountered. The signs that show a motorist experiencing an anxiety attack are dizziness, trembling or shivering, nausea, headaches, flushing and stomach upset. As these anxiety signs progress, the motorist develops driving phobia. Phobias tend to protect the body against potential dangers. This is when the mind conditions the body into believing that driving is dangerous, so the person may be apprehensive and he may experience panic attacks while on the road.

A motorist may consider consulting a medical professional like a psychiatrist or a psychologist after experiencing such symptoms; he must get a proper diagnosis and know which treatment options are available. This condition is not permanent and, with help, one can overcome it. A motorist may positively affirm him or herself by thinking positively, instead of thinking about the bad experiences in the past. He can reaffirm himself by saying that he is an excellent driver and by thus doing boost his confidence on the road. He or she may also avoid hesitation as this triggers anxiety and panic while driving. If a motorist stops without knowing which way to go, he may worsen the situation causing snarl ups, and he becomes unsure. A motorist may try to relax the body and mind, and ease tension every time he sits in the car, through meditation and he may strengthen his respiration system by trying out some breathing exercises. Another therapeutic means of trying to get back to driving is taking a few minutes a day driving from home, around the neighbourhood and back.

Medical experts suggest that an affected person should do this every ten minutes and have regular five minute breaks. This helps the motorist view driving as a relaxing experience.

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How To Treat Social Anxiety

Being nervous before a presentation or a performance is normal. Almost everyone who stands up in front of people to speak admit that they are, to some extent, scared because they do not want to be embarrassed. But when it becomes excessive, to the point that it interferes with the individual's daily activities, medical attention must be considered. The condition in which a person is extremely anxious over social gatherings and meeting people is known as social anxiety or social phobia. There are different ways on how to treat social anxiety or phobia. Some treatments are more effective than others and prompt treatment is better than leaving the condition to get worse. On occasions failure to treat can result to a generalized anxiety disorder, a condition wherein the person is extremely worried about everything.

In the United States alone, more than 20 million people suffer from social phobia, making it one of the most common mental disorders in the country. One of the most effective methods on how to treat social anxiety revolve around cognitive and medication therapy. During the initial phase of the treatment, the root cause and underlying issues regarding the social phobias are examined. It is also during this time that the doctor makes an assessment of the severity of the situation. This will help him decide on how to treat social anxiety experienced by the individual.

In the cognitive-behavioral aspect of treatment, the patient will undergo a series of counseling sessions with a psychiatrist or a psychologist. The doctor can use a variety of methods to relieve the patient's social anxiety. He can perform an exposure therapy, where the patient is encouraged to face his fears in a gradual manner. It can start with imagining the fearful situation until he is able to actually immerse himself into it. Social skills training is another form of cognitive-behavioral treatment where the patient is taught on how to improve his people interaction skills so he can adapt to his condition. The patient's negative way of thinking can also be changed through cognitive restructuring. This method eliminates the patient's ideas and mental images that can trigger social anxiety. Lastly, symptom management helps the patient control the physical manifestation of an anxiety attack.

In conjunction with cognitive-behavioral therapy, the doctor can prescribe medications to aid the patient's treatment. Here are some of the medications that are commonly used by patients who have a social anxiety:

• Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors - these medications are known to relieve the depression associated with anxiety. It is important for the patient to stay away from foods that contain tyramine, such as aged cheese and wine.

• Benzodiazepines - these drugs are known for their fast-acting effect, making them useful in emergency situations. They are habit-forming though, so people who have substance abuse problems are prohibited from taking them.

• Beta-blockers - these target the signs and symptoms of anxiety such as an increase in heart rate and rise in blood pressure.

Any use of medication should always be taken under strict medical advice from a doctor.

Constant monitoring and followup is essential to ensure that the patient experiences recovery from their problem, however a combination of these forms of treatment is certainly a highly effective way in how to treat social anxiety.

George Hunter is a writer and blogger about Social Anxiety Disorder and other anxiety related topics. He has created a website resource to help fellow sufferers find a solution to their condition. Why not have a look at http://www.socialanxietydisorderguide.com/social-anxiety-disorder-treatment/ to find out what you can do about Social Anxiety and other types of Anxiety and Panic disorders.

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What Is Child Anxiety And How To Deal With It?

Anxiety is a phase people go through when they have feelings of worry, fear, nervousness, discomfort and dismay. It is perfectly normal to feel this way, however, this becomes a disorder if it becomes too much and doesn't go away even if you, as a parent, tries to comfort your son or daughter.

Anxiety in children is said to be a normal phase that kids go through and experience in childhood, however, it has become a common problem, somehow, in today's generation of children. Child anxiety may occur when they first start going to preschool or kindergarten. Many would suddenly generate a sense of fear when they see new faces, which, therefore, will make them afraid of trying new things that they may end up not wanting to go to school yet.

Types of Anxiety Disorders in Children

1. Obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD. Infants and kids with OCD are those that can't control their obsessions, such as, constantly repeating certain words, always counting, frequently washing hands and many more, which is what they do when they want to control their thoughts and feelings and focus their mind on something else.

2. Phobias or fears. Phobia means being extremely scared of something. For children, this could be dogs, hospitals, blood, water, heights or the dark.

3. Generalized anxiety disorder or GAD. GAD is an illness wherein kids have uncontrollable fears all the time about normal, everyday events, for example, certain family issues, grades, good performance in school, bullies and many more. They want everything in their life to be perfect, for example, regarding grades, they will want it to be the highest possible. This illness and its effect on kids make most of them become perfectionists when they grow older.

4. Separation anxiety disease. This is common among toddlers and infants, as they don't want to be separated from their mother or father. When they are old enough to go to school and parents have to leave them behind, they would usually cry, throw tantrums and demand that their parents stay with them and not leave them behind, or, they would insist for their parents to take them along. Those with this disease fear that something bad will happen to their parents whenever they are not around.

How to help your child in dealing with these diseases

1. Make sure that they stay healthy. Make certain that whatever your child eats is healthy for him or her. Make sure that he or she eats more vegetables than meat, and, completely avoid those that contain fats and other unhealthy substances. Also, make sure that your son or daughter sleeps early at night and gets at least 10 hours of sleep every night.

2. Show your kid how to stay calm. It may be hard for you to show them how to stay calm, especially since there are so many things in the world nowadays that make life extremely stressful. However, you need to do this for them. Show them how it is to stay calm. You should know that they look up only to you for help and comfort. Set a mood and feel of calmness into your home. Don't show any feelings of stress and frustration in front of your kids. If you can do this properly, then, anxiety in children won't be a problem in your family anymore.

3. Consult professional help. If you feel that your children are suffering from child anxiety, you may seek for professional help, such as, going to the pediatrician or visiting your child's school counselor or a child therapist.

For more information about anxiety in children and child anxiety, visit our website childanxietymom.com.

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How to Prevent Anxiety Attacks From Ruling Your Life

If you have ever experienced a panic attack, you know just how debilitating they can be. They can make you freeze up, they can cause you to feel like vomiting, and you can even pass out in some cases. Some people have mild panic attacks and others avoid social and other situations completely for fear that another serious attack will occur. Fortunately, there is help. But it's not pharmaceutical help. This country is quickly becoming addicted to too many pharmaceutical drugs. The following are ways to stop a panic attack without the use of medication entirely.

Medication

If you currently take medication for your anxiety and panic attacks, keep taking them. Do not listen to anyone about whether or not you should take your medicine except your doctor. Only he or she can tell you with authority that you should stop taking your meds. That being said, hopefully you'll get to a point where you can tell your doctor you know longer need them. Keep up with the following tips and you may get to that point.

Deep Breathing

It may sound cliché to tell someone to breathe deeply in order to calm a panic attack, but this technique really works. However, for it to be effective you have to really concentrate. You can't just take in a few deep breaths and expect to be fine without doing a little mental work. You need to close your eyes and picture you are somewhere else while you do your deep breathing exercises. For this exercise, it's important that you have that spot picked out before hand. It could be the beach; it could be an image of you and your loved one at the park, or anything else that brings happy thoughts to your mind. Then, whenever you feel a panic attack coming on, you just breathe as deeply as you can while imagining you are somewhere else entirely. This is very effective at calming even the worst of panic attacks.

A Comedy

This may sound like a funny tip but whenever you find yourself in a situation that typically brings on panic attacks, imagine it's a scene in a comedy. You should even go so far as to imagine a laugh track. This isn't as easy as it sounds, but it's terribly effective at calming panic attacks. If you can picture yourself watching the situation through a TV or movie screen, things don't seem as serious as they did before. This really works so it's recommended that you try it whenever you feel an attack coming on to stop the panic attacks from occurring.

Practice with a Reminder

If you suffer from anxiety attacks, it's recommended that you work on curing them every night before you go to bed. You need to imagine yourself in a happy place while you meditate and focus on everything positive in your life. It's at this time that you will probably feel most calm. You will want to preserve that feeling for the real world so that you can use your new found confidence to stop panic attacks from controlling your life forever. So the next time you're practicing, use a reminder in your meditations. This could be a special stone, a rubber band, or anything small you can carry with you that will remind you of your nightly practice sessions. Then, whenever you feel an attack coming on, touch the stone, or look at the rubber band around your wrist and you'll instantly calm down.

The above tips will take practice but with time you'll be able to stall and even stifle panic attacks completely so that they no longer affect you.

Anxiety doesn't have to rule your life. Click Here and read about my battle with Anxiety attacks and how came out the winner.

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Dealing With Anxiety Effectively

Many people today deal with the common issue of anxiety. Anxiety can be caused by many different things in life and can seem difficult to cope with. There are ways that anxiety can be dealt with, though. Using certain tactics, you can learn how to cope with your anxiety. You may even be able to minimize your anxiety as a whole. As you read the tips on coping with your anxiety, you will learn to worry less about things. You will be happy with the end result, which is a less stressful life.

Analyze the Cause of Your Anxiety - Once you analyze what is causing your anxiety, it will be easier for you to deal with. If your work stresses you out, take a break every so often. If it's certain people or other situations, take breaks from those people or situation. Whatever it is, a break is necessary to minimize your anxiety.

Become More Social - When you close yourself off and are alone most of the time, your anxiety can be by far worse. This is because you are alone with nothing but time on your hands to worry about everything under the sun. So, become more social and get out of the house to take your mind off of things.

Find an Outlet - People who suffer from anxiety generally need an outlet to help them cope. For some people this is a journal and for others it may be working out. You just need to find something that works for you. Whatever it is, do it religiously if it helps to minimize your anxiety levels.

Confide in Someone - Sometimes when your anxiety is through the room, talking to someone is all you need. So, find someone who you trust and who is willing to listen to you. See if they're willing to set aside some time each week to talk to you. This can be a family member, a friend, or even a professional counselor.

Find Something to Calm You - This may sound easier said than done, but everyone has something that calms them. This can be a bubble bath, relaxing music, or the scent of a certain candle. It doesn't matter what it is or how silly it sounds. Whatever it is, do it once a day.

Most people with anxiety need a schedule of things to minimize their anxiety. So, finding an outlet you do a few times a week, someone you talk to once a week, and something that calms you once a day can really bring down your anxiety a lot. When you throw getting out of the house and take a break from your stressors into the mix, you're good to go.

Danny Hawkins has more than 15 years of experience in psychology, and is very insightful on dealing with anxiety. In his free time he enjoys reading, watching movies, and being outdoors.

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Help For Anxiety

Anxiety can be a very debilitating condition for many people. Approximately 40 million adults are affected by an anxiety disorder. Over 42 billion dollars are spent annually by the United States to treat anxiety. The causes of anxiety conditions vary from individual to individual. Some of the common causes include chemical imbalances, genetic predisposition, traumatic life events and personality type. The condition is highly treatable with medication prescribed by a physician. However, there are also numerous other changes in diet and lifestyle that can help alleviate the condition. These milder forms of anxiety can often be lessened with positive lifestyle changes.

Control Worry: Worrying is a natural part of life. There are appropriate times to worry. If you have a reasonable concern that needs to be resolved quickly, sometimes a little worrying can motivate you into solving the issue. However, when worry becomes chronic and consumes your day, it is a problem. People who have anxiety often develop irrational levels of worry. They will imagine the worst possible scenarios. This becomes a drain on their physical and mental well being. Sleep can become difficult and anxiety levels will increase. There are ways to control your worrying if you wish to alleviate your anxiety.

First you need to understand yourself better. What is it that makes it so hard for you to stop worrying? Often anxiety makes a person rationalize that worrying will help them find the solution to their problem. It is a self destructive cycle that makes it hard to stop for fear that the problem will never go away. There is a level of needing to control every aspect of one's life when worry is so persistent. There are several cognitive methods you can use to help you get the worrying under control. Schedule worry time: Choose a specific time of the day that you will set aside to actually "worry" about whatever is bothering you. During this worry time which should be no more than 20-30 minutes, think about what's concerning you. Try to find solutions that are reasonable. Do not worry at other times of the day. If you find yourself doing so, remind yourself that you have a scheduled worry time to analyze these concerns. Soon you will automatically begin to worry less as you retrain your thought process in more productive and constructive ways. You will more than likely find resolutions to many of your problems this way.

Uncertainty is part of life: When you accept this truth of life, you can begin to ease your anxiety about needing to control everything. Most people with anxiety have a difficult time dealing with anything that is unpredictable in their lives. They seem to believe that worrying will help them to prevent anything out of the ordinary from occurring. This type of behavior leads to anxiety. You cannot enjoy living in the present because you are always worried about what might happen. Challenge Yourself: To help combat this behavior you can ask yourself questions. Identify what thoughts are causing you to feel fear. Ask yourself if there is a better way to look at this particular problem. How would you advise a friend who may have a similar problem? Is that how you are handling the problem yourself? These self help type questions will help you to identify patterns you may have developed in your thought process. These patterns can be changed with consistent effort on your part to develop more positive thinking.

Thought patterns that create anxiety: Certain thought patterns can contribute to anxiety. Over Generalizing: For example, let's say you did not get accepted into the university that you applied for. You criticize yourself. You believe you aren't intelligent and college is now out of the question. This is an example of over generalization. This is an "all or nothing" type approach to life and is very unhealthy. Life really is not black and white. There are many shades in between. Learn to not be so critical of yourself.

Live in The Present: When you worry you are concerned about the outcome of a future event. You can practice living in the present by first acknowledging these thoughts and feelings. Try to remain objective, like an observer and do not judge the behavior. Then try to relax and let the worries pass through your mind, visualizing them moving away from your mind. While doing this stay focused on the present moment, on your breathing, etc. This will help keep your mind focused in the present. This type of exercise can teach you to live more fully in the moment.

Good Support System: When you are dealing with anxiety you must be careful to associate with positive people who are not anxious as you are. Human behavior can be greatly influenced by those we surround ourselves with. Think about times that your mood was affected by the mood and behavior of others. Negative behavior creates tension in the environment. Of course we cannot always control our environment. Learn to set boundaries in relationships that are important to you but that may be emotionally draining. Find activities you are interested in and join local groups that participate in them. For example, you can join various sport clubs, reading, art or music appreciation associations. Finding people with similar interests is a positive experience and will help you to reinforce behavior that is not anxiety based. Anxiety can be a very serious problem. But clearly there are many ways to lessen the anxiety you may be experiencing through positive lifestyle changes. Remember whenever beginning any dietary or lifestyle changes, always consult with a medical professional, particularly if you are taking prescription drugs or suffer from any disease or ailment.

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Tina C. Loren

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