Loosening the Grip of Anxiety: Adventuring Through Life
without Fear

It is not unusual to feel anxious when there is a perceived threat to your safety and welfare. Any challenging situation, such as a job interview, starting a new project, or going on a blind date can give you butterflies in the stomach or a sense of distress. Feeling anxious at times is a part of life and it is your body’s natural response to any danger, whether perceived or real. It is an automatic alarm that sounds off when you are under pressure, or in a stressful situation.

Anxiety is not necessarily a bad thing. It can help you stay alert and focused, stimulate you into action, and prompt you to eliminate the threat. If, however, your worries and fears are constant and overwhelming to the extent of stopping you from living a meaningful life, preventing you from pursuing your dreams and hindering you from becoming productive, that is when common anxiety crosses the line and becomes a disorder. When this fine line is breached, and anxiety starts impacting your life negatively, it can transform into a clinical disorder if no intervention is sought.

The Sneaky Tyrant Called Anxiety

To feel anxious is a helpful emotion that can warn you if there is a threat to you or your loved ones. Anxiety stirs your awareness during emergencies like fire or an assault. It can take effect, as well, in non-dangerous events like public speaking or an exam. Anxiety lets you know you are at risk and you need to do something to get rid of the threat.

Anxiety disorders are believed to be the result of the complex interplay of various causes and risk factors. Included among these are:

Genetics: Individuals with first-degree relatives affected by anxiety disorders are at higher risk for developing the condition. There are, however, a number of people without family history of anxiety suffering from the disorder.
Brain Chemistry: Neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers of the brain, are also blamed for the development of anxiety disorders. Low levels of these chemicals may incorrectly signal the presence of danger. Some parts of the brain responsible for regulating fear, memory and emotion also play a role in triggering anxiety during sensitive or unpredictable situations.
Environmental: People with numerous and severe stressors such as death, violence, illness, or job termination, etc. are more inclined to develop an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety is wired in the human temperament, which means man is prone to anxiety. For this reason, people experience anxiety at some point in their lives. Feeling anxious can last for a short time and then fade on its own. There are, however, cases when anxiety can take over your life and paralyze your ability to enjoy life. If your anxiety debilitates your quality of life, you will readily agree that it can indeed be emotionally exhausting and physically traumatizing. Anxiety can be a sneaky tyrant that will attack you regardless of the strategies you created to keep its sting to a minimum.

The following are red flags that anxiety is on the loose:

Going back to your old habits of avoidance or finding something to distract your mind from the source of your anxiety. Avoidance feeds on itself and reduces your self-confidence.
Build-up of unrelated anxiety and worrisome thoughts you cannot dispose of. Body aches and pains continue to increase.
Losing grip of your methods for staying focused.

The intense episodes of panic or fear usually occur without any warning. There may be sometimes triggers, but the emotional firestorms often come out of the blue, lasting from 10 to 30 minutes. Within that short time, you can experience severe terror as if death is to follow or you totally lose grip of yourself. The physical symptoms are so frightening they are often thought to be heart attack related. The fear remains after an attack is over, but you worry about experiencing another bout when escape or help is not readily available.

Warning Signs of an Anxiety Attack

Sudden rush of overwhelming panic
Faster heart beat or chest pain
Feeling of losing control or going crazy
Feeling like you are going to lose consciousness
Difficulty in breathing or choking sensation
Hyperventilation
Body trembling or shaking
Hot flashes or chills
Stomach cramps
Nausea
Feeling detached from the world

Are You One of the Statistics?

An anxiety disorder can drastically alter your life. It can affect your way of thinking, feeling, and the way you live your life. In the United States alone, anxiety statistics reveal that an estimated 40 million adults aged 18 and older, or 18.1 percent of the population are affected each year. The lifetime risk for developing some form of anxiety disorder is 9 percent, with age 30 being the average age of onset. Females are twice as prone to develop the disorder, which is attributed to more women reporting their symptoms than men.

Anxiety is the underlying cause of many emotional and behavioral health issues, including phobia and panic attacks. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition (DSM V) includes the following as a form of anxiety disorder: separation anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), phobia, agoraphobia, panic, etc. It is often correlated with other conditions, including depression, posttraumatic stress, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Greater impairments are more likely to develop when the disorder affects younger individuals.

Many people struggle with anxiety in their day to day living. While some can get by, anxiety can be so debilitating that it can stop you from doing everyday activities or living life the way you want. If your worries and fears are preventing you from having a full and balanced life, it means anxiety is taking control over you. You can loosen from its grip and make some changes to overcome your anxiety level. Know that there is hope and there is help available.

Freedom from Anxiety and Facing Life with Confidence

Living with anxiety can take away the memories of how pleasant your life has been. How you wish you could wake up each morning with positive thoughts of facing the day ahead. Instead, fear and worries about what the day may bring fill your mind.

There is no way you can free yourself from a disorder that imprisons you if you just wait for it to disappear. Living with anxiety is very difficult and it diminishes the quality of your life. It takes courage, confidence and willingness to face your own tormentor. It is all possible if you are ready to start changing the patterns of thinking that limit you from enjoying life.

Precisely because anxiety interferes with your relationships, work, school, sleeping and eating patterns, and other activities; seeking anxiety counseling in search of calm becomes an undertaking worth considering. Get started with Carolina Counseling Services – Pittsboro, NC. One of the independently contracted therapists may be the right fit professional who can help you with what you should know about anxiety to improve your life. Let an independently contracted counselor/therapist with CCS – Pittsboro, NC help you reopen your door and windows so you can start living the kind of life you have always wanted – free from worry, fear and self-doubt. Call now to schedule your first session.