Understanding and Managing Your Anxiety: A Beginner's Guide

Anxiety is a normal and necessary part of life, but for some people, it becomes a debilitating issue. At Lifespan Psychiatry & Wellness Center, we have experience treating anxiety disorders and help those in our care find a more stable and fulfilling quality of life. 

If you’ve been struggling with anxiety and aren’t sure how to find relief, we would love to meet with you and explore your options. Let’s discuss what anxiety is and how it can be effectively managed. 

What exactly is anxiety?

Anxiety is the feeling that your body develops when faced with a perceived threat or source of danger. 

Imagine yourself driving on a highway through a rainstorm. You’re likely to experience a heightened state of awareness as you try to see the road markings and determine if you should pull off the road and wait it out. 

You see another vehicle lose its traction and slide out of its lane. 

Your body is going to experience a range of changes during this experience. You’ll likely feel spikes of fear in addition to an underlying tension fueled by the uncertainties of the situation. You might develop a stomachache and notice your shoulder and jaw muscles tightening. 

Your heart rate will increase, and you might start to sweat. Your thoughts might race as you try to decide the best way to respond. 

All of these emotions and physical sensations are caused by anxiety. In this example, those symptoms are a natural and potentially helpful response to a stressful situation. You become more aware of your surroundings and are poised to take fast action if necessary. 

But for some, the symptoms of anxiety become a pervasive part of everyday life or flare up in reaction to circumstances that are not necessarily dangerous. There are many types of anxiety disorders, but they all share the same foundation: anxiety that is not helpful. 

Anxiety can gradually take over your life

Every human is going to experience bouts of anxiety from time to time. That’s absolutely normal, and in many situations it can help protect you from harm. Anxiety can happen within a short period of time, or it can last for weeks or even longer. 

A period of high stress at home or at work can provoke ongoing anxiety. Specific situations can cause spikes in anxiety that settle once the situation improves. 

Once you begin experiencing anxiety frequently, it can become difficult to identify when your emotions have crossed the line from being a helpful part of dealing with your current circumstances and have become harmful to your quality of life. 

One of the best ways to know when it’s time to seek treatment for anxiety is to assess how your feelings are impacting your daily life. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by negative thoughts and feelings or drained of energy, working with a mental health professional can be incredibly restorative. 

There are treatments that can help with anxiety

Never before have there been so many options to help manage anxiety. Your specific treatment path is shaped by your unique circumstances. Once you begin meeting with a therapist, you’ll explore various paths toward lasting relief. 

Many people benefit from talk therapy. There are many approaches and techniques, but all center on exploring how anxiety is affecting your life and how you can better manage the emotions and physical reactions that anxiety brings. 

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an especially powerful tool in managing anxiety. 

CBT is based on the understanding that thoughts and behaviors are directly linked. Learning how to identify negative thoughts and replace them with healthier ones gives you a sense of control over your emotions and helps you make decisions that are in line with your goals. 

For some, medication is the best way to manage anxiety. But drug therapy is never used as a stand-alone option. You’ll always have access to talk therapy with a trained mental health specialist as you navigate your treatment plan. 

Anxiety can feel overwhelming and inevitable

For many people who’ve been living with anxiety for some time, it can begin to feel like there is simply no way out. 

And once you’ve begun to think about your anxiety as inevitable, it can provoke even more feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, which can create a cycle of negative feedback. 

We’re here to tell you that it is possible to break that cycle. No matter what type of anxiety disorder you’re dealing with, there are ways to manage your symptoms and enjoy more stability in your daily life. 

Don’t let anxiety change the course of your days and nights when help is available. When you’re ready to explore your options, we are ready to meet with you. 

You can schedule a visit at Lifespan Psychiatry & Wellness Center via a quick phone call or a few moments on our online booking page. We offer both in-office and telehealth visits to accommodate your schedule.