I see more and more people of all ages, all genders, who have no idea they have anxiety because it's just their "normal." Yet they're in my office for a reason and they know at times they don't feel exactly at ease, happy, or calm in their world and feel unwell in their physical bodies. See if you relate to the list below and if so, find the GROUNDING EXERCISE at the bottom.
Common anxiety signs and symptoms include:
Several types of anxiety disorders exist: Agoraphobia (ag-uh-ruh-FOE-be-uh) is a type of anxiety disorder in which you fear and often avoid places or situations that might cause you to panic and make you feel trapped, helpless or embarrassed. Anxiety disorder due to a medical condition includes symptoms of intense anxiety or panic that are directly caused by a physical health problem. Generalized anxiety disorder includes persistent and excessive anxiety and worry about activities or events — even ordinary, routine issues. The worry is out of proportion to the actual circumstance, is difficult to control and affects how you feel physically. It often occurs along with other anxiety disorders or depression. Panic disorder involves repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic attacks). You may have feelings of impending doom, shortness of breath, chest pain, or a rapid, fluttering or pounding heart (heart palpitations). These panic attacks may lead to worrying about them happening again or avoiding situations in which they've occurred. Selective mutism is a consistent failure of children to speak in certain situations, such as school, even when they can speak in other situations, such as at home with close family members. This can interfere with school, work and social functioning. Separation anxiety disorder is a childhood disorder characterized by anxiety that's excessive for the child's developmental level and related to separation from parents or others who have parental roles. Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) involves high levels of anxiety, fear and avoidance of social situations due to feelings of embarrassment, self-consciousness and concern about being judged or viewed negatively by others. Specific phobias are characterized by major anxiety when you're exposed to a specific object or situation and a desire to avoid it. Phobias provoke panic attacks in some people. Substance-induced anxiety disorder is characterized by symptoms of intense anxiety or panic that are a direct result of abusing drugs, taking medications, being exposed to a toxic substance or withdrawal from drugs. Other specified anxiety disorder and unspecified anxiety disorder are terms for anxiety or phobias that don't meet the exact criteria for any other anxiety disorders but are significant enough to be distressing and disruptive. No matter the type of anxiety, a simple grounding exercise done in the moment can help reverse the increase of symptoms. Look around you. Find 5 things you can see. Find 4 things you can touch. Find 3 things you can hear. Find 2 things you can smell. Find 1 thing you can taste. "It is breathtaking to realize that human anger amounts to anger at ourselves that we project onto the world and onto one another. That how we treat Earth is a reflection of how we treat our bodies, that how we treat one another is a reflection of how we treat ourselves. Unable to manage the experience of the self we have created, permanently disturbed by what we have or have not done, we attack anything we see that reminds us of our own disowned shadow. Without this identification there would be no hatred.
Now imagine the possibility of resolving our relationship to ourselves, a process that ends not in perfection but in acknowledgment, acceptance, and understanding. Imagine if there were no one to hate." This passage by Rolf Gates from Meditations on Intention and Being is a profound one I had to share. I see so much of this in my clients and society. People are very unhappy with themselves and at worse, even hate themselves. When you take a moment to slow down and get quiet inside, are you aware of being unsatisfied or even angry with yourself? Frustrated with where you're at in life, your body, your choices thus far? And do you tend to take it out on those around you? Think about it. Notice. Breathe. What if instead you inserted a sentiment of compassion towards yourself and replaced that ugly voice with something softer. A sentiment like: "It's all ok." "You are enough." "There is no getting to, you're already here."... and "I love you." Would you then be less prone to treat the world around you with venom? I dare you to try. Creating a better world is an inside job. Inside YOU, first. |
AuthorThis is where I share MY TRUTH.... authentically, some of my thoughts, inspirations and insights that might be of service for whomever has interest and need. Archives
October 2024
Categories |