I lived with anxiety for many years in my life without this affecting me significantly. It is true that sometimes I couldn't sleep and I...
I lived with anxiety for many years in my life without this affecting me significantly. It is true that sometimes I couldn't sleep and I had a hard time concentrating, but I could deal with that; however, earlier this year everything got worse.
It happened suddenly, one day I was fine and the next I started to feel very bad. Out of nowhere, I felt overwhelmed, nervous as if there was something about to attack me. The tachycardias were unbearable, I had to stop what I was doing to curl up, hug my legs and start crying.
I honestly thought I was going to die; she had never felt so incapacitated in my life. I was in those conditions for about two weeks, every other day. I got out of that episode of my life with the help of alternative medicine and patience, a lot of patience.
How do you know if you suffer from anxiety?
Believe me, self-diagnosis is very tentative at first, but this can only be accomplished by a mental health professional.
Still, there are "little details" that can be out of the ordinary in everyday life. For example: out of nowhere you have the feeling that something is going to happen; you don't know when, or what, or why, but that feeling is there. That puts you on the lookout, nervous; and then all of a sudden it just disappears.
It also happens that you can't sleep, it happens from time to time. You feel nervous for no apparent reason and many worries arise. All this happens so randomly that you are not able to join them and form a great whole.
Of course, anxiety is very different in each person who suffers from it. What I describe above was what happened to me. It wasn't until all of those symptoms "blew up" together that I knew I was suffering from anxiety. I had to go to the doctor for an exact diagnosis.
Typical symptoms of anxiety
The most common that can occur:
-Feelings of nervousness, agitation, or tension.
-Sense of imminent danger, panic, or catastrophe.
-Increased heart rate.
-Accelerated breathing.
-Sweat.
-Tremors.
-Feeling of weakness or tiredness.
-Problems concentrating.
-Insomnia.
-Gastrointestinal disorders.
-Have difficulty controlling worries.
-Have the need to avoid situations that generate anxiety.
Other symptoms that you would never link to anxiety
respond with anger
It may happen that we respond with great anger to pressure from outside. It is not something that one thinks about; it's just an explosion of words going out of control and hurting the person you're responding to.
You don't do it on purpose, it's just that you feel so overwhelmed that it's a way of defending yourself.
raise your voice
It is a sign of impotence and defense against an "attack". It is something involuntary and defensive.
Inability to speak one's mind
You have so many things in your head to say, that when it comes to expressing them they just come out in disarray. In the end, nothing you said has anything to do with what you really wanted to express.
Runaway, even if sometimes it's only through the mobile
When there is anxiety you always have that need to escape, even if there is no attack of any kind. Sometimes you can run, but in cases where you can't, you "take refuge" in your mobile phone.
What you are looking for is a way to distract yourself from everything that is happening around you. You can't run away, so you "hide".
Avoid making eye contact
Looking at others is a form of intimacy; when you have anxiety the last thing you want is to feel so connected to someone. The reason is that it is uncomfortable; you feel that your space and your life are being invaded, and this makes you vulnerable.
Usually, this is a symptom associated with social anxiety. In this type of anxiety, you do not want to have physical contact; We do not like to be touched or hugged in a surprising way, it is uncomfortable and annoying.
living with anxiety is possible
As someone who has endured this condition for a long time, I can tell you that it can be lived with. It's just a matter of going one day at a time.
The way I have achieved this is through simple holistic treatments. In my case, what I do is meditate on a regular basis. I don't just do it when I'm in crisis, I do it almost daily.
You can meditate with or without music; the point is that you relax your body and manage to disconnect from all your daily worries. You can also use relaxing aromas, whether you use incense or therapeutic aroma humidifiers.
You can also go for a daily walk. You don't need to walk whole miles, just go to a park and you can let go of your thoughts. That yes, make sure to take a deep breath, and as you exhale let all your fears go. It's going to be a little hard at first, but then it'll be a lot easier.
When to seek medical help
-You feel that you worry too much and that this interferes with all aspects of your life.
-You find it difficult to control your fear, worry, or anxiety and they cause you a lot of discomforts.
-You feel depressed.
-You have problems with the consumption of psychoactive substances or alcohol.
-You think your anxiety could be linked to a physical health problem.
You have suicidal thoughts or behaviors.
I can only say that accepting that you have a mental health problem is vital for you to learn to live with it. Seek help whenever you feel disabled and your life can move on.