How to Abolish Anxiety!
Friends used to tell me, “Tula you don’t need drugs” due to the fact I was always racing. I was actually once told I was in a permanent state of anxiety. This began with panic attacks from childhood. By the time I was nearly 20, I knew I had to do something to heal myself.
This anxiety spilled over into every area of my life. It was a daily struggle. I was described to be in a state of permanent anxiety. That was the catalyst for a personal growth journey spanning a lifetime. I found out that anxiety is directly linked to low Self-Worth.
They say stress is a killer! Stress and Anxiety however are slightly different conditions. Where stress is circumstantial and passing, anxiety doesn’t subside and can often have little cause or reason. The impact on life can be immense, rendering one unable to cope with simple everyday events. In fact, most of us are said to wake up every morning feeling there is something wrong.
When anxiety affects 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men, it becomes more important to address. So what are the causes of anxiety? Here are the facts according to Beyond Blue, a wonderful resource:
• Family history of mental health, which includes genetics as well as the environment we grow up in.
• Ongoing stress, having to move house continually for example.
• Chronic physical health problems also attribute to depression and anxiety.
• Substance use
• Personality factors
The types of symptoms anxiety sufferers experience can range from difficulty breathing (hyperventilating), hot and cold flushes, a rapidly beating heart, obsessive- compulsive behavior and negative self talk. Anxiety can also cause physical symptoms like stomach ulcers and Irritable Bowel Syndrome for example. Anxiety disorders include phobias, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress, OCD and generalized anxiety.
The treatments available to anxiety sufferers are mainly psychological, with cognitive behavior and behavior therapy. In some cases medication is prescribed to correct the imbalance of chemical messages between neurons in the brain.
Here are some additional solutions I can attest to:
Breathing is, in my humble opinion the most vital ingredient in healing anxiety. Getting out of our heads and into our body will quiet the mind, bring us into the present, relaxing us in the process. There are guided meditations available with left and right brain delta frequencies and positive messages that go into our subconscious and re-program the brain into positive thought, as long as there is consistency. To undo our programming, which has taken a lifetime in some cases, using guided meditation, which promotes circular breathing most days of the week, is very beneficial.
Physical exercise is another great antidote to anxiety. Raising our heart rate with exercise increases our breathing and relieves anxiety as well as releasing endorphins, which make us feel happy! Inspirational material is also very good to listen to. There are many great speakers with audio available readily on the Internet. When we have been fed negative feedback for a long time, we need as much positive reinforcement as possible to counteract
negativity and fear.
When we feel anxious, having a coffee and a cigarette is common. Funnily enough, both will increase our anxiety, though we don’t think so. Our bodies are excellent at telling us what feels good and what doesn’t. Sugar, for example will give us a high followed by a quick low. Foods high in carbohydrates turn into sugar when we don’t expend that energy with exercise. Therefore, using junk food as a comfort as many of us do, has the opposite effect once again. Feeding our bodies clean, healthy food will assist us in equally great mental health.
Anxiety feels very similar to fear and when we experience regular panic attacks we can often become fearful of the fear alone. Opening our hearts with meditation is a great way to access the love we all have and connects us to our divine source, which in turn gives us access to inspiration and a
feeling of well being.
When we realise that we are all indeed connected and experience the same feelings, we can embrace our fellow humans and overcome many fears associated with other people.
Tachycardia is one situation where slowing our breathing and breathing deeply does not necessarily slow our heart down. It can often be mistaken for a heart attack. Whenever there is risk of heart attack it is best to be safe than sorry. Seeking a doctor’s advice or going to hospital is the most responsible action. Working on our cognitive thinking is helpful in avoiding overwhelm. It is important not to load our mind with too much. Meditation, inspirational material, soft music and surroundings, a gentle approach step by step is a great way to eliminate Tachycardia.
With phobias, hypnotherapy is often successful and in some cases therapists use desensitisation as a tool.
Phobias are usually unreasonable (not based on real danger) automatic responses, which over time become a pattern we immediately follow. Unlocking that pattern often lessens the phobia until it can become manageable for us. Our brain is malleable and highly intelligent. We have the power to change our brain chemistry!
“The brain is actually a supple, malleable organ, as ready to unlearn as it is to learn, capable of transforming vicious circles into virtuous circles, of resetting and repairing its internal communications. Far more than once dreamed possible, the brain can — if not always cure — heal itself. “
Dr. Norman Doidge, in his 2007 bestseller The Brain That Changes Itself
Other life skills like feeling gratitude and being thankful for all that we are and have lift us from negative thoughts leading to anxiety. Happiness is a choice, something I am certain many have heard and taken with a grain of salt, feeling helpless to this debilitating condition.
These are not overnight solutions. They do take consistency, perseverance and work. They are pieces in the puzzle, complementing each other on the road to recovery. Together they can transform our existence. They have worked for me. I do hope they work for you. “Whatever works” as they say!
I wish you a speedy recovery.
Tula Tzoras
