Find yourself in one state of anxiety It is a very common event in everyday life.
An exam to overcome, a job interview or the fear of losing what you have, waiting for a diagnosis, a change of radical life, the uncertainty of the future, are all situations associated with a certain degree of concern, stress and nervousness that everyone experiences in many moments of life.
Suffering from an anxiety disorder is something very similar and very different at the same time, in the sense that the sensations experienced are largely the same, but almost constantly present, persistent over time and pervasive, to the point of preventing from concentrating, rationally analyze problems and identify solutions, carry out the usual activities serenely, rest and draw pleasure from the situations/pleasant activities.
Risk factors and circumstances that may encourage anxiety
Everyone can be affected by a anxiety disorder In some moments of life, but there are more predisposed people than others and events and circumstances that can encourage the onset and persistence of anxious symptoms.
- Belong to the female gender.
- Having lived traumatic experiences or having witnessed dramatic events in childhood (a car accident, a robbery, an earthquake etc.).
- Suffering from serious chronic diseases (especially cardiac, respiratory, digestive or metabolic type) or having been affected in the past by a severe and/or associated pathology associated with a strong negative emotional component (for example, a tumor, a cardiac infarction, surgery gone badly etc.).
- Having been exposed to an intense acute source of stress or more modest stress, but prolonged over time (such as those associated, for example, to a conflicting family life, to professional activities characterized by requests for productivity and excessive efficiency or serious economic difficulties).
- Having a psychological profile characterized by a poor ability to adapt to external stimuli and a spontaneous tendency to nervousness and concern.
- Preparation on a genetic basis (to date, not clearly determined).
- Assumption of substances (alcohol, drugs, drugs, caffeine, nicotine, phytotherapy extracts etc.) who tend to worsen the response to stress and increase the tendency to anxiety.
Anxiety remedies
To relieve a anxiety disorder Clinically relevant, behavioral cognitive psychotherapy are almost always necessary and, sometimes, specific drug therapy (in most cases, based on SSRI antidepressants and/or benzodiazepines for short periods).
In addition to these specialist interventions, there is a series of remedies for anxiety: practical and technical precautions that everyone can exploit in everyday life to reduce tension, nervousness and concern that may arise in the most disparate situations.
These interventions are also useful in those who do not suffer from clinical anxiety, to better face the most stressful and demanding periods from a psychoemotive point of view.
- Regularly practice physical activity. Moving the body has a demonstrated favorable effect on balance and psychological well -being. Practicing sports or walking on foot or by bicycle, alone or in company, helps to loosen the tension, download the nervousness, improve mood, increase self -confidence and promote night rest.
- Make sure good sleep. Sleeping at least 7-8 hours per night and keeping regular lifestyle rhythms, beding and getting up more or less every day at the same time, is essential to react positively to stress and maintain a good psychological balance. If stress and anxiety prevent you from falling asleep or cause repeated or early awakenings, contact the doctor to identify an adequate remedy.
- Eat in a healthy and balanced way. Nutritional imbalances and unhealthy diets make more vulnerable to nervousness and stress. In particular, magnesium deficits and vitamins of group B can encourage the onset of unstable mood, nervousness, depression and anxiety. To protect yourself, it is important to make regular, nutritious, light and varied meals. To favor: whole grains, fruit, vegetables, fish and legumes and fresh foods, rich in essential vitamins and micronutrients.
- Reduce the consumption of drinks with caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine has a well -known, albeit bland, stimulating/exciting effect: above all, if you know you are sensitive to its action better to avoid taking it or reducing its consumption in the periods of greater nervousness. Alcohol, on the contrary, constitute a dangerous temporary palliative to anxiety, risking to induce dependence if consumed excessively.
- Take on drinks and foods that help relax. Herbal teas, infusions, natural extracts and some foods/drinks exert a slight calming action, which can help loosen the tension during the day and to favor sleep if taken in the evening. Among these, Camomilla, Valeriana, Tiglio, Melissa, Hawthorn, Passiflora, Malva. Furthermore, the calming effect of foods that increase the brain levels of tryptophan (an amino acid), such as, for example, dairy products, complex carbohydrates (pasta, potatoes, etc.), legumes, dried fruit, cocoa and bananas, should be remembered.
- Spend as long as possible outdoors and in the midst of nature. Staying outdoors, in the middle of the greenery or in any case in a pleasant environment helps to reorganize thoughts and to relax the nerves. The ideal is to take a walk of at least half an hour every day, especially if the climate is pleasant, and allow yourself a trip out of town at least once a week.
- Avoid loneliness. Socializing, being in the midst of pleasant people, creating new relationships and dedicating time to affections is essential to relativize problems, removing anxiety and maintaining a good mood. Trying to participate in shared activities and projects helps to feel less alone, to reduce anxiety and improve the approach to life problems.
- Learn relaxation techniques. Learning different relaxation strategies and applying them regularly, especially in moments of greater stress, can help to prevent nervousness, anxiety and stress by taking over. Yoga, meditation, guided breathing, tai-chi etc. are suitable. In addition, massages, acupuncture and listening to classical music or meditation can be useful.
- Take strategic breaks. In moments of stress and anxiety, concentration and yield ability are very low and there is a risk of making mistakes. It is therefore advisable to stop what you are doing for a few minutes and try to distract yourself thinking about positive situations, breathing deeply, taking a walk, listening to a little music etc. After all it will be easier.
- Share their emotions. Keeping for itself fears and worries makes them more pervasive and bulky and makes you feel more alone. Talking about their problems with friends and family available to listening and examining different opinions on a critical situation helps to reduce their weight and identify un considered solutions. Conversely, it is important to avoid dedicating time to unpleasant people, who put in difficulty or nervous.
- Adopt a conscious and positive attitude towards negative emotions. A very useful discipline to protect the psychological balance and live better that it is taking hold in recent years is that of “mindfullness” meditation: an approach that helps to overcome the negative moods, becoming fully aware of it and learning to accept them and to live them for what they are, with the certainty that, sooner or later, they will pass: including anxiety.
Sources:
• DSM-5. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Raffaello Cortina Editore, Milan 2014.
• Mayo Clinic. Anxiety: http://www.mayoclinic.org/disasasi-conditions/anxiety/home/o
