Stress affects us all, but we each have a different way of dealing with it. Some of us can quickly move on with our day, some of us can transfer that stress into physical activity, like running. But a large number of us find difficulty coping with life’s challenges and tend to over-analyze and allow our minds to spiral into a dark place that makes carrying on with our day next to impossible.
As humans, we are naturally driven by fear, stress, and peer pressure to perform to the best of our ability to prevent failure. So to an extent, anxiety for most people is normal, short-lived, and can be overcome. However, for many, those brief moments of fear can linger too long, trigger other feelings and emotions, and cause panic attacks or other symptoms -- This is called generalized anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders affect approximately 30 percent of adults in the United States and are the leading cause of mental illness. In general, treatment consists of psychotherapy, medication and lifestyle changes.
What Can I Do for Someone Suffering from Anxiety?
It can be challenging to understand the perspective of another person, especially if they’re acting in a way that you can’t relate to. If you’ve never experienced severe anxiety or a panic attack, here are a few explanations:
“It’s like walking through an unfamiliar room in the dark, not sure where you’re going or what could pop out at you.”
“My panic attacks feel like being caught in a whirlpool...It’s a vicious feedback loop where I start to feel anxiety and an inability to do something or decide what to do, and then I realize I’m feeling panic, and that panics me more, and then I get angry that I’m feeling panic and that I’m panicking, which worsens it, and so on.”
“It feels like everything is closing in on me, and I’m claustrophobic and losing control at the same that incredible energy is building up in me.”
“After a few minutes of this uneasy feeling it suddenly began to blood: My gut churned, I broke out into a cold sweat, I began to share. I tried to take a deep breath to calm myself, and when I couldn’t seem to get enough air, all hell broke loose...Soon enough, I was sobbing so hard that I couldn’t catch my breath, the panic so overwhelming I could only sit and sob and wait for it to pass. Within 20 minutes, it was over, and I was so tired I could have slept for days.”
Now that you’ve got a few new perspectives, we’ll take a moment to address how you should and shouldn’t speak to someone who is in the middle of an anxiety or panic attack:
DON’T say:
“Stop worrying about it.”
“Calm down.”
“Just do it.”
“I’m stressed out too.”
“Have a drink -- it’ll take your mind off of it.”
DO:
Reassure them that this feeling will pass and that they’re going to be okay.
Stay calm yourself, don’t get angry or start freaking out that they’re freaking out.
Encourage them to seek counseling or therapy, but do this AFTER the attack, not during.
Be patient.
Let them know that you’re listening, and won’t judge them if they want to talk about their feelings.
Bring them to a private area if you’re in public and ask if you can get them anything.
Encourage them to take deep breaths.
The best use of Imagination is creativity. The worst use of imagination is anxiety.
- DEEPAK CHOPRA
I personally struggled with anxiety dating back to my childhood. It was often thought that my innate personality was the cause of my anxiety, which lead to digestive issues. I experienced migraines and stabbing stomach pains on the daily at one point. I was summed up as a Type A, wound tight, straight A student who just needed to not worry so much.
What we did not realize back then was it was my gut health potentially causing my anxiety and not my anxiety causing my digestive distress!
Why do I think this was my case? When I addressed a leaky gut well into my adulthood, my anxiety dissipated and eventually disappeared! I never imagined the day of living anxiety-free. But I am!!
I am sharing my personal story simply to provide a little hope to anyone who thinks this is their life now. Maybe it’s not. Maybe you, too, can discover a life free from the ball-and-chain of anxiety. Perhaps it is something as simple as healing your leaky gut!
Sources:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/happiness-is-state-mind/201708/understanding-anxiety-different-perspective
https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety#
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/17/things-not-to-say-to-some_n_4781182.html
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a19904016/panic-attack-feels-like/