Anyone who is suffering or has suffered from anxiety knows that it can be quite debilitating. I know too well what anxiety feels like. Although when I was younger I had no idea that it was anxiety – as far as I knew – I drove everyone around me crazy with my so called unnecessary worry, panic and fear of things that were never likely going to happen. It wasn’t until my anxiety escalated to the point where I temporarily lost my vision in one of my eyes that I knew I had to do something about it. For me it was a slow journey uncovering and undoing innate behaviours I’d had for most of my life – although it has by far been one of the best journeys I have ever made.
Anxiety disorders have become one of the most common mental health problems over this last century. They represent a group of disorders, which are categorised by intense episodes of fearfulness that occur without a triggering or potentially dangerous event.
The main factor of an anxiety disorder is increased fear accompanied by subjective as well as objective indications. The subjective indications range from intensified awareness to deep fear of impending tragedy or death. The objective indications include restlessness, sweating, palpitations, an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, dry mouth, and a desire to run and escape. (This goes back to cave man times – if you didn’t run you’d be eaten – survival of the fittest). You may find if you suffer from anxiety you will have tight sore calve muscles as your body is always in fight/flight mode.
The exact cause of an anxiety disorder may not be known although the triggers can be quite obvious. Stressful events and chronic depression can also be contributing factors. Anxiety disorders can also be passed on through families.
Anxiety Disorders are divided into 5 types:
- Generalised anxiety disorder – is characterised by excessive, uncontrollable worry.
- Obsessive, compulsive disorder – is characterised by repetitive thoughts and actions.
- Panic disorder – is characterised by an experience of intense fear with neurologic, cardiac, respiratory, and psychological symptoms.
- Social phobia – is an intense fear reaction to social interaction.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder – which has psychological ramifications that continue for at least a month after a traumatic event.
In this present day there is a lot of information available on how to treat anxiety and depending on the severity of your anxiety it is always best to seek medical advise on your course of action.
Do you need help managing anxiety?
- Visit your family Doctor or local GP – talk about your concerns and how you’d like to address your anxiety. Anxiety disorders can be managed through therapies formulated by doctors and psychologists. Many GP’s today have a good understanding of natural and or alternative healthcare enabling them to make the right recommendations for you.
- Kinesiology is an holistic approach to your health care and has been very successful for many suffering from anxiety. Kinesiology combined with Mind Body Medicine can help uncover and address the underlying triggers that have led to your anxiety.
- Diet and nutrition – Are you eating the right foods for your mind and body? And are they healthy? A healthy digestive system often equals a healthy mind. The digestive system plays an important role in the production of serotonin (the body’s natural “happy hormone”).
- Do you get enough if any exercise? – Even a daily 20 minute stroll can make a difference to your anxiety. Exercise not only helps reduce anxiety, it improves your mood, helps to reduce stress, improves circulation and your overall emotional state.
- Meditation – This is a great way to connect within, quieten your mind and slow down, although meditation can be difficult for many with anxiety – a form of meditation can be as simple as finding a beautiful setting to sit, relax and connect with your breath. If meditation seems too hard another option to relax and quieten your mind is Yoga, as it’s physical it may be easier than meditating and you don’t have to be fit or flexible to give it a go – it’s one of those activities the more you do the better you’ll get.
- Grounding – There are many ways to ground yourself but a very simple and effective way is to simply walk barefoot on the grass, dirt or sand – give it a go sometime.
Restore Life’s Natural Balance
If you’d like more information on how kinesiology can help with anxiety, please connect with me today.