Stress & Anxiety
Stress can lead to a host of problems and manifest itself in many ways. One of the more predominant results of stress is an anxiety attack.
An anxiety attack can happen at any time to those who suffer from this disorder. Some studies have pointed to a steady increase of people who suffer from anxiety attacks and other stress related disorders.
No one is immune from the ill effects of stress, whether it is in the form of depression, agoraphobia or anxiety attacks.
Many of us have experience an anxiety attack and never knew it for what it actually was. That’s because few people know the symptoms of an anxiety attack. Those who suffer from repeated anxiety attacks learn to know the symptoms, and when the onset of an attack is on its way.
A true anxiety attack is much more intense than just feeling stressed out at the end of the day. An anxiety attack can come on suddenly at any time, not just after a single stressful event. Often, the attack overwhelms the individual in one instant, and for no apparent cause. It is estimated that one out of three Americans will experience an anxiety attack, and one out of every seventy five people worldwide will experience an anxiety attack at least once within their lifetime.
How do you know if you’re suffering from an anxiety attack? Well, the symptoms are varied, but they can be very intense, so it is easily distinguished from the regular stressed out feeling we have at the end of the day. If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, you could be having an anxiety attack, and should see a doctor right away.
- Extreme nervousness with shaking.
- Difficulty breathing, feeling as though you cannot get enough air.
- Runaway heartbeat.
It is important that you identify your coping strategies. One way to do this is by recording the stressful event, your reaction, and how you cope in a stress journal. With this information, you can work to change unhealthy coping strategies into healthy ones-those that help you focus on the positive and what you can change or control in your life.
Lifestyle
Some behaviors and lifestyle choices affect your stress level. They may not cause stress directly, but they can interfere with the ways your body seeks relief from stress. Try to:
· Balance personal, work, and family needs and obligations.
· Have a sense of purpose in life.
· Get enough sleep, since your body recovers from the stresses of the day while you are sleeping.
· Eat a balanced diet for a nutritional defense against stress.
· Get moderate exercise throughout the week.
· Limit your consumption of alcohol.
· Don’t smoke.
Social support
Social support is a major factor in how we experience stress. Social support is the positive support you receive from family, friends, and the community. It is the knowledge that you are cared for, loved, esteemed, and valued. More and more research indicates a strong relationship between social support and better mental and physical health.
Changing thinking
When an event triggers negative thoughts, you may experience fear, insecurity, anxiety, depression, rage, guilt, and a sense of worthlessness or powerlessness. These emotions trigger the body’s stress, just as an actual threat does. Dealing with your negative thoughts and how you see things can help reduce stress.
· Thought-stopping helps you stop a negative thought to help eliminate stress.
· Disproving irrational thoughts helps you to avoid exaggerating the negative thought, anticipating the worst, and interpreting an event incorrectly.
· Problem solving helps you identify all aspects of a stressful event and find ways to deal with it.
· Changing your communication style helps you communicate in a way that makes your views known without making others feel put down, hostile, or intimidated. This reduces the stress that comes from poor communication. Use the assertiveness ladder to improve your communication style.
Whether you’re the mail guy, the CEO, or probably the average working parent, stress is one unwanted visitor you would love to boot out of your homes, especially your life.
admin | 
August 23, 2011 6:47 am
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