Mental Health Series - Top Five Healthy/Unhealthy Ways to Cope with Anxiety

The Five Unhealthy and Five Best Ways to Cope With Anxiety

Anxiety is something we’ve all probably experienced in our life. We’ve lived through a life-threatening moment where our heart races or we’ve felt anxious about a test or before a hospital procedure.  We may have had to cope with an emergency. This is normal anxiety and it goes away once the situation does.

However, for those who suffer from anxiety, symptoms can continue while the situation doesn’t. These symptoms can frighten a person into an ongoing cycle of worry and anxiety that perpetuates more symptoms.

Anxiety affects us in four distinct ways:

• ·      How we feel
• ·      How our body works
• ·      How we think
• ·      How we behave

How We Feel?

1      Are you anxious? Nervous? Worried? Frightened
  Do you feel like something horrible is going to happen?
  Are you tense, stressed? Uptight? On edge? Unsettled?
  Do you feel unreal? Strange? Woozy? Detached?
  Are you panicky?

How Our Body Works?

1     1.     Heart pounds, races, skips a beat?
2.     Chest feels tight or painful?
3.     Tingling or numbness in toes or fingers?
4.     Stomach churning or butterflies?
5.     Having to use toilet?
6.     Jumpy or restless?
7.     Tense muscles?
8.     Body aching?
9.     Sweating?
10. Breathing changes?
11. Dizzy, light-headed?

How We Think?

1    1.     Constant Worrying?
2.     Can’t Concentrate?
3.     Thoughts Racing?
4.     Mind jumping from one thing to another?
5.     Imagining the worse and constantly thinking about it?

How We Behave?

1    1.     Pace Up and Down
2.     Start jobs and not finish
3.     Can’t sit and relax
4.     On the go all the tie
5.     Talking quickly or more than usual
6.     Snappy and irritable behavior
7.     Drinking alcohol more
8.     Smoking more
9.     Eating more or less
10. Avoiding fearful situations

Anxiety is an illness that cannot be cured. But with careful management, it can be reduced and treated. You must learn to work on your anxiety by:

·      Understanding your anxiety better

·      Reducing the physical symptoms

·      Altering your thoughts related to anxiety

·      Changing your behaviors related to anxiety

If you do not do these things, the following can occur if you tend to treat your anxiety by following the advice of the worst ways to cope with your anxiety. If you see yourself in any of these situations, please contact a mental health professional or your primary care physician and seek medical attention immediately.

Top Five Unhealthy Ways to Cope with Anxiety

Unhealthy Thinking– Worry, Obsessive thinking, Rumination – all of these can trap your mind in an endless loop and spiral into more advanced mood disorders such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder, and other psychological conditions.  Obsessive thinking exaggerates and extends upsetting feelings. Rumination focuses on future outcomes of events that haven’t occurred or gives the person something to worry about by having an uncontrollable preoccupation of the past.

Unhealthy Eating

Stress and anxiety increases your appetite along with triggering the release of a number of chemicals in the brain including adrenaline and cortisol. These make you feel alert to help you handle any threat and make you ready for action. However, whenever you’re overly stimulated with anxiety, your body begins to crave comfort foods for biological and psychological reasons. Your body craves foods associated with memories from childhood and comfort.

Unhealthy Drinking/Drugs/Illicit (Illegal) Activities

One way to avoid your anxiety is to self-medicate with alcohol, drugs or illegal drugs, or other types of illicit activity such as self-harm, like cutting. These activities do not reduce the anxiety, replace the anxiety, or remove the anxiety. They only delay or magnify the symptoms.

Unhealthy Sleeping

One way the body deals with an anxiety attack is to shut down all bodily functions, and sleep. You may think that if you sleep away your anxiety, you will awaken with the anxiety gone and you can then go on with your life. It doesn’t work that way. You’ll only have slept away most of your days and nights and not accomplished anything but worry your family and friends, and possibly lost your job or gotten behind on paying your bills. The anxiety will still be there.

Unhealthy Withdrawal from Social Functions/Friends/Family

When you withdraw from friends, you may begin watching too much television, or do too much of one activity alone. This is not healthy for you. You cannot avoid your issues my avoiding your friends and family. 

Top Five Best Ways to Cope with Anxiety

Physical/Relaxation Exercise

Try some physical exercise to get the heart beating at a regular beat that stretches your muscles, but also try some relaxation methods such  as aerobics, walking, yoga, or massage as well.  By keeping up with healthy exercise, you will automatically assume a healthy sleep cycle.

Social Activities

Keep up with activities in your age group or neighborhood. Go to a senior center if need be, or other group in your appropriate age group. Find out what activities are taking place and join. Talk to your family and friends and form a regular weekly game night. Do whatever makes you happy and joyful.

Maintain a Support System

Reach out and connect with others who you trust and can stay in contact with on a regular basis. Make sure that you include your mental health physician or therapist, your primary doctor, a neighbor, your life partner or closest friend, and anyone else you can trust. These are people who you will be able to go to if you ever need to when an anxiety episode strikes or if you feel the need to use emergency services someone there can call one of these people for you.

Prayer/Meditation

If it so moves you, join a local church of your affiliation. There are many functions among the church family. You can always ask for prayer or find someone to pray with you. Listening to self-guided hypnosis or meditation is another way to help you relax and cope with your anxiety.

Healthy Eating

Maintain a healthy balanced diet, as much as possible. Eat lean protein, green vegetables and drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated and avoid sugar and processed foods.

When you become aware of how you handle anxiety, you make healthier choices. Studies suggest that highlighting social ties can deliver certain health benefits.

Remember, you are only one defining decision from a totally different life.

image courtesy of incredible joy.com 

Mental Health Series - TIPS FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR PSYCHIATRIST

The following recommendations can make the experience with your psychiatrist more helpful and satisfying:

1.- Remember to verify with your insurance that your provider is in network or if you need a referral from your PCP, before you schedule your appointment.

2.- The day of your first appointment make sure you have directions and try to get there 15 to 20 minutes early to fill out new patient paperwork.

3.- Be always on time for your appointments. Your therapy time is very important, and every minute counts.

4.- Remember to take with your photo ID and health insurance card with you the day of your appointment.

5.- Write a list including all the prescriptions or over the counter medications, herbs, vitamins or  supplements that you are currently taking and any medication allergies.

6.- Make sure your records from previous providers are sent before your appointment, that way your Psychiatrist can review them beforehand and have a better idea of your history.

7.- If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment call 24-48 hours in advance. Same as your time, your provider time is also important.

8.- Write down all your symptoms and for how long you have had them. And all the questions you want to ask your doctor as well.

9.- If you don’t understand something, ASK. Your provider will clarify the information for you.

10.- Remember to make your follow up appointments at the end of your visit and get an appointment card with the date and time, as well as the recommendations provided during the current visit all  written so you won’t forget.

11.- Don't worry. Your provider is there for you. Use your time wisely by asking important questions and paying attention. If you don't understand ask your provider to repeat or explain in a way that helps you understand. It might be helpful to bring along a notebook and pen to write down everything said so that you don't have to try and recall from memory.

Do you have tips that can help others? Please list them in the comments below. Thanks!

Mental Health Series - International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day

According to findings on Wikipedia, International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is celebrated every year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving in the United States. It was designated by the United States Congress as a day when the friends and family of those who have died by suicide can join together for healing and support. 

In 1999, Senator Harry Reid , a survivor of his father's suicide, introduced a resolution to the United States Senate which led to the creation of National Survivors of Suicide Day. As citizens of other countries began observing the day in their local communities, it was renamed International Survivors of Suicide Day.

Every year, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention sponsors International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, a program that unites survivors of suicide loss across the world. At events in hundreds of cities spanning six continents, survivors of suicide loss gather together to remember their loved ones and offer each other support. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention produces a program shown at these events that features personal stories and advice from other survivors and psychiatric professionals. These events help survivors cope with the tragedy of losing someone to suicide.

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. According to USA Today there is a suicide every 13 minutes in The United States of America. Stated in an article by USA Today, there are far less homicides than suicides. In fact, homicide rates have fallen by half since 1991.

According the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, it says this about International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day:

"International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day can change your life. It’s the one day a year when people affected by suicide loss gather around the world at events in their local communities to find comfort and gain understanding as they share stories of healing and hope.

Survivor Day 2015 takes place on Saturday, November 21. All gatherings will include a screening of the new Survivor Day documentary produced by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, titled Family Journeys: Healing and Hope after a Suicide. 

Additional programming is specific to each event. The programming may include presentations by loss survivors and mental health professionals, as well as small group discussions that bring together people who have experienced similar losses.

For many loss survivors, attending a Survivor Day event is the first time they realize they are not alone. Just hearing the stories—from people at all stages of healing—can be helpful. The gathering also provides participants with a chance to share their own stories with those who understand firsthand the challenges of living in the aftermath of a suicide loss."

If you'd like to find a Survivor event near you click here 

Currently, in 2010, in the United States alone, someone dies by suicide once every 13.7 minutes. Suicide is the fifth leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 15 and 24. Did you know that depression is more common than AIDS, cancer, and diabetes combined? Every year, in the U.S. nearly 400,000 people attempt suicide. However, although it’s a serious and common problems, -- suicide and depression – many people don’t know about these great risks – including who’s at risk, why, and when they’re most vulnerable.

What this means is, that during a crisis, people aren’t able to find the information they need. But, by using the information below about suicide and depression you may save the life of someone you know.

SUICIDE FACTS

• For many years, the suicide rate has been about four times higher among men than among women. In 2010, men had a suicide rate of 10.9, and women had a rate of 5.2. Of those who died by suicide in 2010, 78.9% were male and 21.1% were female.

• The highest suicide rate was among people 45-64 (18.6) years old. The second highest was 85 years old. (17.6)

• Young adult ages 15-24 had a suicide rate of 10.5.

• At particularly high risk are white men over the age of 85 who have a suicide rate of 49.8 deaths per 100,000 in the general population.

• Did you know that three times more women than men attempt suicide?

• Four times more men than women actually kill themselves.

• More than half the suicides in the U.S. are completed with guns. This violent and usually irreversible route is the choice of men.

• The most common method of women is poisoning; typical an overdose of medication the result of which is lethal.

• Suicide cuts across ethnic, economic, social and age boundaries.

• Surviving family members are not only one to suffer the loss of a loved one to suicide, but are also themselves at a higher risk of suicide and emotional problems.

• “Anyone can call the hotline 800-273-TALK and press "1" for advice, even if they are worried about someone else," adds Dr. Valenstein.

 DEPRESSION FACTS

• Suicide is preventable. Most suicidal people desperately want to live; they are just unable to see alternatives to their problems.

• Two of every three people who commit suicide are depressed at the time they take their life. However, alcoholism plays a role in one in three completed suicides.

• The risk of suicide in people with major depression is about 20 times that of the general population.

• People who have had multiple episodes of depression are at greater risk for suicide than those who had had one episode.

• People who have had a dependence on alcohol or drugs in addition to being depressed are at greater risk for suicide.

• People who are depressed and exhibit the following symptoms are at particular risk for suicide:

 Signs and symptoms of depression include:

• Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. A bleak outlook—nothing will ever get better and there’s nothing you can do to improve your situation.
• Loss of interest in daily activities. No interest in former hobbies, pastimes, social activities, or sex.  You’ve lost your ability to feel joy and pleasure.
• Appetite or weight changes. Significant weight loss or weight gain—a change more than 5% of body weight in a month.
• Sleep changes. Either insomnia, especially waking in the early hours of the morning, or oversleeping (also known as hypersomnia).
• Anger or irritability. Feeling agitated, restless, or even violent. Your tolerance level is low, your temper short, and everything and everyone gets on your nerves.
• Loss of energy. Feeling fatigued, sluggish, and physically drained. Your whole body may feel heavy, and even small tasks are exhausting or take longer to complete.
• Self-loathing. Strong feelings of worthlessness or guilt. You harshly criticize yourself for perceived faults and mistakes.
• Reckless behavior. You engage in escapist behavior such as substance abuse, compulsive gambling, reckless driving, or dangerous sports.
• Concentration problems. Trouble focusing, making decisions, or remembering things.
• Unexplained aches and pains. An increase in physical complaints such as headaches, back pain, aching muscles, and stomach pain.

Major depression is the psychiatric diagnosis most commonly associated with suicide.

MISCELLANEOUS SUICIDE FACTS

Suicide rates were the highest in the West (13.6) followed by the South (12.6) the Midwest (12.0) and the Northeast (9.3)

Did you know that writing style is linked to suicide risk?

Creativity, depression and suicide have been linked for a long time. So it comes to no particular surprise that some of history’s most creative persons suffered from a mental illness. Depression affected some of the greatest minds such as Charles Dickens, John Keats, and Tennessee Williams. Several famous writers committed suicide, including Ernest Hemingway, Sylvia Plath, and David Foster Wallace. 

Guest what? There’s something even more special about them. This group also has something else in common. They all wrote in the first person, which has been suggested to be a sign of a suicide risk.

The Impact of Suicide on Those Left Behind

Suicide is a fact. The numbers are above from reputable sources. But, what happens to those left behind? Of course, they grieve. Their grief for the loss of a loved one is evident, but what else happens to those family and friends who are left behind to pick up the pieces after a loved one's suicide?

There is a stigma surrounding suicide. For the person who committed the act and the family and friends afterwards. There is a shame associated with suicide that makes even family and friends want to cover up their loved one's real reason for dying and use excuses or labels to reason their way through their loss. They use words such as "accident" or "illness" to cover up the suicide. The investigation or coroner's inquest that can occur afterwards embarrasses them. Why?

A very good question and one that those left behind should ask a professional counselor or therapist. Possibly, they feel guilt or shame, maybe even feelings of rejection. All of these feelings can be worked through with professional counseling.

Many of those left behind may even suffer from depression. Studies from John Hopkins University found not only that those left behind have an increased chance for depression, they also have an increased risk of committing suicide themselves.

For these reasons alone, it's even more important for those family and friends who are feeling and grieving the loss of a loved one after suicide seek professional help as soon as possible.

Anger, self-blame, grief, confusion are all feelings associated with the effects on family and friends after a loved one commits suicide. Unlike an illness or other type of death, suicide is sudden and unexpected, leaving those behind to have much stronger and even longer lasting feelings of grief.

Because of the stigma surrounding suicide, it may be difficult for family and friends to talk about their feelings. This is normal. But, it must be impressed upon them how important it is to process those feelings with a therapist.

For family and friends, processing those feelings can be done in a journal as well. Writing through your emotions and feelings can be cathartic and healing in their own way. Writing does heal. It's been proven time and again through scientific study that the process of writing your strongest emotions and feelings in journal format helps you heal fro your personal traumatic challenges.

Don't be ashamed to talk or write about your feelings. Seek professional help. Grieve in a healthy way. Process your feelings and don't blame yourself for your loved one's death. Take care of yourself. It's your health that matters the most.