About Anxiety - Information for Anxiety Sufferers
Everyone has anxiety in their life at some time
or other. It is a normal part of being human, but for
some people it can get out of control to the point where it disrupts
their lifestyle. This usually happens when the sufferer becomes afraid
of the bodily symptoms he / she is experiencing and then begins to
avoid places and situations where they feel the symptoms may occur.
This type of "abnormal" anxiety is often there for a reason.
These experiences force you
to take a look at your life, your attitudes and your behaviour, and you
have to be prepared to make changes as necessary. Change is the natural
order of life and you have to live in hope that the changes you make
this time will really help you to make a difference towards putting
things right.
You have to keep looking for other options to help deal with your
anxiety. You can't afford to continue with "more of the same" - you
deserve better than you've got now! You have to make
things happen to bring about the changes which will enable you to have
a better quality of life. Those who aren't prepared to make changes
have to be prepared to live with the consequences.
Some anxiety sufferers may
feel that they are primarily defective when in fact they are usually very
exceptional people - they feel things more deeply than
others, they worry and care about other people to an extent that others
do not. They are analytical and think about everything deeply. It's a
gift to have strong emotions. The great poets, philosophers, and
composers were all emotionally charged people - this enabled them to
produce the work they did. Don't be ashamed to be an emotional being
and to be caring and compassionate, and don't think of
yourself as less of a person because you suffer from anxiety.
People who are in any way different from what is thought of as
"normal" are not usually understood or appreciated and this is what
makes us all unique. It would be a dull world if we were all the same -
so be proud of who you are. You are unique, and special, so don't try
to change yourself: instead try to change the attitudes and behaviours
which are causing you concern and spoiling your life.
Maybe you have been afraid
(or ashamed) to tell anyone about the way you feel and have kept it all
bottled up inside of you. You may feel as though something is always
there in the background, which you think you would not be in control of
if ever it were to materialise. These type of thoughts are always
exaggerated and get blown out of all perspective, especially when
you're trying to deal with anxiety on your own. You're looking at
things with a distorted perception. Talking to someone
who understands how you feel can provide a great sense of relief,
especially when you start to realise that everything has been blown out
of all proportion to the reality of the situation.
It is very important to remember that the symptoms of
anxiety - horrible as they are - are NOT symptoms
of a mental illness. Anxiety is an emotional problem and
it's never going to escalate to the point where you go mad. No-one has,
or ever will, go mad through suffering from anxiety - the two
conditions are totally and completely unrelated, so if this is one of
your fears, don't waste your time and energy worrying about something
which will never happen.
Remember that the feelings
you get are all common symptoms of
anxiety, and your fear of them is contributing to keeping
them alive and causing you so much distress and unhappiness. There are
literally millions of people across the world in all walks of life who
experience these problems, so you are certainly not alone.
There are numerous ways sufferers try to keep their panic attacks and
other symptoms under control. Some may use avoidance behaviour, or
distraction techniques to limit their exposure to difficult or
frightening events, whilst others will not or cannot avoid fearful
situations and consequently live a life dominated by constant feelings
of free-floating generalised anxiety.
The only one sure thing with anxiety is that if you are willing to make
changes, you will improve your life. Learning to face difficult
situations will take time and a lot of personal effort. Remember
though, you must be patient - these
changes will be gradual, but it will be
worthwhile.
|
As with all human beings, when you feel stressed, your body is designed to respond by producing adrenaline. This hormone helps to prepare you for "action" by stimulating some bodily functions while damping down others. This normal, automatic reaction is known as the "fight or flight" response, and is... more |
When panic starts, sensible thinking stops, so you can't depend on being able to think very clearly at the time. Instead of that, you should read through the ten rules set out below very carefully before you begin to practice them so that they are clear in your mind. When you feel panicky, run through them... more |
