Feeling Anxious?
Do you…..
· Feel you can't cope with more than one thing
· Feel your stomach churn for no real reason.
· Lie awake at night - worrying about yesterday, tomorrow,
next year, ageing, death…
· Find yourself suddenly frozen with fear in the supermarket
or on the bus.
· Fear leaving the house because you might have a panic attack.
· Constantly worry about how you can cope; with your job,
family, home, friendships…..
Why is this happening?
About 1 in 10 people develop an anxiety disorder sometimes
in their lives.
Many women lack confidence. We don't feel sure
of ourselves and our abilities. We may remember past events
that were frightening. Our parents may have been anxious and
we may have learned to respond to situations in a similar
way. Present events may also provoke these feelings.
All these things make it difficult for us to
handle the conflicts and pressures we face in our lives. This
exposes us to anxiety, and once we start feeling anxious,
the fear of anxiety itself makes matters worse.
Many women feel particularly tense and anxious
before their periods and at certain points in their lives
such as early motherhood and the menopause .
Anxiety can be helpful - it can help us prepare
for and cope with big events like examinations, interviews
and speaking up for ourselves and what we believe in.
But for some women, anxiety can become overwhelming
and then it isn't helpful. We can't think straight, can't
make decisions, or do anything at all - it paralyses us in
an almost constant state of fear or dread. The way anxiety
shows itself can vary in different women; for example some
women experience agoraphobia - a fear of leaving home or claustrophobia
- a fear of being in. Many women describe an attack as feeling
like they are having a heart attack or feeling as if they
can't breathe.
Some women may suffer from panic attacks, some
may find their anxiety specific to a certain situation. Some
women may feel depressed, some may become agitated. All of
these states can be frightening and bewildering. They can
follow a period of prolonged stress, they can come out of
the blue, or they can be a result of a particular crisis or
event.
Remember that anxiety is the body's response
to stress or threat and everybody has experienced it. But
if anxiety is preventing you from enjoying life it can be
a long hard battle to change the situation. There are things
you can do to help the process of change:
What Can you do?
· Don't be afraid to admit to feeling anxious.
· Try to accept yourself as you are, worry and all
· Stop expecting too much of yourself.
· Be kind to yourself.
· Find someone to talk to, someone who can understand how
you feel perhaps because they have felt the same way.
· Learn how to relax, and make time every day to do this for
a few minutes at least. Join a relaxation class.
· Get more exercise. This relaxes muscles, and gets rid of
the adrenaline produced when you are under stress.
· Take three deep breaths, let them out slowly, and let your
muscles go loose. You can do this wherever you are.
· Many self-help groups for anxiety use exposure therapy.
This is when you expose yourself step by step to the things
that frighten you in a structured way.
It all sounds very easy
and though it isn't - it is worth trying.
Courtesy: Threshold Women and Mental Health Initiative 1999,
UK
Disclaimer: The contents of this section
are based on the experience, practice and reading knowledge
of our readers.Nilacharal is NOT responsible for the authenticity
of the contents.
