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Anxiety often comes in four stages. Understanding how the cycle of anxiety works may help you navigate your symptoms.

Everyone experiences anxiety differently. But anxious thoughts and feelings are typically universal, ranging from worry to fear to tension. Symptoms of anxiety may also include sweating, a rapid heart rate, or high blood pressure.

There are many types of anxiety disorders. Some of the most common include generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety, panic disorder, and different phobias.

Oftentimes, people who live with anxiety experience what's known as the cycle of anxiety. Knowing the signs of the 4 stages of anxiety may help you manage your symptoms as they arise.

"The cycle of anxiety is when an event or situation happens and the person feels a lack of control or fear and avoids coping in order to escape intense emotions," explains Jaclyn Gulotta, PhD, LMHC, a licensed psychologist in Florida.

According to Gulotta, avoidance plays a key role in perpetuating the cycle of anxiety. She says as people attempt to avoid their anxiety, they may become further triggered.

"Their symptoms increase with more anxiety, panic, and worried negative thought patterns," Gulotta says.

The 4 stages of anxiety

The cycle of anxiety includes four stages:

Stage 1. Feeling anxious and wanting to deal with it.

Stage 2. Attempting to avoid the situation.

Stage 3. Feeling a temporary sense of relief

Stage 4. Returning to a state of heightened anxiety.

Examples

Jack Stein, PhD, LCSW, a therapist in Florida, shares how the 4 stages might play out in the following scenario:

Stage 1. The thought of standing in front of a group of people at work and delivering a presentation makes you break out in a cold sweat.

Stage 2. Your inclination is to escape, so you call in sick to work that day.

Stage 3. You immediately feel relieved since you don't have to do the task that's causing you to feel so anxious.

Stage 4. This relief is short-lived when you learn that the presentation has been rescheduled for the following week, causing you to feel anxious all over again.

According to Gulotta, the first stage of anxiety usually includes an automatic fight-or-flight response.

The second stage might involve bodily sensations or reactions that may lead to some form of self-protection. By the fourth and final stage, you might feel mentally, emotionally, and physically drained.

Your answers to the following questions can help you identify which stage of anxiety you're in to help you manage your symptoms.

Determine the stage

Gulotta shares a few questions you might ask yourself to pinpoint which stage of the anxiety cycle you're in:

What's happening to create this heightened anxiety? (i.e., Is it an event, thought, feeling, memory, or image?)

What was your initial reaction?

What did you do in the moment?

Check your thoughts

Next, Gulotta says it may be helpful to check your thoughts:

What unhelpful thoughts are you having in this moment?

Do you notice any pattern of overthinking, obsession, self-doubt, or catastrophizing?

Scan your body

A body scan can help you determine any physical response or reaction you may be experiencing:

What physical reaction or sensations are you noticing?

Is there an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, or sweating?

Are you having stomach pain or discomfort?

Reflect

Taking a moment to reflect on how you coped with your anxiety can help inform how you manage it the next time it arises.

Did you avoid the situation?

Did you mask your feelings with unhealthy coping strategies?

Changing the way you think, feel, and act takes time and commitment, but it's possible to successfully manage your anxiety whenever it pops up. "The first step involves becoming aware of the cycle," Stein says.

Here are a few ways to navigate the cycle of anxiety to break free from any patterns you may be stuck in.

Reverse the 4 stages

According to the Government of West Australia's Centre for Clinical Interventions, it's possible to break the cycle of anxiety by reversing it. Consider the following 4-step reversal process:

Step 1. Try to confront feared situations without the help of "safety behavior" situations (or unhealthy coping mechanisms).

Step 2. Allow yourself to experience a short-term or slight increase in anxiety, followed by a decrease in physical symptoms.

Step 3. Lean into healthy coping skills to help you reduce your anxiety to a manageable level.

Step 4. Consider your ability to control your reactions and responses.

Find ways to cope

No matter which stage of the anxiety cycle you're in, there are strategies you can try to help you cope. Gulotta offers the following tips to try to help you break the cycle:

deep breathing exercises

being mindful and present

prioritizing self-care

practicing meditation and yoga

positive affirmations

journaling your thoughts

building a strong support system

confronting your thoughts (e.g., "Is this helpful?" "Am I leading with feelings or facts?" "What evidence do I have that what I'm thinking is true?")

reminding yourself that what you're feeling is impermanent

Though it may seem challenging to get through any type of anxiety in the moment, Gulotta says that taking a break to remind yourself that you're in control of how you respond and react may offer some relief.

Consider therapy

Of course, therapy can help you manage your symptoms too.

Studies from 2017, , and 2019 suggest the following types of therapy may be helpful for managing symptoms of anxiety:

The cycle of anxiety is a 4-stage process that may cause you to feel anxious, avoid situations, find short-term relief, and experience stronger anxiety thereafter.

This may become a "vicious cycle" that's challenging to navigate, especially for those who lean into avoidance strategies. But understanding each of the 4 stages can help you find relief from your symptoms.

Remember, if you need help managing your anxiety, you can always connect with a mental health professional for more guidance.

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Understanding the Cycle of Anxiety and How to Cope

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The cycle of anxiety is a 4-stage process that may cause you to feel anxious, avoid situations, find short-term relief, and experience stronger anxiety thereafter. Understanding each stage can help you find relief from your symptoms.

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Here’s how to confront your fears and seek out new perspectives this year — no therapist required.

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Anxiety Treatment | Cincinnati Anxiety Center

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Service Oriented

The Process

We seamlessly integrate the best tech in mental health including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), virtual reality, biofeedback, breathing retraining devices, smartwear, and mobile measurement-based monitoring

TRY BRAINSWAY'S FDA APPROVED DEEP TMS

TMS for depression has been around since 2008 but now BrainsWay Deep TMS offers the only FDA approved TMS treatment for both OCD and anxiety in depression. Now there is an effective way to overcome failed medication trials and avoid systemic side effects often associated with medication.

DON'T TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT...

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Anxiety Treatment | Cincinnati Anxiety Center | Cincinnati

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Service Oriented The Process We seamlessly integrate the best tech in mental health including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), virtual reality, biofeedback, breathing retraining devices, smartwear, and mobile measurement-based monitoring TRY BRAINSWAY'S FDA APPROVED DEEP TMS TMS for depression has been around since 2008 but now BrainsWay Deep TMS offers the only FDA approved TMS treatment for both OCD and anxiety in depression.

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Depression can feel overwhelming and confusing. We're here to help you find your way with comprehensive care on your terms.

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Overview

A national survey found that 38% of young adults 14-22 years old experiencing moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety and depression are using stress and anxiety-reducing apps to help them feel better. [Rideout: 2018] Common signs of anxiety in children and adolescents are acting worried or afraid, crying, shaking, tantrums, and refusing to do things, such as talking. Physical symptoms of anxiety are a racing heart, stomach aches or nausea, headaches, sleep problems, dizziness, shortness of breath, sweating, chest pain, muscle discomfort, and tingling/prickling sensation in extremities.

The following apps offer a variety of approaches ranging from mindfulness, guided meditation and breathing, sleep stories, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and even virtual coloring. These apps are generally free or low-cost, but some offer in-app purchases or a free trial prior to a subscription. We've indicated age and cost in the descriptions below. The Medical Home Portal has provided this information as a service and does not endorse any of the apps specifically or receive reimbursement from any of the app developers or sites.

Authors & Reviewers

Current Authors and Reviewers:

Page Bibliography

Rideout, Victoria; Fox, Susannah; and Well Being Trust.
Digital Health Practices, Social Media Use, and Mental Well-Being Among Teens and Young Adults in the U.S.
Providence St. Joseph Health Digital Commons Articles, Abstracts, and Reports. 2018(1093). / Full Text

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Apps to Help Kids and Teens with Anxiety

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A national survey found that 38% of young adults 14-22 years old experiencing moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety and depression are using stress and anxiety-reducing apps to help them feel better. [Rideout: 2018] Common signs of anxiety in children and adolescents are acting worried or afraid, crying, shaking, tantrums, and refusing to do things, such as talking.

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Manage your anxiety, relax & be mindful

Break free from anxiety and stress using this free evidence-based anxiety management app. MindShift CBT uses scientifically proven strategies based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

MindShift CBT is a free self-help anxiety relief app, that helps you reduce worry, stress, and panic by following evidence-based strategies. Using CBT tools, you can challenge negativity, learn more about anxiety, develop more effective ways of thinking, be mindful, and relax.

If you are looking for anxiety, stress, and panic relief, you have come to the right place. Download MindShift CBT for free on your iOS device, learn more about anxiety, practice cognitive behavioral therapy, and reduce the amount of worry, panic, social anxiety, and discomfort from phobias that you experience.

The go-to app for anxiety management

MindShift CBT, the free anxiety relief app, comes with a clean and user-friendly design that allows you to learn and practice CBT strategies in an easy and intuitive way. We have specifically designed the app to be your free and portable go-to tool for anxiety management.

Learn about the different CBT strategies, including writing thought journals, challenging yourself with belief experiments, building fear ladders, and doing comfort zone challenges. Listen to calming audio to reframe your thoughts, practice mindfulness, and stay grounded. Participate in the MindShift CBT Community Forum: share stories, learn about others' experiences, and provide peer advice in a safe environment. All the exercises are presented in small chunks with plenty of supporting information to help you naturally integrate these strategies with the rest of your life.

MindShift CBT includes additional features that help keep you on track. Stay accountable and track your progress with the check-in feature, which allows you to record and view graphs and journal entries. You can set goals for yourself and get reminders. If you choose to, you can easily export and share your data via email to streamline sessions with any therapists, counsellors, or psychologists you may be working with.

MindShift CBT is completely free, so give it a try and explore the features for yourself!

MindShift CBT is packed with loads of evidence-based and trusted features to help you with anxiety management. With this app, we hope that you will be better equipped to manage anxiety, find relief from panic attacks, overcome your fears, and hopefully, ease your own mind.

MindShift CBT main features:
* Clean, welcoming, and user-friendly intuitive design
* Evidence-based strategies and tools based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) designed for anxiety relief and self-management
* Daily check-in to keep track of your anxiety level and mood
* Easy to follow guides on learning about anxiety
* Facts and tips to overcome general worry, social anxiety, perfectionism, panic attack, and phobias
* Goal setting tools to keep you accountable
* Coping cards and statements to help you ride out your anxiety (and the ability to add your own!)
* Guided relaxation and mindfulness meditations to ground you and give relief
* Belief experiments to challenge the beliefs that fuel anxiety
* Tips and tricks for incorporating healthy habits into your life and minimizing anxiety naturally
* Sharing and data exporting (if you choose) to streamline sessions with your counsellor, therapist, or psychologist
* Community Forum to share your stories and provide peer advice in a safe environment

Download MindShift CBT on your iPhone or iPad now, and get ready to take charge of your mental health and find anxiety relief. Learn to be more mindful, incorporate CBT techniques in your daily life, and stay accountable and motivated on your anxiety management journey.

Stay tuned for more updates, and let us know about any bugs, questions, feature requests, or any other suggestions. We are always looking to improve the app and we appreciate all your feedback!

So helpful!

I love this app, I use it as a personal mood journal. Only down fall is I wish it was easier to see how you've been overall the week. I only get it after I answered how I'm feeling. Over all 4/5 stars!

Used to recommend to all of my clients...

Sadly, an account creation is now necessary. Yes it's "free" but releasing this much personal information doesn't feel right for an app which was initially designed to be easy, user-friendly and ready instantly. It's seems generating data has taken priority over providing an amazing service. I will be looking for other options.

Very helpful

This app has help me keep calm and I would recommend it to anyone who needs to relax.

The developer, Anxiety Canada Association, indicated that the app's privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer's privacy policy.

Data Not Collected

The developer does not collect any data from this app.

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

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‎Manage your anxiety, relax & be mindful Break free from anxiety and stress using this free evidence-based anxiety management app. MindShift CBT uses scientifically proven strategies based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). MindShift CBT is a free self-help anxiety relief app, that helps you re...

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Anxiety Disorders and universal Health Care

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Home - Anxiety Disorders and universal Health Care - Anxiety Disorders and universal Health Care

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How Many Calories Should I Eat To Lose Weight? - Calorie Counting For Better Health

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OUR MISSION - National Social Anxiety Center

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The National Social Anxiety Center (NSAC) is established with the intent of making the highest quality, evidence-based psychotherapy services to treat social anxiety available to those in need. We aim to do this through the following means: Research NSAC and its Board and regional clinics are dedi…

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Amazon.com: On Edge: A Journey Through Anxiety eBook : Petersen, Andrea: Kindle Store

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5 Anxiety Worksheets (Free Download) - SimplePractice

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Download free anxiety worksheets to help your client identify triggers, learn grounding techniques, challenge irrational thoughts, and more.

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Taming the Anxious Mind: A Guide Book to Relieve Stress & Anxiety

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Taming the Anxious Mind deconstructs the complex treatment of anxiety and stress disorders into a user-friendly and action-oriented guidebook. It emphasizes that anxiety represents an opportunity to re-train the mind away from destructive thinking towards a healthy mindset. Taming the Anxious Min...

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Free Printable Anxiety Worksheets & Resources

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Free Printable Resources for Kids with Anxiety

Updated

Behavior charts and anxiety worksheets can help kids understand their anxiety. Anxiety can be debilitating for kids and stressful for families. Help kids identity their triggers and learn coping skills with our free printable anxiety worksheets and resources. Kids can use our printable journal pages to write about their anxiety. The anxiety behavior charts, worksheets and daily affirmations below are helpful tools not only for kids but for parents, teachers and counselors.

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Free Printable Anxiety Worksheets & Resources | Free Printable Behavior Charts

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Updated Behavior charts and anxiety worksheets can help kids understand their anxiety. Anxiety can be debilitating for kids and stressful for families. Help kids identity their triggers and learn coping skills with our free printable anxiety worksheets and resources. Kids can use our printable journal pages to write about their anxiety.

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Have you tried to cope with your anxiety on your own but it is just not working? Maybe you have tried self-care, meditation, relaxation techniques, talking to friends, etc... It is possible that the reason these methods have not helped is because you are only putting a band-aid on your symptoms.

You are not getting at the root of your anxiety and how it influences your life. I have created a free anxiety toolkit to help you do just those things!

What Is Included?

This 10 page workbook (12 if you include the cover and notes page) takes you through everything you need to know step-by step. It is printable and fill-able so that you can customize and work through it at your own pace!

Here is an overview of the workbook steps:

1: Identify what you anxiety feels like in regards to body sensations, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

2: Notice how anxiety influences the different areas of your life: health, daily living, moods, career, and relationships.

3: Use positive self-talk to give yourself a boost and increase positive thoughts!

4: Challenge your inaccurate ways of thinking. Anxious thoughts often result from overestimating the likelihood of bad things happening. Learn how to change these thoughts to improve your mood!

5: Replace bad habits with healthy ones using a week-by-week calendar.

6: Identify positive coping skills to help you get through episodes of anxiety.

This workbook is full of methods to help you feel less anxious.

How Does It Work?

This workbook is based on my experience as a therapist using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This may sound complicated, but it is a way of changing your thoughts and behaviors to improve your mood! These methods work best when they are repeated, because that is how our brains learn and hold onto information the best.

So please, feel free to take your time with this workbook and repeat as needed! This is not meant to be worked through in one day, or even in one week. I repeat, take your time!

Let me know your feedback on this workbook in the comments below. Stay posted via my newsletter for more valuable mental health and wellness freebies!
Disclaimer:
Keep in mind, this is NOT a replacement for seeing a mental health professional. Please seek the guidance of a professional if you feel you need any support or if your anxiety is impacting your life in a significant way.

Contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline if you need help in the United States (1-800-950-NAMI (6264)).

Contact your local or national mental health services if you are outside of the US.
Scroll down to sign up for the toolkit!
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Get Your Free Anxiety Toolkit! - Be Calm With Tati

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Have you tried to cope with your anxiety on your own but it is just not working? Maybe you have tried self-care, meditation, relaxation techniques, talking to friends, etc... It is possible that the reason these methods have not helped is because you are only putting a band-aid on your symptoms. You are not getting at the root of your anxiety and how it influences your life.

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This page contains links to free resources mentioned in The Anxiety Toolkit, plus some additional resources you may find interesting. Since links change from time to time, if you notice anything out of date here, please email admin(at)aliceboyes(dot)com and we will correct the issue.
Start here... 50 Ways to Reduce Anxiety Chapter 1 - Intro Problem-specific Online Workbooks Chapter 4 - Hesitancy
- Heart rate app (free). Use in "continuous mode" which can be selected under settings. I also like this paid app for doing slow breathing practice.

- How to enable undo send in Gmail
Chapter 5 - Rumination
- Free meditation downloads

Download these free mindfulness meditations from Dr Christopher Germer. Choose from breathing/body focussed meditations or kindness/self-compassion focussed meditations.
Chapter 8 - Avoidance.
- "Stayfocusd" (no "e") app to lock yourself out of particular websites after a set period of time each day.

- Expensify app - for creating receipts for small purchases from credit card statements.

Centre for Clinical Interventions Example of Exposure Hierarchy for Feared Situations

Centre for Clinical Interventions Full Online Workbook for Panic Disorder
Chapter 9 - Managing your anxiety vs. living your life. Cheatsheet of 50 Cognitive Distortions Chapter 10 - Areas where people get tripped up. Dr Kristin Neff's Self-Compassion Quiz Chapter 11 - Liking your natural self vs. tolerating your natural self. Using your strengths in new ways - further examples 340 Ways to Use Character Strengths Bonuses
PDF - Healthy Emotions Regulation Strategies Pyramid - The Food Pyramid of Emotion Regulation

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This page contains links to free resources mentioned in The Anxiety Toolkit, plus some additional resources you may find interesting. Since links change from time to time, if you notice anything out of date here, please email admin(at)aliceboyes(dot)com and we will correct the issue. Start here...

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If You Struggle with Anxiety, These Tricks Could Save Your Life

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What’s Normal Anxiety – and What’s an Anxiety Disorder? | Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter | TED

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With today's tumultuous and uncharted climate, a certain amount of worry and anxiety are normal. While we use these terms interchangeably, they are entirely different animals - and they have different implications for health and well-being.

"If people aren't a little bit worried right now, that's a problem," says Jeffrey Devore, MSW, a behavioral health social worker at Henry Ford Health. "Worry and anxiety fall on a spectrum. They're different states, but they're also interrelated."

Worry Versus Anxiety

Chances are good that you regularly experience some level of worry (or even anxiety). But what do these terms really mean? Both states are marked by a sense of concern, disquiet and possibly stress. But they're not the same.

Here are five key differences between worry and anxiety:

Worry tends to reside in our minds. | Anxiety affects both body and mind.
"Everyday worries take place in your thoughts, while anxiety often manifests physically in the body," Devore explains. "You might feel faint or lightheaded. Some people even hyperventilate." People who are anxious are also more likely to suffer from digestive problems likenausea, indigestion and irritable bowel syndrome.

Worry is specific. | Anxiety is more generalized.
Whether you're fixating on your odds of contracting the coronavirus or trying to figure out how you'll be able to homeschool three children, worry is distinct and concrete. Anxiety is generally vague. You feel unsettled, but you can't pinpoint what you're really anxious about - and that can make problem-solving difficult.

Worry is grounded in reality. | Anxiety is marked by catastrophic thinking.
There's a logical component to worry. Your brain is trying to make sense of a real and present danger. Worrying when your fears are actionable makes sense. It's worry that can lead you to take coronavirus precautions, likewashing your hands and wearing a mask. Anxiety, on the other hand, overestimates risk. "So if the real risk of a negative outcome is 10%, someone who is anxious may perceive the risk closer to 70%," Devore explains. To make matters worse, people who are suffering from anxiety may underestimate their ability to cope with a negative outcome.

Worry is temporary. | Anxiety is longstanding.
Worry is usually short term. There's a concerning situation (like COVID-19) and you worry about it. Worry prods you to use problem-solving skills to address your concerns. Anxiety is persistent, even when concerns are unrealistic. It often compromises your ability to function.

Worry doesn't impair function. | Anxiety does.
You probably won't be forced to take a sick day due to worries about finances or weight gain. Anxiety, however, seeps into your psyche and can make it difficult to focus and get stuff done.

"Worry and anxiety are not all bad. In fact, they can motivate change," Devore says. "The key is using problem-solving skills to address what you're worried about and reduce the risk of your fears being realized."

What to Do if You're Worrying Excessively

If you worry excessively, or if you're struggling with anxiety, there are a number of things you can do on your own or with the help of a professional to quiet your reactions. A few things you can do at home:

Turn off the news: Watching the news increases feelings of stress. You can learn the basics and discover what's going on in the world with only two minutes of screen time. "Anything more than that, and you're just watching the same anxiety-provoking news on a loop," Devore says.

Practice mindfulness: Taking five or 10 minutes a day to tune into yourself and your surroundings can have powerful anxiety-quelling effects. "Many of my clients use apps like Calm or Thrive to help reduce stress and anxiety," Devore says.

Challenge negative thoughts: If you frequently think, "I can't do this" or, "I'm stuck," try challenging that thought with two other thoughts: (1) Is it true? And (2) Is it helpful? In most cases, negative thoughts are fueled by an anxious brain. Stopping them with a challenge test can help reset your mind.

Get comfortable: Since one of the hallmarks of anxiety is avoidance, exposing yourself to what you're anxious about - in small doses - can help you build up tolerance. "The idea is to desensitize yourself to discomfort, to sit in the emotion until you acclimate," Devore says. This type of "exposure treatment" works best when patients also learn relaxation and calming skills.

Take steps to decompress: It's important to do things each day that help you decompress and manage uncomfortable emotions. Maybe you go fishing on the weekend. Maybe you like to hike or shoot hoops with your kids. No matter what you do, make sure you take time to recharge and regroup.

Worry and anxiety shouldn't be your default zone. If you're struggling with constant fears and concerns, talk to your doctor. "Most primary care providers can address generalized anxiety," Dr. Devore says. Concerned about visiting the doctor? A number of mental health providers offer video visits or other types of virtual care.
To find a doctor or therapist at Henry Ford, visit henryford.com or call 1-800-HENRYFORD (436-7936). Jeffrey Devore is a clinical social worker who sees patients at Henry Ford Medical Center - Troy.

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Worry and Anxiety: Do You Know the Difference?

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With today's tumultuous and uncharted climate, a certain amount of worry and anxiety are normal. While we use these terms interchangeably, they are entirely different animals - and they have different implications for health and well-being. "If people aren't a little bit worried right now, that's a problem," says Jeffrey Devore, MSW, a behavioral health social worker at Henry Ford Health.

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Did you know that anxiety is one of the top issues that kids talk to Kids Help Phone about? If you're feeling anxious, you're not alone. Because so many kids reach out to Kids Help Phone about anxiety, we asked real kids about their experience. Check out the video below to learn how real kids cope with feelings of worry or anxiety.

I'm 10 years old. 12 years old. 12 years old. 10 years old.

[What's your special talent?]

Well, I'm really good at making people laugh.

I'm actually really good at reading.

I could kind of juggle.

Dancing.

Fishing for a lot of fish.

[What do you do when you're bored?]

If I'm bored, I like to play basketball.

I like to read.

I go to my pool.

Running, biking, swimming.

[What makes you worry or feel anxious?]

Something I worry about is my cousin, because I don't want him to get bullied.

My family, my future.

My family, my future. Tests. I don't like the pressure.

[What does being anxious or worried feel like to you?]

Just does not feel good.

Being worried feels like frightened or scared or nervous.

Like my heart is beating faster and faster and faster.

Like something's wrong.

I feel like there's butterflies in my stomach.

[what makes you feel better when you're worried or anxious?]

To relieve stress, I like to talk about it with my mom.

Drink water to just help the process, and then I just calm down.

Breath in, breath out, like...

Lay down, listen to music.

Putting my mind on something else.

Cuddle with my cat.

[You can contact Kids Help Phone any time, for any worry]

I think that's pretty cool, how they can just call.

Kids should talk about their feelings instead of keeping them inside of them or else nothing's going to happen.

It's OK to feel sad, worried or anxious from time to time. There are things you can do to work through your emotions and start to feel better. You're not alone. We're here for you. For ways to get support, visit KidsHelpPhone.ca

How does anxiety feel and how can I cope with it?

You may feel anxiety in your body or notice it in how you're thinking or acting. It can include feeling nervous, panicked, afraid of making a mistake, worried something is going to happen and more. There are many helpful ways to calm and ground yourself when you experience anxiety. Things to try include:

Learn more about anxiety

Get tools to support with feeling anxious

Whenever you notice yourself feeling anxious, there are things you can do and tools you can use to feel better. Kids Help Phone is here to support you any time day or night with whatever's on your mind. Our professional counsellors and volunteer crisis responders know that it's courageous to reach out for help. To learn how other young people cope with anxiety, visit the Peer-to-Peer community forums at Kids Help Phone.
Kids Help Phone would like to thank all the youth who appear in this video, as well as Professor Alina Kislenko from The ADHD & Spectrum Centre for their contributions to this video.

Was this page helpful to you?

Did you learn anything from this page that you can use in your life?

Did you get the support you were looking for today from Kids Help Phone?

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Video: Real kids talk about coping with anxiety

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Did you know that anxiety is one of the top issues that kids talk to Kids Help Phone about? If you're feeling anxious, you're not alone. Because so many kids reach out to Kids Help Phone about anxiety, we asked real kids about their experience.

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Brain Basics: Anxiety for Kids - with Lee Constable

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Do you have an anxiety monster that is big, and wild, and likes to visit you? Is there any way to tame him? Can he be a helpful monster that you just might not mind having around? Find out in this delightful new book with practical solutions just for kids that deal with anxiety. Your child may also feel empowered by the child in this story as he becomes more confident. While learning new coping strategies to deal with his anxiety, his monster shrinks. He may not be able to make his monster go away completely, but he can learn to tame him! In the back section of this book are some parent helps that can be great conversation starters for children and parents that deal with anxiety. Grab your copy today!

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How To Tame My Anxiety Monster (Mindful Monster Collection)

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Do you have an anxiety monster that is big, and wild, and likes to visit you? Is there any way to tame him? Can he be a helpful monster that you just might not mind having around? Find out in this delightful new book with practical solutions just for kids that deal with anxiety.

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A fun and reassuring tale about dealing with worries from the author of the bestselling The Lion Inside.

It's a beautiful day and Worrysaurus has planned a special picnic.

But it isn't long before a small butterfly of worry starts fluttering in his tummy . . .
What if he hasn't brought enough to eat?
What if he gets lost in the jungle?
What if he trips and falls?
What if it rains?!

Can Worrysaurus find a way to chase his fears away and have fun?

The perfect book to help every anxious little dinosaur let go of their fears and feel happy in the moment.

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The Worrysaurus: Bright, Rachel: 9781408356128: Books - Amazon

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From the winner of The Great British Baking Show and star of Nadiya's Time to Eat comes a heartfelt story to help give children and parents the tools they need to talk about worries and anxiety.

A touching story about a little boy whose worry monster follows him everywhere he goes. It's there when he gets dressed, when he wants to play with his toys, and even when his friends come over to visit. How can he escape his worries?

Having struggled with anxiety for as long as she can remember, Nadiya Hussain has written this heartfelt story to ensure that no child suffers in silence-no matter what shape their worry monster may take.

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My Monster and Me [Hussain, Nadiya, Bailey, Ella] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. My Monster and Me

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Anxiety can leave a person feeling totally alone.

Countless people worldwide understand what it's like and share the same fears, struggles, and behavioral tendencies (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016).

While anxiety may feel unavoidable, mindfulness practices can significantly benefit psychological, cognitive, and physical health and manage experiences of anxiety (Shapiro, 2020).

Mindfulness helps clients cope with tough times and encourages and enhances their moments of joy. It can enable them to put anxiety in its place and make it a smaller part of life.

This article explores how mindfulness therapy can help those with anxiety and introduces techniques and exercises for use inside and outside treatment.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Mindfulness Exercises for free. These science-based, comprehensive exercises will help you cultivate a sense of inner peace throughout your daily life and give you the tools to enhance the mindfulness of your clients, students, or employees.

Mindfulness Therapy for Managing Anxiety

Many people with anxiety live happy and fulfilling lives. They find ways to free themselves from intense thoughts and feelings, and don't let "anxiety, fear, worry, panic, painful memories, and the like stand in the way of doing what they care deeply about" (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016, p. 2).
But how? Why do some people get a handle on their anxiety while others live in its grasp?
Combining mindfulness and acceptance helps many change their relationship with and response to anxious thoughts and feelings.

Mindfulness therapy encourages clients to (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016):

Stop trying to cope with anxiety.

Leave anxiety alone instead of experiencing it as an emotion, feeling, thought, or sensation.

Not act on anxiety, preventing it from controlling what they do.

Nurture compassion toward themselves and their emotional life.

Move away from a constant state of anxious discomfort.

Mindfulness has the potential to switch off or manage emotional reactivity to anxiety-inducing situations; it helps people pause, rise above the turmoil, see with greater clarity, and respond with freedom (Shapiro, 2020).

Mindfulness-based therapy helps clients find a way to live with anxiety and follow a more meaningful path in life by developing psychological flexibility. Mindfulness allows individuals to shift their attention to what is happening in their current situation, rather than being drawn into physiological sensations (Twohig & Levin, 2017).

Mindfulness-based therapy has "showed large and clinically significant effects in treating anxiety and depression" (Khoury et al., 2013, p. 769). These positive mental health changes also appear to last.

2 Mindfulness Techniques for Helping Clients

Mindfulness techniques can help clients manage and move on from anxiety.

They will learn to benefit from the following (Shapiro, 2020):

Mindful pause: a moment of hesitation between stimulus and response, stopping automatic and often adverse, fast reactions.

Witness state: a chance to step back and view the situation more objectively.

Together, these techniques help free individuals from ingrained, automatic reactions, often present in emotionally charged situations (Shapiro, 2020).

The following two related techniques can also help clients manage their relationship with anxiety.

Accepting, choosing, and taking action

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers clients a mindful way out of their fears and anxiety and the opportunity to regain control over their lives in three steps (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016):

Accept
Using mindfulness to accept the anxiety being experienced. Mindfulness has the potential to disarm the struggle between unwanted thoughts and feelings (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016).

Choose
Choosing a direction in life by identifying values and life goals.

Take action
Taking the steps required to realize those goals and committing to action and change.

ACT does not perpetuate the struggle through managing emotional and mental pain; instead, mindful self-compassion changes the client's relationship with anxious discomfort and how they act in its presence (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016).

Changing the relationship with anxiety

Anxiety is inevitable. It is the struggle with the emotional pain associated with it that can have negative effects, including the following (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016):

Increased activation of the sympathetic nervous system, causing a feeling of high alertness and physical stress.

Nonproductive, unhelpful, and unsuccessful hard work in managing anxiety.

Often only works in the short term, providing temporary relief.

Doesn't change the nature of the negative thoughts and feelings.

Reduces the quality of life, leaving the individual feeling stuck and inauthentic.

Mindfulness therapy can change relationships with anxiety by replacing unhelpful thinking and behavior with positive alternatives (Khazan, 2019):
Unhelpful thinking and behavior:

Arguing with anxious thoughts

Reassuring ourselves that our fears will not come true

Answering all the questions and what ifs

Trying to control and fight anxiety

Practicing self-blame and avoidance

Helpful thinking and behavior:

Looking beneath the surface of the anxiety message and checking in with personal values

Practicing acceptance

Allowing anxiety to be and becoming willing to experience it

Allowing anxiety to be seen as an overprotective caregiver

Practicing self-compassion

Changing intention from one of distraction to one of self-care

Why not offer these thoughts up during therapy, encouraging the client to mindfully show compassion and kindness to the emotions and feelings they experience during anxiety?

2 Exercises to Try in Your Sessions

Grounding exercises and breathing techniques are closely aligned with mindfulness and have incredible potential for helping clients handle their background level of anxiety and specific anxiety-causing situations.

Grounding

Grounding helps us stay present and centered when practicing mindfulness techniques or during situations that cause anxiousness (Decker, Brown, Ashley, & Lipscomb, 2019).

Grounding tools and practices help clients detach from the anxiety they are experiencing and focus on what is within their control. Here are some examples (Allen, 2020; Najavits, 2011):

Mental techniques involved in focusing the mind

Physical techniques that encourage a fuller experience of the senses

Soothing techniques that foster self-compassion and self-kindness

To try it out, download this grounding and centering exercise.

Grounding, rather than trying to resolve the cause of anxiety, can provide temporary and long-term peace from its effects. Here you will find more suggestions for anxiety tools to help clients cope.

Breathing techniques

Through mindful breathing techniques, it is possible to engage the parasympathetic nervous system and calm both body and mind while releasing feel-good endorphins (Cuddy, 2020).

Try out the following in your sessions with clients. Ask them to include the practices on a daily basis before or during events that are likely to cause anxiety:

Square Breathing
This breathing technique encourages mindfulness and feeling present and can be easily performed in any situation.

Triangle Breathing
Similar to square breathing, thisuseful technique brings awareness to your breath and helps regain control during anxiety.

Breath Awareness
Learn toobserve movements and sensations in the body with each breath to regain calm and a sense of control.

Breathing techniques can be learned quickly and become more automatic with practice. They are powerful tools for accepting and moving on from feelings of anxiety and are equally helpful when associated with pain related to illness or injury (Lewis, 2004).

Best Mindfulness Meditation Scripts

The following free meditation scripts target multiple age groups, providing moments of calm and peace, a break from anxiety, and the opportunity to stay in the present.

Five Senses

This simple, practical, and versatile mindfulness script is valuable for evoking a mindful state in adults and is especially helpful with children.

Use it when preparing for events known to cause anxiety or for a much-needed break in times of stress.

Raisin Meditation

This is a classic meditation script for bringing anyone back to the present by focusing on food: its taste, smell, and texture.

Meditation Grounding Scripts for Children

There are two versions of this practical grounding script: one for younger children and one for older. Use it to teach young people to look inside themselves for inner peace, finding calm and self-compassion.

6 Mindfulness Workbooks & Worksheets

The following workbooks and worksheets can help clients develop awareness and compassion without judgment regarding their anxiety.

FLARE for Anxiety and Fear

Self-acceptance, self-compassion, and a willingness to experience anxiety take practice (Khazan, 2019).

The FLARE for Anxiety and Fear worksheet encourages clients not to fight anxiety but to accept it mindfully.

This exercise aims to allow anxiety to just be without engaging with or judging it (Khazan, 2019).

The Documentary of You

Mindfulness can be used to view life and who you are with compassion and forgiveness (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016).

The Documentary of You worksheet helps reduce the anxiety associated with how you feel.

You may begin to see that the sensations, thoughts, and feelings associated with anxiety are like words on a page. We can observe them without letting them control our thoughts, feelings, or behavior.

'I Am' Mantra for Anxiety

Becoming a good observer is vital because it offers a helpful perspective and practical experience for anyone struggling with their worries, anxieties, and fear (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016).

The 'I Am' Mantra for Anxiety worksheet helps clients observe how they react to difficult descriptions of themselves. "I am neither this nor that, but instead I Am" (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016, p. 192).

Who Am I Beyond My Anxiety?

When struggling with anxieties and fears, the focus is typically too much on what is wrong. As a result, other essential aspects, such as likes, values, and strengths, are often missed (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016).

The Who Am I Beyond My Anxiety? worksheet focuses on how to describe yourself.

Breath Awareness While Waiting

Anxiety can increase when we are waiting for something to happen, whether about to speak at a presentation or simply at a stoplight (Peterson, 2018).

The Breath Awareness While Waiting worksheet uses our breathing to manage those times when we have no focus and anxiety can get the better of us (Peterson, 2018).

Breathing techniques help in several ways: calming the sympathetic nervous system, increasing the perception of control, and providing a focus.

Creating a Mindfulness Anxiety Plan

"Part of managing our anxiety is anticipating when it might show up and coming up with a plan to deal with it when it does" (Peterson, 2018, p. 170). Making mindfulness a habit can help reduce the response to triggers that cause emotional upset, fear, and panic.

The Creating a Mindfulness Anxiety Plan worksheet explores anxiety triggers and mindfulness activities that may help.

Fascinating Books on the Topic

There are many wonderful books about mindfulness and managing anxiety. We have chosen three that combine both.

1. Biofeedback and Mindfulness in Everyday Life: Practical Solutions for Improving Your Health and Performance - Inna Khazan

This fascinating book helps train your body to manage its involuntary actions, such as breathing and heart rate, to handle anxiety, fear, and insomnia.

Khazan's book teaches the reader valuable techniques for applying the mind-body approach to take control of their overall health.

Find the book on Amazon.

2. The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety: A Guide to Breaking Free from Anxiety, Phobias and Worry Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - John Forsyth and Georg Eifert

Learn how to calm your anxious body and mind using a combination of acceptance (mindfulness) and commitment techniques.

This book is hugely powerful for getting your mind unstuck and tackling anxiety and fear by nurturing your capacity for acceptance, kindness, and compassion.

Find the book on Amazon.

3. The Mindfulness Workbook for Anxiety: The 8-Week Solution to Help You Manage Anxiety, Worry, and Stress - Tanya Peterson

Mindfulness is an effective technique for reducing and relieving anxiety (Shapiro, 2020).

The practical methods within Peterson's book offer effective and lasting relief and a focus for peace and wellbeing.

Find the book on Amazon.

Top 3 Apps to Recommend to Your Clients

The following three apps are all designed for easing and handling anxiety through mindfulness and other relaxation techniques.

Breathe2Relax

This powerful app teaches users how to manage their stress through guided breathing.

It is valuable as a standalone stress reduction tool or in clinical care when directed by a healthcare worker.

Find the app in the Google Play Store.
Find the app in the Apple App Store.

Headspace

Headspace offers over 500 meditations to help people overcome stress and anxiety and build resilience.

This app can help mindfulness become part of a daily routine.

Find the app in the Google Play Store.
Find the app in the Apple App Store.

Anxiety Solution

This fantastic app offers the user a complete anxiety toolkit to help manage anxious thoughts and behaviors.

Its powerful anxiety toolkit includes interactive breathing tools and over 70 mindfulness, meditation, sleep stories, and fitness routines.

Find the app in the Apple App Store.

We recommend taking a look at this article: Best Apps for Psychologists that practitioners can use to improve the outcome of clients' treatment.

Our Best Resources: Mindfulness X & Toolkit

Practicing mindfulness helps us regain control over our anxiety and improves our overall physical and mental wellbeing (Shapiro, 2020).

We offer an essential training bundle called Mindfulness X© that covers eight pillars of mindfulness in detail and provides professionals with the knowledge and tools needed to offer mindfulness training. Use it to introduce your clients to the here and now, awareness of automatic thinking, and cultivating a caring and compassionate relationship with the self.

Also, why not download our free mindfulness tool pack and try out the powerful tools contained within? Here are some examples:

Leaves on a Stream
Learn how to separate yourself from your thoughts and practice letting go instead of remaining caught up in them.

Eye of the Hurricane Metaphor
Focusing your attention inward can be a great way to learn how to disengage from a busy life, generating more inner peace.

Other free resources include:

Signs of Emotional Discomfort
Stress causes us to become agitated and anxious, reacting without care or consideration.This worksheet helps you spot the warning signs early and take action.

Responding With Fear and Worry
Sometimeshow we respond seems automatic and outside our control. Reflecting on our experiences can help us revisit such times and explore whether our reactions were helpful or unhelpful.

More extensive versions of the following tools are available with a subscription to the Positive Psychology Toolkit©, but they are described briefly below:

Strengthening the Work-Private Life Barrier
Those who struggle to balance work and home life may experience stress and anxiety. This worksheet helps create a clear barrier between the two and protects against anxiety spill-over:

Step one - What holes do you have in your work-life barrier?

Step two - What can you do to fill those holes?

Step three - How can you take action, starting with small steps?

Step four - Reflect on how the barrier now feels, having answered the questions, and consider what further actions are needed.

Self-Compassion Miracle Question
Learning to be kinder to ourselves can reduce inner challenge and the sense that we are not performing or managing life well.

In this exercise, clients are asked to imagine that by some miracle, they no longer talk to themselves in a negative, self-critical way. Instead, they treat themselves with kindness and compassion.

17 Mindfulness & Meditation Exercises
If you're looking for more science-based ways to help others enjoy the benefits of mindfulness, check out this collection of17 validated mindfulness tools for practitioners. Use them to help others reduce stress and create positive shifts in their mental, physical, and emotional health.

A Take-Home Message

The effects of anxiety can be crippling. However, by combining mindfulness and action, it is possible to accept it and move forward.

It is unnecessary to avoid or tightly control anxiety; instead, it's important to recognize it as part of life without letting it change how clients see themselves. With an outlook of self-compassion, it is possible to not act on anxiety but to see it as a mental or physical response to situations that have happened or are yet to happen.

Mindfulness can reduce reactiveness, put life into perspective, and encourage the psychological flexibility essential to build resilience. By creating a mindful pause between stimulus and response and the opportunity to step back and view situations more objectively, we can become free of automatic, unwanted reactions.

This article provides mindfulness exercises and worksheets for your clients to help change their relationships with anxiety rather than attempt to fight or remove it. Explore the mindful techniques, tailoring them to the individual and the situation, and help your clients experience the many psychological and physiological benefits.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don't forget to download our three Mindfulness Exercises for free.

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How to Use Mindfulness Therapy for Anxiety: 15 Exercises

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Anxiety can leave a person feeling totally alone. Countless people worldwide understand what it's like and share the same fears, struggles, and behavioral tendencies (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016). While anxiety may feel unavoidable, mindfulness practices can significantly benefit psychological, cognitive, and physical health and manage experiences of anxiety (Shapiro, 2020).

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Overview

Experiencing occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. However, people with anxiety disorders frequently have intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Often, anxiety disorders involve repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic attacks).

These feelings of anxiety and panic interfere with daily activities, are difficult to control, are out of proportion to the actual danger and can last a long time. You may avoid places or situations to prevent these feelings. Symptoms may start during childhood or the teen years and continue into adulthood.

Examples of anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder (social phobia), specific phobias and separation anxiety disorder. You can have more than one anxiety disorder. Sometimes anxiety results from a medical condition that needs treatment.

Whatever form of anxiety you have, treatment can help.

Symptoms

Common anxiety signs and symptoms include:

Feeling nervous, restless or tense

Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom

Having an increased heart rate

Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)

Sweating

Trembling

Feeling weak or tired

Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry

Having trouble sleeping

Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems

Having difficulty controlling worry

Having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety

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 misusing 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.

When to see a doctor

See your doctor if:

You feel like you're worrying too much and it's interfering with your work, relationships or other parts of your life

Your fear, worry or anxiety is upsetting to you and difficult to control

You feel depressed, have trouble with alcohol or drug use, or have other mental health concerns along with anxiety

You think your anxiety could be linked to a physical health problem

You have suicidal thoughts or behaviors - if this is the case, seek emergency treatment immediately

Your worries may not go away on their own, and they may get worse over time if you don't seek help. See your doctor or a mental health provider before your anxiety gets worse. It's easier to treat if you get help early.

Causes

The causes of anxiety disorders aren't fully understood. Life experiences such as traumatic events appear to trigger anxiety disorders in people who are already prone to anxiety. Inherited traits also can be a factor.

Medical causes

For some people, anxiety may be linked to an underlying health issue. In some cases, anxiety signs and symptoms are the first indicators of a medical illness. If your doctor suspects your anxiety may have a medical cause, he or she may order tests to look for signs of a problem.

Examples of medical problems that can be linked to anxiety include:

Heart disease

Diabetes

Thyroid problems, such as hyperthyroidism

Respiratory disorders, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma

Drug misuse or withdrawal

Withdrawal from alcohol, anti-anxiety medications (benzodiazepines) or other medications

Chronic pain or irritable bowel syndrome

Rare tumors that produce certain fight-or-flight hormones

Sometimes anxiety can be a side effect of certain medications.

It's possible that your anxiety may be due to an underlying medical condition if:

You don't have any blood relatives (such as a parent or sibling) with an anxiety disorder

You didn't have an anxiety disorder as a child

You don't avoid certain things or situations because of anxiety

You have a sudden occurrence of anxiety that seems unrelated to life events and you didn't have a previous history of anxiety

Risk factors

These factors may increase your risk of developing an anxiety disorder:

Trauma. Children who endured abuse or trauma or witnessed traumatic events are at higher risk of developing an anxiety disorder at some point in life. Adults who experience a traumatic event also can develop anxiety disorders.

Stress due to an illness. Having a health condition or serious illness can cause significant worry about issues such as your treatment and your future.

Stress buildup. A big event or a buildup of smaller stressful life situations may trigger excessive anxiety - for example, a death in the family, work stress or ongoing worry about finances.

Personality. People with certain personality types are more prone to anxiety disorders than others are.

Other mental health disorders. People with other mental health disorders, such as depression, often also have an anxiety disorder.

Having blood relatives with an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders can run in families.

Drugs or alcohol. Drug or alcohol use or misuse or withdrawal can cause or worsen anxiety.

Complications

Having an anxiety disorder does more than make you worry. It can also lead to, or worsen, other mental and physical conditions, such as:

Depression (which often occurs with an anxiety disorder) or other mental health disorders

Substance misuse

Trouble sleeping (insomnia)

Digestive or bowel problems

Headaches and chronic pain

Social isolation

Problems functioning at school or work

Poor quality of life

Suicide

Prevention

There's no way to predict for certain what will cause someone to develop an anxiety disorder, but you can take steps to reduce the impact of symptoms if you're anxious:

Get help early. Anxiety, like many other mental health conditions, can be harder to treat if you wait.

Stay active. Participate in activities that you enjoy and that make you feel good about yourself. Enjoy social interaction and caring relationships, which can lessen your worries.

Avoid alcohol or drug use. Alcohol and drug use can cause or worsen anxiety. If you're addicted to any of these substances, quitting can make you anxious. If you can't quit on your own, see your doctor or find a support group to help you.

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Learn the symptoms of this mental health condition, and ways to manage worry and fear that interfere with your daily activities.

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What Teachers Should Know

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health problems of childhood and adolescence.

Anxiety disorders cause people to feel excessively frightened, distressed, or uneasy during situations in which most people would not feel that way. Left untreated, anxiety disorders can impair students' ability to work or study and may affect their personal relationships. In the most severe cases, anxiety disorders can make going to school incredibly difficult.

The most common anxiety-related disorders affecting kids and teens are:

Generalized anxiety disorder. With this common anxiety disorder, children worry excessively about many things, such as school, the health or safety of family members, or the future in general. These students also may have physical symptoms, such as headaches, stomachaches, muscle tension, or tiredness. Their worries might cause them to miss school or avoid social activities.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Children with OCD have excessive preoccupying thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive actions done to try to relieve their anxiety (compulsions).

Specific phobias. These are unrealistic and excessive fears, such as a fear of dogs or enclosed spaces. Phobias usually cause people to avoid the things they fear.

Social anxiety disorder (social phobia). This anxiety is triggered by social situations or speaking in front of others. It is an intense fear of being judged in social situations or performance. A less common form, calledselective mutism, causes some students to be too fearful to talk at all in certain situations.

Panic disorder. A panic attack can happen for no apparent reason. With a panic attack, a person has sudden and intense physical symptoms that can include a pounding heart, shortness of breath, or dizziness caused by the body's normal fear response.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This results from a past traumatic event/experience.

Separation anxiety disorder: High level of distress when separated from a caregiver.

Students with an anxiety disorder may:

have trouble concentrating in class or completing classwork

feel self-conscious and avoid certain situations

have physical symptoms, such as a racing heart, fast breathing, tense muscles, sweaty palms, a queasy stomach, and trembling hands or legs

take medication to help reduce anxiety

miss class time due to problems coping at school, or needing to talk with a school counselor or therapist

What Teachers Can Do

Students with anxiety disorders may have difficulty completing their work. Teachers can help ease anxiety levels by:

talking with parents or guardians to learn about strategies that work at home

allowing students extra time to do work

checking that their assignments are written down correctly

giving them daily schedules

modifying assignments and reducing workloads when necessary

promoting relaxation techniques and allowing for breaks throughout day

encouraging school attendance, which may require shortened school days and modified class schedules

allowing them a safe space and ability to go speak with a counselor, if needed

easing anxiety in the classroom by pairing with a peer

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Anxiety Disorders Factsheet (for Schools)

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Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health problems of childhood and adolescence. Anxiety disorders cause people to feel excessively frightened, distressed, or uneasy during situations in which most people would not feel that way. Left untreated, anxiety disorders can impair students' ability to work or study and may affect their personal relationships.

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What Teachers Should Know

Social phobia (also called social anxiety) is a type of anxiety disorder. Extreme feelings of shyness and self-consciousness build into a powerful fear for people with social phobia. As a result, they feel uncomfortable participating in everyday social situations, like meeting new people, talking among groups, or speaking in public. People with social phobia can usually interact easily with family and a few close friends, but fear of embarrassment gets in the way of life

Social phobia is a fear reaction to something that isn't actually dangerous - although the body and mind react as if the danger is real. This means people with the disorder actually feel the physical sensations of fear, like a faster heartbeat and breathing. They're more sensitive to fears that they'll be embarrassed, look foolish, make a mistake, or be judged, criticized, or laughed at. This leads them to avoid these social situations.

Some kids and teens with social phobia are so extremely shy and so fearful about talking to others, that they don't speak at all to certain people (such as teachers or students they don't know) or in certain places (like at someone else's house). This form of social phobia is sometimes called selective mutism.

Social phobia is treatable, and therapists can create plans to help students cope. Medicines may be prescribed to help ease the anxiety.

Students with social phobia may:

feel self-conscious and uncomfortable in social situations

avoid school or participating in class

feel embarrassed, lonely, disappointed, or withdrawn

have physical symptoms such as sweating, shaking, stomach pains, nausea, and a racing heart beat

need intervention with a school counselor or therapist to help them handle social situations

be targeted by bullies

What Teachers Can Do

The best way to help your student is to acknowledge the problem in supportive, non-judgmental ways. You can:

use structured classroom activities, small groups, or assigned partners so shy students are not left out

assign a classroom buddy to provide support

help with social interactions and rewarding efforts

be patient and positive as students learn new ways to cope

encourage all students in the classroom to try relaxation techniques

encourage shy students to try to speak for themselves, when they can, rather than speaking for them

identify a "safe place" for when a student feels overwhelmed

encourage attendance, which may require shortened school days and modified class schedules

collaborate with regular meeting with parents, counselors, and school staff

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Social phobia (also called social anxiety) is a type of anxiety disorder. Extreme feelings of shyness and self-consciousness build into a powerful fear for people with social phobia. As a result, they feel uncomfortable participating in everyday social situations, like meeting new people, talking among groups, or speaking in public.

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Help for dealing with racing thoughts

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Overcoming anxiety on your own can feel very daunting and helpless. It can present itself in many different ways, whether it's due to stress in the workplace, grief, or the pressures of everyday life. While many people turn to professional help or holistic techniques, books are a great way to teach yourself the tools to help combat anxiety. No matter your situation, we've researched the best books with helpful techniques to overcome anxiety.

Below are the best books for anxiety relief.

"Be Calm: Proven Techniques to Stop Anxiety Now"

Jill Weber, Ph.D., a D.C.-area clinical psychologist, dives deep into the science behind anxiety, your emotions, and their physical ramifications on the body. Most importantly, she shows you how to use this knowledge to help you spot and deal with racing thoughts, worst-case scenario thinking, or a self-defeating mentality, all of which may prompt you to behave in ways that reinforce anxiety.

Her techniques tap evidence-based methods, including cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and mindfulness. "My clients who use these methods tell me that although they are still aware of their worried thoughts, those thoughts no longer have the same power over them," Weber writes.

"Retrain Your Brain: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in 7 Weeks"

If you're not ready for the step of seeing a psychologist or one is not accessible to you, then this book from Seth Gillihan-a licensed psychologist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Psychiatry Department at the University of Pennsylvania-is billed as a resource to "learn to be your own therapist."

Like other books on anxiety, Gillihan teaches cognitive behavioral therapy to manage symptoms. Presented workbook style, you're encouraged to be more than just a passive participant learning CBT techniques and take a more active role in your care. He breaks it into seven weeks, each week building upon the next, including setting goals, breaking negative thought patterns, and facing your fears. It's kind of like spending weekly sessions with Gillihan. One bit of advice: Don't skip the writing prompts-they're important for your journey.

"10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head"

Dan Harris teaches the art of the mini-meditation for skeptics. He was once a skeptic, too: The news anchor had a panic attack on air-and it was finding meditation that brought him back from the brink and hurling toward happiness. He says that mindfulness meditation can quiet that inner voice (the one that's telling you to do more and be more at the expense of all else) while still being a productive go-getter. If mindfulness seems a bit out there for you, you'll not only relate to the stories Harris shares but also learn a lot about making peace with that inner critical voice.

"It's Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered"

This is a book you'll want to turn to when you're trying to navigate your Christian faith while being dealt a rough hand in life. Author Lysa TerKeurst says that disappointment is a source of anxiety, and learning the tools to understand its role and teachings can help you emerge on the other side unscathed. "I ride this struggle bus. But I'm never comfortable with the fact that I can't grab the wheel and drive it back to Normal," she writes. She teaches you to trust the process-not the outcome-and that's a very big lesson you'll call upon for the rest of your life.

"The New Way to End Anxiety and Stop Panic Attacks"

If you've struggled with traditional advice to stop anxiety and panic attacks but have found that it didn't work for you, you're in need of a new approach. Author Barry McDonagh advocates for facing fears, anxiety, and panic head-on and accepting its presence, a method he says changed his life and can change yours.

His teachings take work to implement but can help you rewrite your response and change your body's physiology when panic attacks start (when driving, getting on an airplane, in crowds). As an adjunct to the book, you can also download the DARE app, so you can keep the techniques close by to tap into when you need them the most.

"How to Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety"

Social anxiety is about being more than just shy or introverted. Clinical psychologist and author Ellen Hendriksen, P.h.D, calls herself the "anxiety whisperer." " Social anxiety is self-consciousness on steroids," she says. It's believing that you'll mess up and get criticized or that you have to sound clever or smart (but never will).

Hendriksen teaches cognitive behavioral therapy to manage these social fears, whether yours crop up at events, speaking engagements, meeting new people, hanging out with friends, or at work. By the end of the book, you'll be closer to shaking that dark cloud of fear that you're always being judged and discover a big boost of confidence. Because, as you'll learn: your true self is enough.

"Don't Feed the Monkey Mind: How to Stop the Cycle of Anxiety, Fear, and Worry"

Licensed psychotherapist Jennifer Shannon wrote this book with the idea to stop the constant chatter of your "monkey mind," or the state anxious individuals can fall into as they try to run away from the things they fear. She taps into her past with anxiety and explains that years spent trying to uncover the root of her anxiety only made it-and her panic attacks-worse. That's why she shifts the focus, urging you to acknowledge your fears.

She also presents strategies to effectively cope with the day-to-day worries that can feel all-consuming and stand in your way of a fulfilling life. With humor woven in throughout and cutesy illustrations to lighten the mood, this is one book that you'll enjoy and feel good reading.

"The Missing Stage of Grief: A Revolutionary Approach to Understanding and Healing"

In this book, Claire Bidwell Smith, LCPC, links anxiety to the grief caused by losing a loved one. "The shock of everything that comes with losing someone significant is a powerful catalyst for all the feelings of fear and dread that constitute anxiety," she writes.

Knowing that you're seen-whether or not that loss occurred recently or long ago-can lift some of the pressure to 'get over it' off your shoulders. Bidwell Smith realized this after losing both of her parents, and she takes readers on a step-by-step guide to releasing the anxiety and dealing with your grief in an honest, safe way.

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Help for dealing with racing thoughts Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Overcoming anxiety on your own can feel very daunting and helpless.

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We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here's our process.

Anxiety comes in many forms and can affect people in different ways. If you're dealing with anxiety, you're definitely not alone. It's the most common mental health issue facing Americans. Anxiety affects 40 million adults in the United States, which is about 18 percent of the population.

Types of anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety, panic disorder, and specific phobias.

Anyone living with anxiety knows it can have a direct effect on your quality of life. The good news is that anxiety, in all its forms, is treatable.

The most common treatments for anxiety are psychotherapy, stress management techniques, medication, and aerobic exercise. There's no one-size-fits-all treatment. You may find yourself combining techniques to manage symptoms.

Self-help books can be a good way for you to learn about new techniques or try things that have worked well for others. The books below offer a variety of constructive ways to tackle anxiety symptoms from different perspectives.

Price: $$$

Author Barry McDonagh asks readers to "dare" anxiety to do its worst.

The book focuses on facing anxious thoughts and challenging them instead of feeding into them or trying to ignore them.

McDonagh's technique is based on scientific evidence and his 10 years of helping people with anxiety. The book also comes with a free app and audiobook to use for relaxation and anxiety relief.

Price: $$

You've heard how helpful decluttering your living space can be. "Declutter Your Mind" applies this same philosophy to your mental space, with the idea that negative and anxious thoughts take up valuable mental real estate.

The book focuses on teaching you mindfulness by reframing your negative thoughts and using techniques to allow you to be present in the moment and take control of your thought process.

Price: $

If you're not into traditional self-help books and want to tell anxiety to eff off, "Hardcore Self Help: F**k Anxiety" is the read for you.

The book's philosophy is that reading a self-help book shouldn't feel like a chore. In the book, author Robert Duff speaks candidly and weaves swearing and humor throughout the information and actionable tips.

Price: $$$

Facing anxiety takes work. Without a guide, many of us don't know where to start. "The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook" is exactly what the title suggests.

This workbook is designed to help you learn tools and skills to manage anxiety symptoms effectively. Written by a cognitive behavioral therapist, the workbook is based on current clinical research on anxiety and its treatment.

Price: $$$

An unbalanced diet can have effects on more than cholesterol and blood pressure. As "The Anti-Anxiety Food Solution" suggests, foods also impact brain chemistry and emotions.

The book offers tips on how to eat more nutrients and reduce cravings. There are also lifestyle tips for how to reduce anxiety symptoms and how the food we eat plays a role in those symptoms.

Price: $$$

Anxiety can be a deeply personal experience. Many people experience it in different ways.

Author Scott Stossel draws on his own personal journey with anxiety to explore the condition's history. He also offers the opinions of scientists, philosophers, and other writers.

In addition to recalling the many treatments - including some strange ones - that were developed to relieve anxiety, "My Age of Anxiety" also provides personal stories of people who've found success in controlling their symptoms.

Price: $$

If others have described you as "too sensitive" or "too shy," according to psychotherapist Elaine Aron, PhD, you might be a highly sensitive person.

Aron's book, "The Highly Sensitive Person," is designed to help you recognize these traits and understand them to improve your life and personal relationships.

Her perspective comes from a place of understanding, since Aron herself identifies as a highly sensitive person.

Price: $

Panic attacks can leave you feeling powerless and out of control.

In her book "From Panic to Power," author Lucinda Bassett shares how she personally used techniques to fight back against anxiety and reclaim power over her life.

She offers skills and methods to help you respond to anxious thoughts and negative self-talk.

Price: $$

The physical symptoms caused by anxiety may seem minor to people who've never experienced them. But to people who live with anxiety daily, they can make a big difference in quality of life.

The late Dr. Claire Weekes drew on her years of helping patients with anxiety to offer step-by-step guidance. "Hope and Help for Your Nerves" teaches you techniques for analyzing and understanding your own anxiety so you can focus on regaining control.

Price: $$$

When you're going through constant panic and anxiety, it can feel like you've lost your life and won't ever get it back.

Author Paul David wrote "At Last a Life" to share his story of recovery and provide hope for others that it's possible to regain your life. The book is based on a combination of his personal story as well as research he's done about anxiety.

Price: $

Anxious thoughts can be pretty deceitful. They're not actually grounded in reality, but they feel so legitimate when you're having them.

"When Panic Attacks" aims to help you recognize and confront your anxious thoughts.

Dr. David Burns is a believer in treating anxiety without medication. He also shares the latest research on anxiety and depression medications and why he feels they may sometimes do more harm than good.

Price: $$$

Panic attacks can be downright terrifying if you don't know what's happening. Even after you've become familiar with them, they can still make you feel out of control and helpless.

The "Panic Attacks Workbook" is designed to help you understand panic attacks and break the cycle of anxious responses leading to them. It uses charts and worksheets to help you literally work through recovery.

Price: $$

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been proven as one of the most effective treatments for anxiety.

Dr. Aaron T. Beck, clinician researcher, and David A. Clark, PhD, cognitive behavior therapy expert, have put the CBT techniques used by therapists into a workbook for you.

"The Anxiety and Worry Workbook" offers tools to better understand and manage anxiety thoughts and triggers.

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We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here's our process. Anxiety comes in many forms and can affect people in different ways. If you're dealing with anxiety, you're definitely not alone.

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All About Anxiety Disorders. Learn About and Find the Help, Support and Understanding You Need to Get WayAhead with Anxiety Disorders - Panic, Social, OCD

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Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA

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Anxiety Disorders and Depression Research & Treatment | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA

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ADAA is an international nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the prevention, treatment, and cure of anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, and co-occurring disorders through education, practice, and research.

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Symptoms and Strategies for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in Children and Teens

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Anxiety Attack vs Panic Attack - What's The Difference?

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‎**Featured as Best of 2020 by the App Store & 2019 Webby Award Winner for Best Lifestyle App** Founded by two women of color on a mission to make taking care of your mental health easier, more representative, and more accessible, Shine is your space for daily self-care. Start 2022 with Shine for b…

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iPhone Screenshots

"I believe we have created the ultimate ACT app. An invaluable tool for any coach or clinician working with ACT - as well as for all their clients."
--- Dr Russ Harris, internationally acclaimed ACT trainer & bestselling author

"I love this app! Simple, clean, and clients can get to where they need to go really quickly."
--- Dr Louise Hayes, clinical psychologist at Orygen Youth Research Centre, University of Melbourne

"This app is a great tool for clinicians and clients. ACT Companion is a valuable resource that lets you take ACT outside of the therapy room and into your pocket."
--- Nesh Nikolic, clinical psychologist & ACT trainer

Develop and practice the skills you need to be present, open up and do what matters - with dozens of simple, yet powerful, interactive ACT exercises and tools based on the best-selling book, The Happiness Trap, by Dr Russ Harris.

If you're working with an ACT coach, clinician, or self-help book, then ACT Companion will help you put what you've learned into practice and create meaningful change in your life.

What is ACT? Acceptance and commitment therapy is a scientifically supported mindfulness-based behaviour therapy with over 100 published peer-reviewed studies demonstrating its effectiveness for a wide range of clinical issues (such as anxiety and depression) as well as mental wellbeing and peak-performance.

Privacy note: Your privacy is extremely important - data or personal information entered in the app is anonymous and encrypted, is used for backing up purposes only, and will never be shared or sold with other entities.

For more information, please visit www.actcompanion.com

This app has been updated by Apple to use the latest Apple signing certificate.

- Optimised in-app purchases
- Updated copywriting
- Compliance with App Store guidelines

Great supportive technology!

I'm a clinical social worker and have used this app for both personal and professional use. I would have given it 5 stars had there been regular updates i.e. exercise add-ons. Is there a way of being notified when/if such updates are made?

But truly I love it! I find it to be a great resource when I'm stuck in the honey trap of life. Deep gratitude and appreciation to you Russ and your team of co-creators for introducing such a meaningful and enriching technology to the world.

Peace,
Josh Hillie MSW, LISW-CP

Makes ACT fit into your hectic life

I used to carry an ACT workbook around and had to push myself to open and do it regularly. This app allows you to fit ACT exercises into your life so easily. The prompts in the exercises are easy to follow and empowering to complete. My ability to self soothe has improved tremendously because of the exercises on this app. It's really taking my ACT practice to a new level which has a greatly positive impact on my ability to enjoy the present moment and overall happiness. Completely worth the upfront purchase fee, it's cheaper than just one session of therapy!

Love it!

I've had this app for less than a week and it's already made a big difference in my life. I loved the treasure chest activity. And the weekly check in. I also love how systematic it seems like it is to take you through all of the activities. I just hope I don't run out of activities soon! But maybe then you just do them over again! Thank you to the app creators! I'm just wondering what they do with my data?

The developer, Berrick Psychology, has not provided details about its privacy practices and handling of data to Apple.

No Details Provided

The developer will be required to provide privacy details when they submit their next app update.

Information

Seller

BERRICK PSYCHOLOGY PTY LTD

Compatibility

iPhone

Requires iOS 10.2 or later.

iPod touch

Requires iOS 10.2 or later.

Mac

Requires macOS 11 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip.

In-App Purchases

Unlimited Subscription $9.99

One-month Subscription $1.99

Three-month Subscription $3.99

Family Sharing

With Family Sharing set up, up to six family members can use this app.

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‎"I believe we have created the ultimate ACT app. An invaluable tool for any coach or clinician working with ACT - as well as for all their clients." --- Dr Russ Harris, internationally acclaimed ACT trainer & bestselling author "I love this app! Simple, clean, and clients can get to where they need...

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Showcased in Healthline's best Meditation Apps for 2020!

iBreathe is a simple yet powerful app to help guide you through deep breathing exercises. Whether you are struggling with stress, anxiety, insomnia, or are trying to meditate and relax, iBreathe provides an easy-to-use, beautifully designed user interface. Unlike other apps, iBreathe is designed with simplicity in mind and does not contain any bloat or clutter.

Features:
+ Simple & easy to use interface
+ Customizable breathing intervals (inhale, exhale, hold, cycles)
+ Pre-defined presets specifically designed to help with stress and anxiety
+ Customizable reminders to remind you to breathe throughout the day
+ Apple Health integration
+ Quick actions via haptic touch (long press from your home screen) to start your breathing exercises quickly
+ Multiple color themes
+ Learn about the benefits of deep breathing

+ Supports all iOS devices
+ Apple Watch App
+ iMessage app to send breathing exercises to your friends

Please leave a review or contact us through the app if you have any questions or suggestions. Thank you!

* Improved support for devices running iOS15
* Small bug fixes and improvements

Thank you everyone for your support! Several more updates are in development! Stay tuned.

Review

This app has been very beneficial to me leading up to finals week. I downloaded this app to see if it would help me decrease my stress levels during the two week period I spend completing my assignments for the semester, and studying for my final exams. The breathing interval of inhaling for 4 seconds, holding for 5 and exhaling for 6 really helped slow my heart rate down when I began to get stressed out about different assignments. Slowing down the heart rate helps to decrease stress levels because when the heart rate is fast, your oxygen intake is lower, which can actually stress you out more. I also used this app before taking one of my tests, because I tend to get bad testing anxiety. Doing a breathing exercise prior to taking my test calmed me down quite a bit, and now I don't think i'll be able to test without doing it. Since I was calmer during my test, I did better on it than I had on others in the same class. Doing breathing exercises lowers anxiety levels because you can feel you're chest tightening when you're anxious, and taking deep breaths relieves this. Another reason why breathing exercises are beneficial is because without that anxious feeling, I am happier than usual after doing my breathing exercise.

Hi Emily! Thank you so much for your review. I am happy to hear the app has helped with your anxiety and helped get you through finals week. 😊

make available for Apple Watch!!!!

I've used other apps for breathing exercises and relaxation but none of them beat this simple yet colorful app. It's the only app that offer notifications sounds when to inhale and exhale and hold. It's also the only app to set intervals and has true box breathing. Other apps fall short compared to this app.

Please make available for Apple Watch. This would be great if Users dont have to be attached to phones all the time. For those who have Apple Watch series 6 with the updated health specs, with cellular it's no longer necessary to have your phone throughout the day. I have reminders set on the app so I receive notifications on my series 6 but can't activate breathing unless I have my phone. Apple's mindfulness app for apple watch doesn't have box breathing. Please add Apple Watch app soon.

Thank you very much for taking time to leave a review. iBreathe will continue to offer functionality while maintaining simplicity & flexibility.

Happy breathing!

Simply Great

I am an RN and I've known about the virtues of deep breathing for years. It was actually the first form of Complimentary/Alternative Medicines my professor talked about in nursing school. There is tons of clinical evidence out there and any Respiratory Therapist can tell you how important breathing is- that's why they have jobs.

This app has replaced my other deep breathing app. I customized that one after a lot of experimentation over the years, but this one was so easy to set the way I like (and the default settings did a lot of the work, if I'm being honest).

If you know anyone directly/indirectly affected by Covid, please tell them to download this app and try to use it for a few minutes at least once a day to aid in general health and maybe even keep them from ever having to worry about a ventilator.

The developer, Jade Lizard Software LLC, indicated that the app's privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer's privacy policy.

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

Location

Usage Data

Diagnostics

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

Seller

Jade Lizard Software LLC

Compatibility

iPhone

Requires iOS 12.0 or later.

iPad

Requires iPadOS 12.0 or later.

iPod touch

Requires iOS 12.0 or later.

Mac

Requires macOS 11.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip.

Family Sharing

Some in‑app purchases, including subscriptions, may be shareable with your family group when Family Sharing is enabled.

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‎iBreathe is a simple yet powerful app to help guide you through deep breathing exercises. Whether you are struggling with stress, anxiety, insomnia, or are trying to meditate and relax, iBreathe provides an easy-to-use, beautifully designed user interface. Unlike other apps, iBreathe is designed wit...

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If you're seeking stress relief or anti anxiety help, you are not alone. Anxiety and depression affect millions and can make everyday life unbearable. But if you suffer from an anxiety disorder, don't get frustrated using an anxiety tracker and seeing no improvement. Before giving up, try tapping into the power of hypnotherapy with a guided anxiety meditation written and read by a certified hypnotherapist. This anxiety help app is designed to show you how to reduce anxiety and to learn anxiety management techniques. When your anxiety is reduced, you may also notice an improvement in related symptoms like anger management, OCD, PTSD, or even panic attack relief. You have the power to relieve stress, anxiety and depression - see if hypnosis is right for you to unlock your own ability to live your life outside of the shadow of depression and anxiety!*

◎ A single audio session of 30 minutes a day that is effective* in just 1-3 weeks
◎ Hypnosis audio carefully read by the soothing voice of a certified hypnotherapist
◎ Peaceful background music and nature sounds to help you relax
◎ Hypnotic Booster with binaural beats to induce your brainwave frequency into an optimal state for receiving hypnotic suggestions
◎ Separate volume controls for Voice, Background, and Hypnotic Booster
◎ Awaken at End feature can be disabled at bedtime for a relaxing, restful sleep
◎ Repeat sessions or loop while you sleep
◎ Continue listening to background sounds after the session ends

Anxiety Relief Hypnosis is free to try and effective* with the default settings. A one-time in-app purchase is required only if you wish to change the default settings. (Each of our free hypnosis apps includes its own in-app purchase; in-app purchases cannot be shared among separate apps.)

INTERACT WITH US

Surf City Apps offers a range of hypnosis apps to help you enjoy a healthier, happier, and more abundant life. Tell us how you use our apps to improve your life:

Facebook.com/surfcityapps
Twitter.com/SurfCityApps
http://surfcityapps.com

CONTACT SUPPORT

http://support.surfcityapps.com

TERMS & CONDITIONS

http://surfcityapps.com/terms

REFERENCES

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnosis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binaural_beats

*DISCLAIMER

Results not clinically proven. The content and services provided by this Application are for educational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never rely on information on this Application in place of seeking professional medical advice. Consult your doctor before using this Application if you suffer from a heart condition, mood disorder, epilepsy, or a psychiatric or neurological condition.

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Anxiety Relief Hypnosis - Stress, Panic Attacks - Apps on Google Play

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If you're seeking stress relief or anti anxiety help, you are not alone. Anxiety and depression affect millions and can make everyday life unbearable. But if you suffer from an anxiety disorder, don't get frustrated using an anxiety tracker and seeing no improvement.

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AntiStress anxiety relief game is here! Now you can play the most relaxing game to release stress or anger.

This is a pack of free antistress games including many fun games such as bubble popper, bubble wrap, and fidget spinner. The game includes a lot of bubble popping and diversion therapies, so you won't run out of options.

The features games in the app include:
* Fidget Spinner
Hands down the most relaxing game! Spin it as much as you want to relieve your stress.
* Metal Balls
Move your device to let the metal balls glide across the screen.
* Sand Hourglass
Enjoy watching the sand slip through the narrow midpoint of an hourglass.
* Bulb Smash
In this smash therapy, you have to smash as many bulbs as you can.
* Wood Smash
Release stress by smashing the maximum number of wooden blocks
* Brick Smash
Use your finger to smash as many bricks as you can.
* Pop It
Imagine a balloon filled with stress, pop it to reduce your anxiety.
* Bubble Burst
In this bubble popper, prick the bubbles while relaxing at the sight of the bubble popping.
* Ripple Effect
Tap your screen to enjoy relaxing water ripples.
* Window Mist
Move around your finger to clean a window covered with fog.
* Color Therapy
Positively use your energy to find stress relief by creating colorful art.
* Drawing Board
Create a piece of art to reduce your anger or stress level significantly.
* Water Flow
Connect the pipes to complete the flow of water from a start point to end point.
* Color Spiral
Minimize your anger by creating colorful particles.
* Wind Chimes
Relax yourself with the soothing effect of wind chimes.

All the games in AntiStress Anxiety Relief Game can help you to reduce stress and improve focus. Start your free antistress and relaxation therapy now!

Download and start playing the game NOW!

If you like our antistress games, don't forget to leave a rating and review.

Note:
Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current subscription period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current subscription period. Automatic renewals will cost the same price you were originally charged for the subscription. You can manage your subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings on the App Store after purchase. Read our terms of service and Privacy Policy for more information.
Privacy policy
https://contentarcadegames.com/antistress-privacy-policy.php
logomaker.net
Terms of use
https://contentarcadegames.com/antistress-terms-of-use.php

#Antistress - Anxiety Relief Game
- Improve User Interface and Games stability.
- Minor Bug Fixing
- Smoother Experience!

Best app ever

So, I don't really like apps like this usually, because I feel that there are too many adds and the levels get super repetitive after you finish 50 or so levels on one of the many games. But this app isn't like that! It has you start from number 1 on some of the games that have levels, but the levels are always different. If some of you are asking why I said I didn't have a problem with the adds as other people did, it's because I don't use it with WiFi because there isn't anything that you are missing out on with it off. My favorite games are the bubble pop, the slicing, the bottle opener, and the color hue. I have only had it for about 20 minutes and couldn't stop playing! I haven't used it directly after a high stress situation, but I imagine that it would be very effective. I also love how there are no in-app purchases. It just make the game so much better because there is nothing that they tempt you to buy. For some of the games like the cake decorating and car and dish washing ones, I wish that the would work on those a bit. This app is great for everyone who needs to de-stress, and is great just for fun as well. They couldn't have done a better job. Have a great day, and enjoy the holidays!

Edit: the fortune cookie thing doesn't work for me. I can't get the add even with WiFi on.

-PJ the weirdo

Btw, someone stole this review word for word. And to the person who did steal it, you know who you are.(their name is: "da drip elephant" btw

Love this game but a few suggestions. (Please read)

August 5, 2019 Anti Stress

I love this game! My favorite game is paint splash. There are a couple things that to me would make it better: 1.) a bigger variety of colors. This would make it more fun to "paint splash". 2.) Add an option to pick your color! I really would love to like my color then I could make a themed ones. In my car going to the doctor I was really nervous about going to the doctor, but then I pulled out my phone and played paint splash for almost and hour! Some good things: 1.) All the game options. 2.) The reality of them. 3.) Not TO many adds. Another suggestion: Maybe add the option for a male and female voice in Meditation. Also in Meditation maybe add some more thing other than breath in breath out. I also have been wondering why the wood smash and brick smash go so slow I like how some go fast but it's really annoying to wait for them to come down and then click on it and there's no more to click on for awhile. Great 2 games though! Another thing I think people would like more is on pop it, there are balloon pieces that fly when you pop them. Also for the ripple effect maybe make the ripple a little more realistic? For the coloring book I can not find a way to make the picture white again if I tap the wrong place to. Last thing: on color therapy maybe no flowers, and a different color every time you tap. Thank you so much for your time. Keep your great games coming!

PLEASE READ

First of all, ads. I understand having ads, but when your competitor doesn't have ads.. man, ya messed up. Ads for an Antistress game? Really? Onto my main point, this game is a copy. I have no idea why people download this game because when you look up "antistress" or "anxiety relief games" or something like that the original game pops up first. The original game, that was created a year before this game, has a square for the logo. Ooh, and what does this game have??? The same thing. The similar games: lawn mowing, the pen game is exactly the same except for I think the color, the pond one, the drawing one is pretty similar, and the metal ball one is too. There are also other similarities, but I don't want to spend forever on this review. Also just saying, the other game has 64+ free games again, with no ads. I mean the similarities are uncanny between these two apps. But let's just say it's all a funny coincidence.... ADS???? REALLY???? Even if this was the 'original' I still wouldn't play it because I have ANXIETY AND STRESS inducing ads popping up in my face every time I close a game. It's clear that this game is just out there to make money, not to really help people. It's clear that this copy is making more money than the original (☹️). The only reason I can see to play this app, is if you really like bright colors because that's the only "plus" I see in this game.

The developer, CONTENT ARCADE (UK) LTD., indicated that the app's privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer's privacy policy.

Data Used to Track You

The following data may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies:

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

Seller

CONTENT ARCADE (UK) LTD.

Compatibility

iPhone

Requires iOS 9.0 or later.

iPad

Requires iPadOS 9.0 or later.

iPod touch

Requires iOS 9.0 or later.

In-App Purchases

Antistress Pro Games $1.99

Buy Ads Free Version $4.99

Remove Ads - Monthly $1.99
more

Family Sharing

With Family Sharing set up, up to six family members can use this app.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
‎AntiStress anxiety relief game is here! Now you can play the most relaxing game to release stress or anger. This is a pack of free antistress games including many fun games such as bubble popper, bubble wrap, and fidget spinner. The game includes a lot of bubble popping and diversion therapies, so...

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Connecting with the breath

Focusing the mind on the breath or the body helps connect us to the present moment. This is useful in times of anxiety because when we're focused on the here and now, we aren't fixating on the past or future concerns. Focusing on the present moment offers our minds a break from being preoccupied and reacting to the content of our thoughts. It also gives us a chance to step back from the spiral of worry to observe what's happening with a calmer mind.

When we focus our attention on the breath or the body, we offer our minds a chance to slow down, and gain perspective.

Mindfulness helps create space so we're able to be less reactive to the content of our thoughts. That's part of why it's so useful in alleviating anxiety.

To begin, simply follow the movement of each breath as it draws in and out.

Observing each inhale and each exhale, as it connects you to this very moment.

Focus on any sensations that may arise and use the breath to connect you to the present moment.

And then just being open to everything in your present experience.

Observing the weight of your body.

The temperature of the room.

Any sounds around you.

Connect to everything in this very moment.

And now, notice how it feels to rest your mind in present moment awareness.

Mind and Body Connection

Most of us are well aware of the mind and body connection, but it's rarely as profound as when we experience anxiety and fear. When we're gripped by a fearful thought, it activates the sympathetic nervous system. This sends a signal that a threat is present and this fight or flight reaction releases hormones and chemicals. Suddenly, we're flooded by anxious thoughts, strong emotions and uncomfortable physical sensations. It's enough to make us feel we've lost control.

Thankfully, through mindfulness we can tune into the mind-body connection and interrupt the vicious cycle of anxiety. As soon as we notice we're caught in it, we can stop, close our eyes, take a few deep breaths, and tune into the body.

Dropping into the breath and the body grounds us in the present moment. Here, we're better able to observe our emotions and thoughts and we can see how they manifest in the body as physical sensations.

That tension in your back? That knot in your belly? Sweating or heart palpitations?

Tuning into how anxiety manifests as physical sensation helps us become more aware of the interconnectedness of our being, and offers us a direct way to work with anxiety.

Thoughts and non-reactivity

It's easy for us jump to conclusions, foreseeing the worst, and predicting all kinds of catastrophe's that haven't happened and likely never will. The reason we do this is because we view predicting things as a way of controlling the unknown, which of course, is impossible to do.

Even though our worst fears rarely actualize, we still play out scenarios in our mind and believe our thoughts. We imagine embarrassments, rejections and failures and these thoughts send us into a tailspin of anxiety.

But if we were able to put a pause on these projections, stop and observe our thoughts, identifying them as just that - thoughts and nothing else, they lose their power.

Picture yourself lying on the grass, watching the clouds above. You calmly observe the many shapes and sizes. Watching them pass by freely.

That's how we want to observe our thoughts - letting them come and go freely. We want to observe them with acceptance and objectivity rather than with our usual automatic knee-jerk reactions.

Each time you notice your mind has wandered, bring it back in a gentle, patient way.

Whether you have a happy thought or an anxious thought treat it the same way. Don't get caught up in the emotion beneath the thought. Simply observe it arise and release it. Let it pass like a cloud crossing the sky.

Then gently bring your attention back to home base - the breath.

Breath, after breath, after breath.

As we cultivate moment-to-moment awareness we begin to notice how our anxiety is connected to our thoughts. When we learn to observe them as just that - thoughts - not reality, they're less likely to pull us into an anxious tailspin. Each thought is just a story we're telling ourselves and mostly likely, not as catastrophic as we believe.

By learning to let thoughts arise, and acknowledge them without reactivity, we interrupt the flow of anxiety, which thrives on negative projections of the future. Meditation helps us develop this ability.

Noting

As you have already noticed, it's extremely difficult not to get carried away by our thoughts. Our tendency is to believe them regardless of how exaggerated or unlikely they are. So we pay to attention them. This is our habit.

Mindfulness however, grounds us so we're able to witness our anxious thoughts for what they are: speculations about the future.

Changing how we react to our thoughts doesn't come easily. We have to repeatedly practice observing our ongoing stream of thoughts without getting pulled in by their seemingly magnetic force. They're just thoughts - so we don't identify with them. If we have a nervous thought, we note there's nervousness, and then we let it go. If we have a sad thought, we note there's sadness, and then we let it go.

We can use this technique of noting to strengthen the habit of non-reactivity.

To begin the practice of noting, each time you're draw to a thought, mentally note it. If there's sadness, note the word sadness. If there is fear note the word fear. Or if you prefer you can observe what the mind is doing. You can note planning, ruminating, speculating.

By doing this, you're creating room for your thoughts, inviting them into the space. Rather than rather than running from your thoughts or pushing or pulling, you instead form a new relationship with them. One where you can be present with your thoughts without getting lost in them or paralyzed by them.

Whether our emotions are comfortable or uncomfortable we treat then all the same. Accepting and allowing all that arises.

Throughout the day feel free to continue the practice of noting. If you notice anxious thoughts arising, stop for a moment, close your eyes and note them. Be present for each thought without taking it too seriously. Watch thoughts come and watch them go like passing clouds in the sky. The more you note your thoughts and emotions without identifying with them, the more they'll begin to flow through you.

You'll begin to recognize thoughts as thoughts and not necessarily future predictions. You'll recognize emotions as emotions without judgment. This is when anxiety begins to dissolve.

Pausing is one of the most effective ways of working with anxiety. We pause all the time in life. Between sentences, at stop lights, in conversations... But when it comes to stress and anxiety, pausing is extremely difficult. When emotion rushes through us, it can be all encompassing. Our instinct is to panic, run, or push it away. Each time we do this though we're conditioning our response system. The more strongly we react to anxiety, the more of a hold it has on us. Our reactiveness can also color, exaggerate and distort our thoughts and experiences, feeding into this cycle.

Although we can't control our emotions, practicing mindfulness helps us respond to them in a calmer, healthier way. It also allows us to re-condition our tendencies.

The key to this pausing practice is in noticing the gap as anxiety arises. What I'm referring to is that tiny window between the time anxiety starts and the time we react to it. If we can pause for even the slightest second before anxiety sweeps us away, we're able to be more mindful about our response to it. Most of the time this gap is unrecognizable because we react to anxiety so swiftly, so like anything else, pausing takes practice.

Each time a thought or emotion rises, see if it's possible to pause for just a second to observe your experience.

Observe the thought or emotion without pursuing it, or rejecting it.
Just note it. Without creating a story. Without any judgment.

Then, after the pause, bring your awareness back to the breath.

You can try this pausing practice the next time anxiety arises. As soon as it hits, stop and create some space by taking a few deep breaths. This way, instead of getting swept away by anxiety, pausing to breathe allows you to observe what's happening in your mind and body.

And in that space you can question your thoughts more objectively, asking yourself are these thoughts 100% true? Might I be exaggerating, projecting or jumping to conclusions?

By pausing, we're able to view our thoughts and emotions with perspective and clarity, which helps to de-escalate our anxiety.

It's likely you'll feel drawn to practice different techniques at different times to root and soothe you, so feel free to choose the practice that feels right for you.

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5 mindfulness practices to help reduce anxiety - Calm Blog

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Worry and anxiety affect all of us, especially during times of pressure. It's one of the most common mental health issues worldwide. In fact globally, between 6-18% people of people experience anxiety. So, know you're not alone. Anxiety makes people feel nervous, tense and overwhelmed. It evokes em

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Keep Outside in Mind for Less Stress

Spending time in nature can help relieve stress and anxiety, improve your mood, and boost feelings of happiness and wellbeing. Whatever you call it - forest bathing, ecotherapy, mindfulness in nature, green time or the wilderness cure -- humans evolved in the great outdoors, and your brain benefits from a journey back to nature.

Get Out

Have you been feeling down lately? A little sluggish, stressed out, or maybe wondering, "What's life all about?"

Here's another question: How much time have you spent in nature lately?

The answer to these two questions might be more closely related than you'd think.

We live in a time when we can set the thermostat, order takeout and stream a movie from a cell phone; never having to get off the couch, let alone leave the house. But our ancestors were tightly tied to time in nature -- they had to be in order to survive. 1 Was that rustle in the brush predator or prey? Did the position of the sun mean it was time to head home? Could that copse of trees provide safe shelter for the night?

The modern way we live has changed radically from life in the savanna, but our brains have mostly stayed the same. We still have a deep connection with nature, and research shows that if we don't nourish that bond despite our technological advancements, we may suffer in many ways. 1

Feel Better

Here's how you might feel if you've been holed up in your home (or in the big city) for too long, and how getting back to nature could soothe what ails you.

Depressed: If you're feeling blue, try trading the cramped, gray city for some green, natural spaces. A stroll in the woods has been shown to help combat depression, and even just the view of the forest from a hospital room helps patients who are feeling down. 2 Head for the hills if you need a boost to your mood.

Stressed: The buzzing of people, cars zipping down the street and bright billboards flashing advertisements are all part of the urban environment. The constant stimulation puts stress on brains that evolved in more tranquil environments. Nature presents scenes that gently capture your attention instead of suddenly snatching it, calming your nerves instead of frazzling them. 3

Anxious: You probably know that exercise is good for your state of mind. But did you know that working out in nature helps to reduce anxiety, 4 among other benefits, even more than going to an indoor gym? 5 Consider skipping the exercise bike and hit some trails to get the best mental bang for your buck.

Self-Involved: If you dwell on your problems and just can't stop, a walk through a meadow might put the brakes on the thought train circling through your head. Research shows that a 90-minute walk in nature lowers activity in the part of the brain linked to negative rumination. The same walk in an urban setting doesn't have the same effect. 6

Fatigued: Are you constantly multitasking at work as you switch between customers and phone calls, or click from spreadsheets to presentations? Even at home, you might face a combination of kids, chores and devices vying for your attention. Your prefrontal cortex can only take so much distraction before it needs a recharge. Luckily, time in nature has been shown to restore mental abilities like short term memory and processing 3D images based on drawings. 7

Uninspired: Changing the scenery is a great way to get the creative juices flowing, and nature offers stimuli that you won't find while staring at a screen. In one example, spending four days in nature improved problem-solving skills by 50%. If you haven't found a way to tackle that next big project at work, or an obstacle that's impeding your personal goals, try noodling on it in the great outdoors. 7

Antisocial: Time in nature can help with your personal relationships, too. Natural beauty results in more prosocial behaviors, like generosity and empathy. 8 Perhaps that long talk you were planning with a significant other would go more smoothly while watching a sunset instead of staring at the wall. (And no, don't have that convo over text!)

Disconnected: One of the most basic human needs is to feel that you belong and you're part of a larger tribe. But studies show that this concept goes beyond human relationships alone. Time in nature results in a sense of belonging to the wider world that is vital for mental health. 9

Angsty: At times, you might feel lost, and begin to wonder what life is all about. A dose of awe might remind you just how wondrous the world is. Nature provides trees that were hundreds of years old before you were even born, towering mountains that touch the clouds and a sky full of uncountable stars. When it comes to awe-inspiring awesomeness, nature leaves our jaws dropping and spines tingling, and rekindles the realization that we're a tiny part of an incredible universe. What's more powerful than that?

Consider seeing a mental health professional if your symptoms are serious, but if you're feeling a tinge of any of the blues listed above, try something like:

Add a daily walk on a local hiking trail to your regimen.

Go on a bike ride in the park instead of hitting the gym for your cardio.

Skip the big resort for your next vacation and go glamping instead.

Now, get out and give mother nature a big ol' hug, so you can be healthy for good!

Sources
1 Capaldi C, Dopko RL, Zelenski J. The relationship between nature connectedness and happiness: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology. 2014. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00976.
2 Morita E, Fukuda S, Nagano J, et al. Psychological effects of forest environments on healthy adults: Shinrin-yoku (forest-air bathing, walking) as a possible method of stress reduction. Public Health. 2007;121:54-63. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2006.05.024.
3 Pearson DG, Craig T. The great outdoors? Exploring the mental health benefits of natural environments. Frontiers in Psychology. 2014;5:1178. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01178.
4 Mackay J, James G&N. The effect of "green exercise" on state anxiety and the role of exercise duration, intensity, and greenness: A quasi-experimental study. Psychology of Sport and Exercise. 2010;11:238-245. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2010.01.002.
5 Thompson Coon J,Boddy K, Stein K, et al. Does Participating in Physical Activity in Outdoor Natural Environments Have a Greater Effect on Physical and Mental Wellbeing than Physical Activity Indoors? A Systematic Review. Environmental Science & Technology. 2011(45);5:1761-1772. DOI: 10.1021/es102947t
6 Bratman GN, Hamilton JP, Hahn KS, et al. Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2015(112);28:8567-8572. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1510459112.
7 Atchley RA, Strayer DL, Atchley P. Creativity in the Wild: Improving Creative Reasoning through Immersion in Natural Settings. de Fockert J, ed. PLoS ONE. 2012;7(12):e51474. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0051474.
8 Zhang JW, Piff PK, Iyer R, et al. An occasion for unselfing: Beautiful nature leads to prosociality. Journal of Environmental Psychology. 2014;37:61-72. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.11.008
9 Mayer F, Frantz C, Bruehlman-Senecal E, Dolliver K. Why Is Nature Beneficial? The Role of Connectedness to Nature. 2009;41:607-643. Doi: 10.1177/0013916508319745
10 Joye Y, Bolderdijk JW. An exploratory study into the effects of extraordinary nature on emotions, mood, and prosociality. Frontiers in Psychology. 2014;5:1577. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01577.

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Spend Time in Nature to Reduce Stress and Anxiety

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Keep outside in mind for less stress. Spending time in nature can help relieve stress and anxiety, improve your mood, and boost feelings of happiness and wellbeing. Whatever you call it - forest bathing, ecotherapy, mindfulness in nature, green time or the wilderness cure -- humans evolved in the great outdoors, and your brain benefits from a journey back to nature.

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Anxiety is not all bad. It can prompt us to take stock of our actions and life situation. It can give us a psychophysiological flick toward taking corrective, repairing action or artfully dodge oncoming peril. In these ways, a certain amount of anxious ants in our pants is helpful-it's a major component of our in-the-moment motivation for healthy change.

The problem arises when anxiety overwhelms and blocks us. Traditional contemplative tradition refers to a pool of water (representing the mind), with anxious restlessness being the whipped up waters leading to muddiness, a lack of clear seeing to the bottom. When anxiety gets this wild inside us, we don't see ourselves or the world accurately. We distort and react in order to stave off this internal chaos and we are hindered in our ability to relax into seeing clearly. We have a harder time focusing, and our efficiency in daily life takes a hit. Our brains juice up with the stress hormone cortisol in an ancient attempt to reduce threat, and we're left feeling drained and depleted.

Anxiety is not all bad. It can prompt us to take stock of our actions and life situation. It can give us a psychophysiological flick toward taking corrective, repairing action or artfully dodge oncoming peril. The problem arises when anxiety overwhelms and blocks us.

Just Along for the Ride

Imagine yourself on a bus and you're late for an important meeting. You're taking a new route, there are a lot of stops, and the bus is overstuffed with people. You're barely inching forward. Walking might get you there faster.

"How many more stops before mine?" You call up to the driver. He tells you not to worry, that your stop is only three more ahead. Yet you find your thoughts (and blood pressure) amping up even more when the driver waits for an elderly man to amble very slowly up to the bus.

"How much longer 'till we're there?" you ask. "I can't miss my meeting."

This time, the driver just glances at you in his rear view mirror without saying anything.

The passenger next to you says, "we all have somewhere to be you know."

Your thoughts race faster and your pulse is palpable at your temples. Sweat is making its way out in all the usual places.

And now imagine this bus is whatever "vehicle" you're in during a given day that is not yours to drive, to control. It's most every situation you're in-the contexts where you are much more passenger than driver-and you're just along for the ride.

How much does your increasing blood pressure and rush of thoughts actually move the "bus" any faster? Get you there any sooner?

And now imagine that you're trying to meditate on this bus. Consider the all-too-common experience in meditation wherein you're hoping to "get somewhere" with your sitting-to a happier, more satisfying life that will materialize before the session is over. Or maybe your meditation is a cacophony of monkey-on-methamphetamine thoughts and images. These are the sits when your eye pops open to check the clock, timer, or some evidence of sweet relief from the angst.

Rumination and The Inner Critic

Research is increasingly clear on how destructive anxious thinking can be. Rumination (or repetitive and passive thinking about negative emotions) has been shown to predict the chronic nature of depressive disorders as well as anxiety symptoms.

Rumination is the run-on self-talk of the mind that has physical and mental agitation as both its fuel and its output.

As a clinician, I've been trained to spot and address the unhealthy mental habit of repetitive and negatively-toned inner chatter that broils our minds and bodies from the inside. And it's not just my patients who ruminate-it's me (hypothetically, of course) telling myself over and over that I'm an "failure" as a father for texting during my son's recital. Or eviscerating a future version of myself as a public speaker based on an open zipper incident while giving a talk last week. Rumination is the run-on self-talk of the mind that has physical and mental agitation as both its fuel and its output. Ruminative worry is toxic to our well-being and clarity of mind.

How to Approach to Anxious Thoughts

Research suggests part of the path forward relative to this aspect of anxiety. A 2010 study examined the levels of reported self-compassion, rumination, worry, anxiety and depression in 271 nonclinical undergraduate students. Results suggested that people with higher levels of reported self-compassion are less likely to report depression and anxiety. The data showed that self-compassion may play the role of buffering the effects of rumination. With mindfulness practice, we can learn how to unhook from rumination and cut ourselves (and others) the slack requisite for increasing clarity and ease of being.

It should be fairly obvious that when we're not taking care of ourselves-when we're not sleeping, eating, or moving our bodies adequately-this creates imbalances that contribute to anxiety. Similarly, when we behave unethically, these actions stir our minds and bodies with the muddy raw ingredients of anxiety. When our parents told us to "clean up our act" as teenagers (or as adults), they were not just making an off-hand swipe at our misdeeds, they were (perhaps unintentionally) taking aim at the very heart of our well-being.

Anxiety is the "check engine light" on our psychophysiological dashboard. It lets us know the system needs some balancing. Agitation is therefore not our enemy; ideally, we see it as a wake up call for mindfulness practice.

Mindful Breathing Practice for Anxiety

Begin this practice by acknowledging the mere presence of anxiety-give a soft, slight internal nod to the thoughts, images, and sensations of worry and anticipatory angst.

Rest in sensations of the breath. Let your attention drop gently onto wherever you feel feel the breath (e.g. nostrils, belly, or perhaps the toes for those more light on their feet).

Penetrate the sense of anxiety in BOTH the body and mind on a deep inhale into the belly. Visualize the breath coming into and through the restlessness. The breath is not forcing the anxiety away, rather, it's moving into it. Slow, deep belly breathing is important because anxiety often pulls us toward fast, chest-level breathing that actually sparks more physical sensations of anxiety.

Slow, deep belly breathing is important because anxiety often pulls us toward fast, chest-level breathing that actually sparks more physical sensations of anxiety.

Acknowledge the anxiety just as it is on the exhale. Don't try to shove the anxiety out with a sigh or exasperated puffing. Again, stay with slow, deliberate breathing. Note the sensations and word-images as if jousting with them using a feather.

Continue following the breath, circulating between penetration into the space of awareness with the in-breath, acknowledging what remains on the exhale.

Don't force or control. Follow the anxiety just as it is, and simply penetrate through it with slow, deep breathing. Allow awareness to seep into and around these thoughts, sensations, and images.

Take inventory of what remains after your allotted meditation time. What is there to be witnessed, felt, and acknowledged "behind" the anxiety? Take action to care for what needs tending.

This is Your Anxious Brain on Meditation

Mindfulness for Anxiety: Research and Practice

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Anxiety is not all bad. It can prompt us to take stock of our actions and life situation. It can give us a psychophysiological flick toward taking corrective, repairing action or artfully dodge oncoming peril. In these ways, a certain amount of anxious ants in our pants is helpful-it's a major component of our in-the-moment motivation for healthy change.

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No one should have to live with anxiety, but anxiety isn't the type of condition you can simply cure on a whim. You need some type of treatment - a treatment that will break the effects of anxiety so that you can live a more relaxed and happier life.

Some people turn to prescription medications, but mental health medicines have significant dangers and considerable addiction risk. That's why so many people want a way to treat anxiety naturally. Luckily, there are several options for curing anxiety that do not involve any type of prescription medication.

What "Natural" Means

There are many different types of natural anxiety treatment options. The term "natural" simply means "without synthetic chemicals" and this opens up hundreds of different doors that you can choose from to reduce and prevent your anxiety.

Before you can begin, you have to understand your anxiety as best as possible.

Natural Medicine is Still Medicine

The most important thing to understand is that the most "natural" way to treat anxiety is without any type of medicine at all. Many people turn to herbal supplements, for example, because these supplements are not made from synthetic products, but medicine is still medicine, herbal or not. The safest possible way to cure anxiety - and the most natural way to treat anxiety - is with some type of therapy or exercise that does not involve any type of herbal or medicinal treatment in any way.

Keep that in mind as you consider alternative options to prescription anxiety medications. While an herb or mineral may improve your anxiety, they still affect your body and are not truly as natural as learning new coping mechanisms and ways to control stress.

ALSO NOTE: Many natural treatments still have compounds that interact with other medications you may be taking. That is why it is always important to talk to your doctor before taking any medication, natural or manmade. Herbal supplement companies are not required to state the risks on their products, but that doesn't mean they're 100% safe. Your doctor should give approval.

The Non-Medicinal Therapies

Keep in mind that the most natural therapy is one that requires no medicine, herb, or supplement at all. For those that are willing to commit to some type of treatment that isn't plant or medicine based, the following are the most common and effective treatment options:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Psychodynamic Therapy

Gestalt Therapy

Yoga/Meditation/Deep Breathing/Other Relaxation Exercises

Holistic Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is the type of therapy with the most research and the one that is highly recommended for anxiety and depression. It involves addressing both the cognitions and behaviors associated with anxiety through specific exercises with your therapist. But the other therapies may also have some benefit. Others prefer similar, but otherwise "alternative" therapies, including:

Hypnotherapy

Biofeedback

Sound Therapy

There are also some unusual therapies, like laughter therapy, that can help some people with their anxiety. These types of therapies have considerably less research support, but many swear to their ability to reduce the effects of anxiety and other mental health problems.

Remember, these types of anxiety treatments are completely natural in a way that not even herbal medicine can provide. In addition, you should never take any type of supplement or medication without combining it with some type of long term coping treatment, like therapy. Medications only provide temporary relief, and in the end you need to make sure you are committed to some type of treatment that will help you cope with anxiety for years to come, not just for the day.

Herbal Therapies for Anxiety

Of course, when most people think of natural anxiety treatments, they think of herbal medicine, because herbal medicine is considered a natural way to "treat" different disorders. The good news is that there are many different herbal medicines for anxiety. However, always talk to your doctor before taking any type of herbal medicine, as some of them may interact with other medications. Never take herbal supplements with alcohol. The most common types of herbs for anxiety include:

Kava

Kava is the king of natural anxiety treatments, and one herb that has been favorably compared in scientific studies to some of the most well-known prescription anxiety treatments.

Kava has an active ingredient known as kavalactones, which is believed to improve GABA levels and prevent epinephrine from overwhelming the body while leaving serotonin and other important neurotransmitters untouched.

Kava is powerful enough that medical experts strongly advise avoiding any other type of herbal supplement or medicine for anxiety while taking kava, because the effects may become too strong and cause significant drowsiness and other side effects. Kava also interacts very strongly with alcohol in a way that can damage the liver, so no one that uses kava should consume any alcohol while on a kava supplement.

Not all kava is created equal. Grocery story kava teas and droplets are unlikely to be powerful enough to provide you with the benefits you are looking for. Kava is fat soluble, meaning it needs to be taken with food or butter, and doses range anywhere from 150 to 300 kavalactones per day (far more than are generally supplied in grocery story varieties).

But kava is also not believed to have any side effects when taken as directed, has no addiction risk, and no withdrawal symptoms. It's a great way to combat anxiety without the long term implications of benzodiazepines and other prescription anxiety treatments, and something you and your doctor may want to strongly consider.

Valerian Root

Valerian root is unlike kava, in that it doesn't have anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effects necessarily, but it does provide relief from the symptoms and is believed to have fewer interactions than kava does.

Valerian root is used as a sleep aid, and is generally not considered a natural treatment for anxiety. But the effects of valerian root are ideal for the type of symptoms that those with anxiety deal with, including muscle tension, a sense of agitation, and active thoughts. Valerian provides a level of relaxation that can help those with anxiety sleep more restfully as well. Since sleep is an incredibly important part of dealing with anxiety, this gives valerian additional benefits.

Never Just Take a Supplement!

Remember, never focus just on supplements alone. They'll only help you manage your anxiety. Combine them with effective coping strategies.

Passionflower

Passionflower is a light version of kava and recommended for those that are either not ready to commit to kava or do not experience that much daily anxiety and would prefer something less powerful.

The ingredients in passionflower are said to have a very mild anxiolytic effect and sedative effect, which is believed to come from its role in GABA production and regulation. Passionflower has seen less research than kava and other available natural options, but it's used worldwide as an effective natural anxiety treatment option.

Magnesium

Magnesium is not an herb but a mineral that is present in many foods. Unfortunately, millions of people have a low level of magnesium intake, because it has been essentially stripped from most modern diets - especially in the United States and developed countries where farming and food production practices eliminate the vital mineral from most food ingredients.

Low levels of magnesium are rarely responsible for anxiety itself but may be responsible for some of the physical symptoms of anxiety. Not only do low magnesium levels cause issues like unusual feelings throughout the body, but anxiety can actually decrease your magnesium levels (magnesium is burned up during times of stress).

So taking magnesium at your doctor's discretion is a smart idea for many people that may find that their most distressing physical anxiety symptoms disappear, thus making it easier to cope with the mental part of anxiety.

Other Natural Treatment Anxiety Options

The above herbal supplements are not the only natural options available. There are many other types of alternative anxiety options as well. A brief summary includes:

Homeopathic Remedies Homeopathy is an often misunderstood alternative treatment. It's the belief that a very diluted amount of elements that cause a condition like anxiety can cure it. Homeopathic experts believe that diluting substances like arsenic and nicotine, among others, to the point where only the smallest amount of the element remains will cure it. There is little evidence that homeopathic remedies work, but they remain popular nonetheless.

Reflexology Reflexology is the belief that pressure to certain points on the hand can relieve stress in the rest of the body. Reflexologists utilize these pressure points in a way that many believe has a calming effect on stress.

Magnet Therapy Another interesting form of therapy is magnet therapy, also known as magnetotherapy. Magnet therapy believes that placing various magnets on your body will move elements around and provide you with therapeutic properties.

Other natural treatment remedies include aromatherapy, acupuncture, Reiki, and more. There is no limit to the number of natural treatments that currently exist in the world today.

Many of these natural treatments for anxiety have not been thoroughly researched. Generally, it is best to commit to a well-studied treatment, because your anxiety is not something to leave to chance. Nevertheless, many people support the use of the above treatment types, and so those that want to try an alternative treatment have their pick of many interesting and unique therapy options.

Partnering With An Anxiety Cure

It's important to remember that the term "natural anxiety treatment" refers to anything that doesn't involve prescription medication. It's not just herbal remedies and alternative medicinal solutions. It's crucial that you recognize that those types of treatments are only quick fixes. You always need to commit to some type of treatment that prevents and cures anxiety, not just manages it.

Was this article helpful?

Sources:

Pittler, Max H., and Edzard Ernst. Efficacy of kava extract for treating anxiety: systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of clinical psychopharmacology 20.1 (2000): 84-89.

Gupta, Nidhi, et al. Effect of yoga based lifestyle intervention on state and trait anxiety. Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 50.1 (2006): 41.

Akhondzadeh, Shahin, et al. Passionflower in the treatment of generalized anxiety: A pilot double-blind randomized controlled trial with oxazepam. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics 26.5 (2002): 363-367.

Saeed, Sy Atezaz, Richard M. Bloch, and Diana J. Antonacci. Herbal and dietary supplements for treatment of anxiety disorders. Am Fam Physician 76.4 (2007): 549-56.

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No one should have to live with anxiety, but anxiety isn't the type of condition you can simply cure on a whim. You need some type of treatment - a treatment that will break the effects of anxiety so that you can live a more relaxed and happier life.

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Social anxiety is an inconvenient disorder in many situations in life. But for a student, it can be especially difficult. School is a place where social interaction is not only expected but required. It is a place where being judged and criticized by others is routine, and where struggling to cope with social situations and feedback can result in negative feedback that makes it more challenging to overcome social stresses.

This article will discuss the various challenges posed at school for students with social anxiety, and how to handle them.

Problems Associated With School Anxiety

Social anxiety disorder at school can be a serious problem. It is also one that is self-sustaining. Below, we'll take a look at some of the reasons that people experience social anxiety at school.

The following are some examples of both ways the ways that children experience school anxiety and what happens if it goes untreated:

Going to Class/Absences

Attending class means being forced into in a room full of other students for hours at a time, every day.

In most social situations, you are free to excuse yourself when anxiety becomes overwhelming. In school, there is no such opportunity. At best, the child has to sit in the classroom and focus on your anxiety. At worst, the children may be forced to make up excuses to leave, causing further shame.

In the classroom, there is also an expectation of social interaction. Outside of the classroom (such as a grocery store or library) no such expectation is present. That leaves those with social anxiety knowing and dreading heading to school.

Social anxiety can also be compounded by the behaviors students take to avoid it. Students that do not talk to anyone, avoid class, or find ways to leave the room during periods of anxiety may:

Experience social stigmatization.

Struggle to keep up with schoolwork (leading to more stress).

Fail to develop close friendships.

All of these issues can lead to recurring social anxiety that is fueled even further by the behaviors that students use to avoid it.

Little Issues That Create More Anxiety

Social anxiety complications can also be seen in the minor interactions that students have with their classrooms. For example, classroom seating is often chosen by the students, and students with social anxiety tend to find themselves sitting in the back.

But who else sits in the back?

Sometimes it is the student troublemakers, hoping to avoid trouble with the teacher. It may also be other students with social anxiety, which in turn limits social interactions.

Sitting in the back of the classroom may also mean it is harder to see the board or listen to the teacher. If that leads to any academic struggles, the student may find themselves with additional stressors that create further anxiousness.

Students with social anxiety may even be at a disadvantage starting on the first day of class. For example, some teachers lead student introductions as a way to start the school year. For most students, this is a welcome experience. But for students with social anxiety:

The student becomes anxious, worried about getting called upon for their turn.

The student becomes distracted by these physical symptoms. They may not be able to listen when other students speak, thus forgetting the names of their classmates (which can lead to even more social anxiety).

When it is the student's turn, they may be visibly nervous. Their peers will often pick up on that nervousness, potentially leading to social issues.

Finally, once the turn is over, the child with social anxiety may overthink the experience, reinforcing their anxiety in future social interactions.

This little experience becomes a self-fulfilling issue that leads to future social anxiety.

Social anxiety can make it difficult to focus on tests and quizzes. It can hurt class participation. It can distract from group activities. It can create not only a social situation that contributes to further anxiety, but also a level of stress about unrelated issues (for example, test scores) that makes anxiety worse.

Social anxiety can have a profound effect on student school life. But what makes it even more challenging is the way that it can become self-sustaining. Children that have social anxiety often run into behaviors that reinforce that anxiety so that it is stronger in the future.

That is why it is so important to treat or reduce social anxiety - especially in students. The following are some tips and strategies for dealing with social anxiety issues in student life.

Talk to a Professional Never be afraid to have you or your child speak with a professional. there are many useful strategies for controlling social anxiety in students that can be discussed in a therapeutic setting.

Talk to your Teacher(s) in Private It also helps to be open and honest with the teachers. Communicating about social anxiety takes some of the pressure off of the teachers to understand you and your struggles. They may also be able to adapt the class to account for that anxiety and figure out solutions that make it easier for the student to adapt.

Get to Know People Other Students Outside of Class Social support is important for building confidence and addressing anxiety. If you or the student can get close to just one additional friend, you can develop a support system that makes attending class much easier.

Create Mock Social Settings The pressures of social interaction come, in part, by not preparing oneself for what the social interaction is like. Create an environment that mimics the same social settings, and it is possible to get someone used to a scenario or situation so that it causes less anxiety in the future.

For the student struggling with social anxiety in their school life, addressing that anxiety quickly is an important tool for overcoming it.

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Social Anxiety Disorder and School/Student Life

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Social anxiety is an inconvenient disorder in many situations in life. But for a student, it can be especially difficult. School is a place where social interaction is not only expected but required.

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Step 1 Take care of the basics:

Ensure your child is getting enough sleep, eating regular meals and healthy snacks and has daily exercise. When your child's mind and body are nourished, tackling school worries is easier. Plus, your child will be more likely to listen to you, and cope better when you insist on school attendance, if s/he has had a good nights sleep and a decent breakfast.

Step 2 Provide empathy:

Listen to your child's concerns. What is s/he worried about? Why does s/he expect that to happen? Let your child share his/her fears and talk about what's on his/her mind. There may be good opportunities to simply listen to your child when you are in the car, standing in line at the store, at bath-time or during dinner. For some kids and teens this "casual" method of talking feels less intense and makes it easier for them to express themselves. For others, a private time with undivided attention feels better.

Step 3 Problem solve:

Once you know what's bothering your child, you can start to develop a coping plan. Anxious youth are often poor problem solvers and doubt their ability to cope. Addressing your child's fear head on, by creating an active plan with concrete solutions, will significantly reduce the worry. For example, " If (the worst) happens, what could you do?" or " Let's think of some ways you could handle that situation." This gives you the opportunity to coach your child on how to cope with (and interpret) both real and imagined scary situations.

Step 4 Focus on the positive aspects:

Once you have an understanding of what your child is afraid of, and a coping plan to address these fears, you can encourage your child to re-direct attention away from the worries towards the positives. Ask your child, " What are three things that you are most excited about on your first day of school?" Most kids can think of something good, even if it's just eating a special snack or going home at the end of the day. Chances are the fun aspects are simply getting overlooked by repetitive worries.

Step 5 Pay attention to your own behavior:

For parents of younger children or children starting at a new school, it can be anxiety-provoking for parents to hand over care and responsibility of their child to teachers. Children take cues from their parents, so the more confidence and calm you can model, the more your child will believe s/he can handle this new hurdle. Be supportive yet firm. When saying goodbye in the morning, say it cheerfully - once! Ensure you don't reward your child's protests, crying, or tantrums by allowing him/her to stay home. Instead, in a calm tone, say: "I can see that going to school is making you scared, but you still have to go. Tell me what you are worried about, so we can talk about it."

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Coping with Back to School Anxiety - Anxiety Canada

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Step 1 Take care of the basics: Ensure your child is getting enough sleep, eating regular meals and healthy snacks and has daily exercise. When your child's mind and body are nourished, tackling school worries is easier.

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By Sejal Shah | Updated: October 9, 2020

Anxiety is an increasingly common ailment, these yoga poses and breathing exercises for anxiety will have you feeling like yourself again in no time.

The great American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself." This, of course, is easier said than done for the person who experiences extreme anxiety. When in the throes of overwhelming panic, nervousness, worry, and uncertainty, going inward to find peace seems as appealing as jumping into a pit of snakes.

About 40 million U.S. adults suffer from anxiety (that's around 18 percent of Americans age 18 and over), making it the most common mental illness in the country. This number is gradually increasing; even some who have not been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or panic disorder are prone to experience stress, tension, and anxiety in their day-to-day life. Today, many are even anxious about how to deal with their anxiety!

A little bit of anxiety is okay​

Stress, fear, anxiety - if we start counting all those instances in life when we have experienced these emotions, we may lose count! Anxiety and nervousness over passing an important exam like the SAT, a first date or a job interview, catching an early morning flight, trying some extreme sports, a flat tire, a rainy forecast, or a parking ticket - we have all lived through moments like these.

A little bit of fear is normal. In fact, just like salt in food, some small amounts of fear can be good, helping us stay disciplined, focused, and dynamic.

So it is very important to remember to be gentle on yourself. It's ok! Just as you experience happiness sometimes, experiencing anxiety is also natural.

Symptoms of severe anxiety

But when fear becomes so intense that it interferes with everyday life that is something that needs attention. When every small decision seems colossal and overwhelming, and the very thought of social situations prevents the formation of relationships, anxiety is most likely surging beyond a normal, healthy level. You might experience the following symptoms recurrently:

An unusual feeling of panic, fear, and uneasiness

Difficulty sleeping

Muscle tension

Rapid heartbeat or palpitations

Cold and sweaty palms and soles

Constricted breathing

A mind whirling in a swirl of thoughts that feed the problem

Irritability

Eventually, it can become an anxiety disorder, a state of excessive, chronic uneasiness, worry, or fear of the unknown. When anxiety reaches a debilitating point, treatment may be necessary. Depending upon the severity of the anxiety, your doctor may recommend treatments such as therapy and medication. However, more than ever health care providers are now recommending stress-management techniques for self-regulation and overcoming anxiety. This is where yoga and techniques for managing the mind can help.

How yoga helps overcome anxiety

Humans have an innate ability to heal naturally, and what stops that healing is all the stresses of daily life. Yoga helps our entire system calm down. All around the world yoga is synonymous with peace of mind, relaxation, and stress reduction. By transferring focus and attention to the body and breath, yoga can help to temper anxiety while also releasing physical tension.

Knowingly or unknowingly, most of us have been practicing yoga techniques to calm our minds. For instance, you must have advised yourself or your near and dear ones to take some deep breaths or take a chill pill in anxious situations.

Regular yoga practice can help you stay calm and relaxed in daily life, and can also give you the strength to face events as they come without getting restless. Yoga practice ideally includes the complete package of asanas (body postures), pranayamas (breathing techniques), meditation, and the ancient yoga philosophy, all of which have helped many anxiety patients recover and face life with new positivity and strength.

The following yoga techniques can help calm an unsettled mind.

​​At the end of the yoga posture session, lie down in to give your mind and body a few minutes of thorough relaxation. This technique is helpful in flushing out body toxins, a primary cause of stress, from the system. I use the CD by Art of Living in which Sri Sri Ravi Shankar guides us into Yoga Nidra in his soothing voice and prayerful chants. Download your free MP3 here.

2. Breathing practices to relieve anxiety

Above all, SKY Breath Meditation (aka ) is one of the most powerful and effective tools available for overcoming chronic anxiety. Over 60 independent studies on four continents have been published in peer-reviewed journals, demonstrating a comprehensive range of benefits.

3. Meditate and relax

One of the best ways to get rid of anxiety is to catch it early. Anxiety grows extremely fast. Practice catching it as soon as the feelings of anxiety start to come up. The moment you become aware of it, you will experience grounding and stability. Here meditation can be very helpful.

When we're anxious, the adrenal glands release adrenaline, the so-called "adrenal rush" putting the body into "fight or flight" mode. When this happens, the heartbeat quickens, causing the muscles to tense and the body to sweat profusely. However, when the body is constantly firing adrenaline due to persistent anxiety (rather than occasional environmental threats), the adrenal glands reach a point of fatigue, resulting in an inability to handle stress, along with symptoms of depression, insomnia, and a weakened immune system. from Harvard has demonstrated that regular meditation practice ( mantra meditation) can help significantly reduce cortisol levels, calming the nerves, and restoring the adrenal system.

4. Try these simple but very effective yogic mudras (hand gestures)

have been used for thousands of years to help ease the mind and body, providing relief from a number of different conditions including dealing with common anxiety issues.

Take a comfortable seat and practice any of these mudras with slow and gentle breaths for 5-10 minutes.

Join the tips of the index finger and thumb and keep the other 3 fingers stretched, relaxed, and joined.

Touch tips of middle fingers. Touch the first two joints of the index fingers and touch your thumbs. Bend the remaining fingers inward. Point your thumbs toward your chest and spread your elbows to the outside. Observe your breath and lengthen the pause after inhalation and after exhalation.

Hold the hands in front of the solar plexus. Interlock the fingers. The index fingers and thumbs of both hands should be joined together. While the index fingers point to the ceiling, the thumb points to the floor.

The tip of the index finger should be pressed gently against the root of the thumb and the second and the third finger should touch the inner tip of the thumb.

Touch the fingers of both the hands to the palms and join both the tips of thumbs together.

5. Apply yogic philosophy to life

Knowing and applying ancient yoga knowledge, which talks about some simple yet profound principles () of yoga, can be the secret to happy and healthy living. For instance, the Santosha (contentment) principle teaches the value of contentment. The (non-possessiveness) principle can help us overcome greediness or the desire to keep possessing more, which can be a cause of stress and anxiety. Also, the (cleanliness and purity) principle talks about the cleanliness of the mind and body. This rule can particularly help if you tend to get too anxious about catching infectious diseases.

The of yoga will also help us eat nutritious food and live a healthy lifestyle, both of which greatly help to overcome anxiety and stress. To understand yoga philosophy, you may consider listening to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Commentary on Patanjali Yoga Sutras.

6. Pray, trust, and smile!

A prayer is an excellent form of reassurance and support for freedom from anxiety. Creating a daily practice of prayer and chanting increases positive energy and helps still the mind. While prayer does not come in pill form, and is therefore difficult to research, the power of faith is one of the keys to living a stress-free life. When you have faith, there is no reason to worry about the future, as there is a higher power at work supporting and guiding you. Also, by making a conscious effort to smile (even if you don't feel like it!) you can instantly experience increased levels of confidence, calm, and positivity. As the saying goes, fake it 'til you make it!

7. Help others

8. Remember impermanence

When this realization sets in that everything around us is temporary and will change, we become relaxed and settled from within. A feeling of 'this too shall pass and not remain forever' arises in us and frees us from anxiety.

9. Recall similar experiences

Bringing to mind anxiety-causing events of the past and your methods for overcoming them can provide immense relief and act as a reminder of your strength and ability to persevere.

10. Keep positive company around

Always remember: the environment is stronger than willpower. Surround yourself with positive-minded people, as you are influenced by the company you keep. The quality of the company we keep reflects in our own attitude towards life. So surround yourself with positive, happy, progressive people, and watch your own levels of optimism increase!

Here are some other ways you can manage your anxiety:

Sing, dance, and celebrate. The very intention to celebrate will pull you away from anxiety to a more harmonious state.

Have faith and surrender to the Almighty and know that there is a supreme power who loves you and accepts you totally. This will bring a total sense of security.

Remind yourself of the big picture and that you are committed to a greater goal.

Be unpredictable for a while. Anxiety is always related to some anticipated action. Do something completely irrelevant and unpredictable.

Readiness to face the worst will leave you with stability in the mind.

Get rooted in the reality that you are not just this body, or mind, or emotions. The more we can be rooted in this reality that the life force within us is a witness to the actions, the thoughts, and emotions, the less we get affected by them.

Although yoga can positively impact one's health, it is not a substitute for medicine. It is important to learn and practice yoga postures under the supervision of a yoga teacher. In case of any medical condition, practice yoga postures after consulting a doctor and a trained yoga teacher.

Sejal Shah, E-RYT 500 Sri Sri Yoga Teacher, YACEP, C-IAYT, Meditation Teacher, Happiness expert, NYU Post Graduate Medical School approved Yoga-CME retreat facilitator, Mind-Body Wellness Writer, Homeopath. She can be followed on , , and .

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Yoga for Anxiety: The Top 10 Tips to Deal With Stress and Panic

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By Sejal Shah | Updated: October 9, 2020 Anxiety is an increasingly common ailment, these yoga poses and breathing exercises for anxiety will have you feeling like yourself again in no time. The great American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself."

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Exercise to Combat Depression and Anxiety: Changing the Body and Mind 

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The benefits of exercise for physical health have been conclusively demonstrated in multiple studies. Most people know that exercise lowers blood pressure, reduces obesity, improves cardiovascular health, and can prolong life. But we live in an instant gratification society where these long-term rewards often don't seem like enough to warrant taking time out of a busy schedule to engage in exhausting exercise. Exercise, however, isn't just a long-term strategy for better physical health; it can also help stave off depression and anxiety, and the mood-boosting benefits are almost immediate.

The Endorphin Rush
Endorphins act as neurotransmitters-chemicals that carry nerve signals throughout the body. During strenuous exercise, the muscles release glycogen for energy. When glycogen stores are used up, the body then releases endorphins, which can create an immediate high and sense of well-being. While an endorphin rush only occurs with moderate to high-intensity exercise, people who are out of shape tend to release endorphins more quickly. If you haven't exercised in a while, you may only need to exercise for a few minutes to get this feel-good rush.

Treating Depression
Depression, particularly chronic depression, can be extremely challenging to treat, and depressed patients frequently find they have to cycle through several medications to find the right drug. But there may be a simpler solution for depression. Several studies have found that exercise can help reduce depression and anxiety. Even more promising, one study discovered that 30 minutes of low- to moderate-intensity exercise a few times a week is as effective in treating depression as an antidepressant drug. Depressed patients saw benefits in as little as 1 week.

But the happiness benefits don't begin and end with depressed patients. Even people who've never experienced depression can get a mood boost from exercise. The quick burst of energy in conjunction with the increased brain activity that exercise stimulates can help improve your mood on both a short- and long-term basis. Exercise gets you moving and may encourage you to make friends or leave your house. Both practices can help stave off depression and improve mood.

Improved Self-Esteem
We live in a world where few people will ever be able to exercise themselves into the body that the media promote as being ideal. For some people, this is a reason not to exercise. After all, if they can't meet the unreachable ideal, then what's the point? But research shows that even if you can't become model-thin-and even if you don't lose any weight at all-exercise has a powerful impact on body image. People who exercise regularly tend to judge their bodies according to function rather than form. Women in particular experience increased self-esteem. A woman who exercises regularly is more likely to admire her stomach for its strength instead of hating it because it's not completely flat.

Less Pain
A sedentary lifestyle can lead to chronic pain. Muscle tension, cracking joints, and painful knots can all be caused by spending the day crouched over a computer. Exercise greatly reduces muscle tension and can therefore reduce chronic pain. People feel happier when they're not in pain, and the benefits of exercise to muscle health can occur surprisingly quickly. With just a week of exercise, you can expect to begin feeling looser and to expand your range of motion. Especially if you're constantly taking pain medicine or rubbing your sore neck, this benefit can be a powerful ticket to increased happiness.
References:

Audesirk, T., Audesirk, G., Byers, B. E. (2008). Biology: Life on earth with physiology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Baldauf, S. (2009, November 12). What science is discovering about exercise and depression. US News. Retrieved from http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/articles/2009/11/12/what-science-is-discovering-about-exercise-and-depression

Gurd, V. (n.d.). Exercise helps depression and anxiety as much as drugs do. Trusted MD Network. Retrieved from http://trusted.md/blog/vreni_gurd/2011/02/06/exercise_helps_depression_and_anxiety_as_much_as_drugs_do

© Copyright 2012 GoodTherapy.org. All rights reserved.

The preceding article was solely written by the author named above. Any views and opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by GoodTherapy.org. Questions or concerns about the preceding article can be directed to the author or posted as a comment below.

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Exercise to Combat Depression and Anxiety: Changing the Body and Mind - GoodTherapy.org Therapy Blog

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The benefits of exercise for physical health have been conclusively demonstrated in multiple studies. Most people know that exercise lowers blood pressure, reduces obesity, improves cardiovascular health, and can prolong life. But we live in an instant gratification society where these long-term rewards often don't seem like enough to warrant taking time out of a busy schedule to engage in exhausting exercise.

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My Age of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind

Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle

Named one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post, The Seattle Times and The Boston Globe.
The New York Times "Ambitious and bravely intimate...A thrilling intellectual chase."
Publishers Weekly "Stossel's journey through his own life is unsparing, darkly funny (a nervous stomach tends to flare up at the worst times, like in front of JFK Jr.), but above all, hopeful."

Louis Menand, The New Yorker "Admirably done...Intelligent, interesting, and well-written."

Jen Chaney, The Washington Post "The word 'brave' tends to get thrown around pretty cavalierly in our culture, but given the frankness of this book, there's no other appropriate word for what Stossel does here."

Matt Price, Newsday "Without meaning to, Stossel has written a self-help manual. There is no miracle cure for anxiety, he suggests--we can manage our fears and worries, even if we can never quite tame them."

Matthew Gilbert, The Boston Globe "The book is astonishingly thorough and lucidly written....'My Age of Anxiety' is so good, so copiously reported and completist, in large part thanks to Stossel's harsh expectations of himself...He seems to have run a net across the libraries of the world to capture every little fact and big question about his subject, then found the most strategic place to drop them in the narrative....Even more than the encyclopedic material, though, Stossel's many personal stories are what give 'My Age of Anxiety' its narrative unity and its emotional weight."

Kirkus (starred review) "In this captivating and intimate book, the editor of the Atlantic spares no detail about his lifelong struggle with anxiety and contextualizes his personal experience within the history of anxiety's perception and treatment....Throughout, the author's beautiful prose and careful research combine to make this book informative, thoughtful and fun to read. Powerful, eye-opening and funny. Pitch perfect in his storytelling, Stossel reminds us that, in many important ways, to be anxious is to be human."

Booklist (starred review) "Stossel's book is more than an astounding autobiography, more than an atlas of anxiety. His deft handling of a delicate topic and frustrating illness highlights the existential dread, embarrassment, and desperation associated with severe anxiety, yet allows room for resiliency, hope, transcendence. Absolutely fearless writing."

The Wall Street Journal "Sheds light not just on a particular disorder but on the human condition that gives rise to it."

Forbes "Quite impressive....Stossel is a terrific, companionable writer."

Daily Telegraph "An immense achievement....Superbly wide-ranging."

Seattle Times "Scott Stossel's new book...is outstanding in the fullest sense of the word....Both conspicuous and superior within its genre."

Dallas Morning News "Powerful, eye-opening and funny. Pitch perfect in his storytelling, Stossel reminds us that, in many important ways, to be anxious is to be human."

Bookforum "Enthralling...an extraordinary literary performance....It is also--I hope I don't sound like a publicist--extremely useful....In an age inundated by memoirs and psychic self-help books, My Age of Anxiety is the rare memoir that tells an entirely compelling story, and the rare self-help book that really helps."

Amy Bloom, O Magazine "Erudite, heartfelt, and occasionally darkly funny."

Andrew Solomon, author of The Noonday Demon "Scott Stossel has produced the definitive account of anxiety, weaving together science, history, and autobiography. His writing is evocative and often witty, disarmingly intimate, and wonderfully empathetic. This story has needed to be told, and Stossel tells it with edgy frankness."

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

A riveting, revelatory, and moving account of the author's struggles with anxiety, and of the history of efforts by scientists, philosophers, and writers to understand the condition.

As recently as thirty-five years ago, anxiety did not exist as a diagnostic category. Today, it is the most common form of officially classified mental illness. Scott Stossel gracefully guides us across the terrain of an affliction that is pervasive yet too often misunderstood.

Drawing on his own long-standing battle with anxiety, Stossel presents an astonishing history, at once intimate and authoritative, of the efforts to understand the condition from medical, cultural, philosophical, and experiential perspectives. He ranges from the earliest medical reports of Galen and Hippocrates, through later observations by Robert Burton and Søren Kierkegaard, to the investigations by great nineteenth-century scientists, such as Charles Darwin, William James, and Sigmund Freud, as they began to explore its sources and causes, to the latest research by neuroscientists and geneticists. Stossel reports on famous individuals who struggled with anxiety, as well as on the afflicted generations of his own family. His portrait of anxiety reveals not only the emotion's myriad manifestations and the anguish anxiety produces but also the countless psychotherapies, medications, and other (often outlandish) treatments that have been developed to counteract it. Stossel vividly depicts anxiety's human toll--its crippling impact, its devastating power to paralyze--while at the same time exploring how those who suffer from it find ways to manage and control it.

My Age of Anxiety is learned and empathetic, humorous and inspirational, offering the reader great insight into the biological, cultural, and environmental factors that contribute to the affliction.

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My Age of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle Named one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post, The Seattle Times and The Boston Globe.

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Once it is clear there is no underlying physical condition present or medication side effect causing your anxiety, then exploring options for mental health treatment is essential.

The types of treatment proven to be most effective for many people experiencing an anxiety disorder involve a combination of psychotherapy and medication. Your preferences in a treatment plan are essential, however, so discuss the best approaches and options with your treatment team.

Co-occurring conditions, like depression, are common when a person has anxiety. Be sure to work with your treatment team to make sure these other conditions are not overlooked.

Psychotherapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most researched psychotherapy for anxiety disorders. In general, CBT focuses on finding the counterproductive thinking patterns that contribute to anxiety. CBT offers many constructive strategies to reduce the beliefs and behaviors that lead to anxiety.

CBT is also effective when delivered outside of the traditional in-person setting. Working with a therapist using telehealth technology - like video or phone calls or online learning modules that teach CBT concepts - can be just as effective as traditional face-to-face therapy.

CBT has the largest research base to support its effectiveness, though it can be difficult to figure out which therapists are trained in CBT. There is no single national certification program for this skill. Ask your therapist how they approach treating anxiety and their trainings in these approaches.

Exposure Response Prevention is a psychotherapy for specific anxiety disorders like phobias and social anxiety. Its aim is to help a person develop a more constructive response to a fear. The goal is for a person to "expose" themselves to that which they fear, in an attempt to experience less anxiety over time and develop effective coping tools.

Medication

Some people find that medication is helpful in managing an anxiety disorder. Talk with your health care provider about the potential benefits, risks and side effects.

Anti-anxiety medications. Certain medications work solely to reduce the emotional and physical symptoms of anxiety. Benzodiazepines can be effective for short-term reduction of symptoms, but can create the risk of dependence when used for a long time. Be sure to review these potential risks if you select these medicines. Click here for more information on these medications.

Antidepressants. Many antidepressants may also be useful for treating anxiety. These can also be useful if your anxiety has a co-occurring depression. Be sure to check our Medication page for more information.

Complementary Health Approaches

More and more people have started using complementary and alternative treatments along with conventional treatment to help with their recovery. Some of the most common approaches for treating anxiety include:

Self-management strategies, such as allowing for specific periods of time for worrying. Someone who becomes an expert on their condition and its triggers gains more control over their day.

Stress and Relaxation Techniques often combine breathing exercises and focused attention to calm the mind and body. These techniques can be an important component in treating phobias or panic disorder.

Yoga. The combination of physical postures, breathing exercises and meditation found in yoga have helped many people improve the management of their anxiety disorder.

Exercise. Aerobic exercise can have a positive effect on your stress and anxiety. Check with your primary care doctor before beginning an exercise plan.

Reviewed December 2017

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Once it is clear there is no underlying physical condition present or medication side effect causing your anxiety, then exploring options for mental health treatment is essential. The types of treatment proven to be most effective for many people experiencing an anxiety disorder involve a combination of psychotherapy and medication.

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Follow me at @srinipillay

Everyone worries, but some people worry more than others. When worry is excessive, people may develop generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). In fact, close to a quarter of people who go to their primary care physicians with anxiety suffer from this.

In general, stressful events in childhood and adulthood, having strained economic resources, being divorced, and being female all put you at risk for GAD. But what do all of these different high-risk groups have in common psychologically? Why do they worry so much? And what can they do about this?

The surprising benefits of worry for people with GAD

A recent study explained why people with GAD worry so much - and the findings may surprise you. While many people think they are just worriers, they do not realize that they actually worry for a reason. Their worry is an attempt to protect themselves! If you're wondering how such a nagging, persistent, annoying, and sometimes distressing psychological state can be helpful, you're probably not alone. But the findings do in fact make some sense.

It turns out that worrying about something puts your mind into a negative state, but this helps, because when something negative does happen, you don't feel that much worse. You've already been feeling bad. For people with GAD, it's better to feel bad most of the time so that a negative event - someone being ill, sudden financial challenges, or rejection from a loved one - doesn't have the power to create a massive emotional swing. It's the sudden shift from a neutral or positive mood to a negative one that is of great concern to worriers. They will do anything to avoid this, include preparing to be miserable. They really hate the contrast of a situation unexpectedly going south. To people who aren't worriers, this would sound counterintuitive, but they don't have the same sensitivity to sudden emotional shifts. In fact, for them, worry is undesirable, whereas worriers find worry helpful.

This poses a dilemma for treatment, then. If someone has GAD, just asking them to lose the worry will not work. And if you have GAD, expecting your brain to simply stop worrying on command is a tall order. Another study has helped us understand that people who are prone to worrying are soft-wired to pay attention to threatening news, thereby building up a library of evidence in their brains that worrying is necessary. Think about it. On any given day, there are so many threatening things happening in the world - anything from new viruses, terrorist attacks, or political conflicts to a hostile email or upcoming storm are all real events. Yet, if you only pay attention to the threats, you have no space left in your brain to process anything else. Threat becomes your reality, and worry becomes your justifiable response. Anyone telling you to give up your worry will sound out of touch, to say the least.

What you can do to get your worry under control

As challenging as this sounds, there are things that you can do to retrain your brain to stop worrying. Cognitive behavioral therapy, a type of talk therapy where you simply revisit your assumptions in an attempt to reframe your thoughts, works according to some studies but not others.

It's important to remember that you can benefit from other forms of talk therapy , though, and that you can benefit from medications as well. But if you want to try changing the way you think right now, prior to therapy or while you're waiting, you might consider the following approach.

Rather than challenging yourself or someone else about worry, you can actually accept that the worry is serving a purpose - to avoid a sudden negative swing. Then, start to delve deeper so you can discover that the negative swing is probably less negative than you think. Giving up the struggle and control with worry, and accepting that it has not been helpful, is the next step. You can then re-examine your library of negative "proof" and swap out threatening realities for positive ones. In fact, this kind of deliberate optimism can protect you from GAD.

Worry in GAD can be debilitating, but there is an increasing amount of data that shows you can address this effectively.

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Managing worry in generalized anxiety disorder - Harvard Health Blog

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Follow me at @srinipillay Everyone worries, but some people worry more than others. When worry is excessive, people may develop generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). In fact, close to a quarter of people who go to their primary care physicians with anxiety suffer from this.

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Disclaimer: The information presented in Recovery Formula is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals.

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What if you could cure your anxiety?

Welcome to our anxiety guide. We have compiled over 400 pages on anxiety, including anxiety symptoms, anxiety types, anxiety causes, anxiety help strategies, anxiety treatments, and much more, with detailed and specific information that outlines every single question you may have about anxiety.

The more you understand about anxiety, the better opportunity you have to beat it. As you continue through this guide, we encourage you to read further by clicking on the links that are most interesting to you, and the ones that speak to your struggles.

We also recommend you consider bookmarking this guide to explore later, because as you continue along your journey to cure anxiety, you'll find that you'll have new questions and new challenges that need to be overcome.

Anxiety can be beaten. But it starts with knowledge. We hope that this in-depth guide gives you the tools you need to beat anxiety once and for all.

... So What is Anxiety?

Throughout your life, you're going to be faced with a variety of challenges. Feeling worried, stressed, or anxious about those challenges is normal - sometimes even healthy.

You have a big test coming up? Feeling nervous is normal.

You have a first date with your long time crush? Feeling jittery is normal.

You're called into the boss's office and you don't know why? Feeling worried is very normal.

But for nearly 20% of the population, every day is filled with worry that go beyond normal - feelings of physical and emotional nervousness that seem to be trigged for no reason at all.

This is anxiety.

Anxiety comes in many different shapes and forms. There's anxiety that's physical, anxiety that's emotional, anxiety that's mental, and anxiety that are all three at once. There is anxiety caused by traumatic events, and anxiety caused by seemingly nothing at all.

Welcome to the CalmClinic guide to anxiety. This guide, along with the rest of the CalmClinic site, is dedicated to helping you understand your anxiety better, with detailed pages about:

Causes

Symptoms

Treatments, and More

We cover every topic possible, from Agoraphobia to the Zung Self Rating Scale, with the goal to provide you with objective articles on every topic available.

Need Help Now? Here's How to Start

We invite you to explore the guide at length and learn as much as you can about anxiety, because when it comes to anxiety, knowledge really is power. The more you know and understand it, the more you'll be able to control it.

But for those that are struggling with anxiety right now - right at this very moment - and need help finding some temporary or permanent relief, start with the following:

These are some helpful starter articles to give you more information about how to control your anxiety right now. If you're just looking for immediate anxiety help, start there, and then bookmark this page so that you can come back to it when you're ready.

Introduction to Anxiety

For those that stayed with us, let's give some background on anxiety, and yes, that means you're about to read about cavemen:

Hundreds of thousands of years ago, early man was faced with many dangers. From large predators to small poisonous snakes, they needed a way to make sure that if they were faced with danger, they could react quickly and keep themselves away from harm.

This is called the fight or flight response. It is your body's natural reaction to danger.

It is triggered by a part of your brain known as the amygdala. The amygdala sends messages to your body that you're in danger, increasing your heart rate (so that you can run faster), causing you to sweat (to keep you cool), and so on.

At its core, this fight or flight system is critical for your life and safety.

Unfortunately, many people find that their fight/flight system has gone haywire, and is causing them to experience significant distress even when no immediate danger is present. When your body is reacting like it's in danger without any threat to your safety, you have anxiety.
So... What is Anxiety?
It is because anxiety is the activation of your fight or flight system that anxiety, at its core, is a good thing. Without anxiety, you would walk into dark alleys alone at night, get into fights with people 10 times your size, and drive 150 miles per hour in a residential area. Anxiety is designed to keep you safe.

The problem is when you are experiencing anxiety when you should not be, or when that anxiety is more severe than it should be in the situation. That's when you have anxiety, which can manifest itself in many different ways:

Picture This: You have trouble controlling your thoughts and worries. When you have a conversation with someone, you worry that they didn't enjoy it. You worry that they don't want to talk to you again. You worry that they may not like you.

Then you realize you have a big project due in the morning, and you are worried you won't complete it on time. All day, every day, you find yourself physically or emotionally worried, and no matter how hard you try you cannot seem to relax.

Picture This: Your feel some pain in your chest. You feel like you can't take a deep breath. Your heartbeat is speeding up. It feels like something is wrong - like a heart attack. It's getting worse. Your mind is racing. You feel lightheaded. Is this it? Are you going to die? Suddenly it peaks!

Then it all melts away, slowly. You Google your latest symptom and see if there is something new to ask your doctor about.

Picture This: The idea of being around others is terrifying. It's intimidating. It's so hard to talk. Are they judging you? Are they seeing something? You feel naked, exposed. All you want to do is escape, but you know if you do that you'll be all alone again.

You escape anyway. It's just too much. Maybe next time.

Picture This: It seems that every minute of every day, you cannot get this vision out of your mind. It's violent. It's graphic. It's disgusting. You hate it. You have no interest in it, but why do you keep having the thought? Why won't it go away? Does it mean something about you?

You've found that the only thing that gets it out of your mind is counting prime numbers in your head. It's the only relief you get from this horrible image.

Picture This: You went through a trauma. It's over. Yet it seems like you're going through it again, every day. Every loud noise takes you back to that moment. Every dream takes you back to the feelings. The smallest bit of stress feels overwhelming. You jump. You startle. It should be getting better, but it seems like the trauma never ended.

Picture This: AH! A SPIDER!
Each one of these is just one example of the many ways anxiety can affect you.
Types of Anxiety

Why does anxiety have different "types"? That's not entirely clear. But anxiety isn't the same for all people.

Some people experience constant, low levels of anxiety that don't stop them from living their life, but affect everything they do.

Others experience huge bursts of ONLY physical anxiety symptoms, so severe that they think they're dying, only to go away 15 minutes later as though nothing was wrong.

It's why anxiety is so complex, and why education and understanding of anxiety is so important. For more about each type of anxiety, click on the different types below:

Symptoms of Anxiety

Everyone, even if they have never experienced any form of severe anxiety, has some idea of its symptoms. They're the same symptoms that you experience when you're scared or in danger, including:

These are all very common. But what you may not know is that anxiety, and the many different types of anxiety disorders, can cause hundreds of different symptoms - from the common to the rare.

Indeed, you may know that anxiety can cause lightheadedness, but did you know that it can cause a sore throat? You may have guessed that anxiety can cause nausea, but did you know it can cause both arm pain and joint pain?

There are hundreds of different anxiety symptoms, and some of them seem to have no relationship to anxiety at all. But that's because anxiety isn't just anxiety. When you have anxiety, you often struggle with supplementary issues, such as:

These, in turn, lead to their own symptoms. For example, when you're stressed you may find yourself with slightly blurry vision, which in turn leads to squinting, which in turn leads to eye pain. When you're not sleeping, your body may not be recovering, which can lead to muscle pain, temporary nerve damage, and more.

Stress also affects digestion, which means you may not be processing food correctly, which THEN means you may be experiencing symptoms associated with nutritional deficiencies.

In addition, anxiety has a symptom known as "hypersensitivity." This is when your brain is highly sensitive to the way your body feels. Even if you experience a tiny pain or discomfort that 99% of people ignore, YOU will ALWAYS notice it, and that makes it feel more severe than others experience.

As you can see, the symptoms of anxiety are vast, because it's not just anxiety. It's also the symptoms of the issues that anxiety causes.

That said, anxiety symptoms can often be broken down into the following groups.

Mental Anxiety Symptoms

Many anxiety symptoms are mental. That means they are related to thoughts. For some people, thoughts are what characterize the disorder. For example, obsessive compulsive disorder is caused by persistent, uncontrollable thoughts. Generalized anxiety disorder can cause frequent worries about otherwise inconsequential things.

The list of mental anxiety symptoms is extensive, but for a brief overview of some of the most common, start here:

Most of these types of thoughts trigger physical symptoms as well. But not all of them. There are people living with anxiety that struggle with these thoughts but don't necessarily "feel" anxious. They still have anxiety, because anxiety affects people in different ways.

In addition, thoughts can change. If we asked you right now "what types of thoughts are you having?" you might say scary thoughts or irrational thoughts. But if we ask you again in two weeks, you might say weird or racing. So don't feel like you have to limit yourself to one type of mental symptom.

Physical Anxiety Symptoms

As we talked about earlier, there are also considerable physical anxiety symptoms. So many, in fact, that listing them here would be almost impossible to navigate.

That's why we want to invite you to use our search feature, located in the top right corner of this page. It looks like this:

We have hundreds of different physical anxiety symptom pages on this site, so that you can find the information you want to read about most. But for those that would like some help getting started, here are a few of our most common pages and searches:

If you read the previous section on mental anxiety symptoms, you'll notice we said there are some people that experience mental anxiety symptoms with no (or close to no) physical symptoms. They worry often or have anxious thoughts, but physically they feel fine.

Similarly, there are millions of people that have the physical anxiety symptoms with NO mental symptoms. These individuals feel fine mentally, without too many worries, but physically their bodies are reacting as though they're in danger. Many people with panic attacks report that their panic attacks seem to come from nowhere, when they're not even feeling stressed.

Again, all of this is normal. You don't hear about it very much from psychologists and in media, but there's no right or wrong way to experience anxiety. Millions of people experience it different ways.
Please remember to use the search feature above to find even more of the many symptoms anxiety can create.
Emotional Anxiety Symptoms

Anxiety is, itself, an emotion. So really all anxiety symptoms are emotional anxiety symptoms. But there are some specific emotions that anxiety can trigger. You can find more in our search feature, but some examples include:

It can also cause depression, as well as anhedonia - a strange temporary symptom where you are unable to feel joy (but may not be depressed or sad).

These are some of the many symptoms of anxiety. It may seem overwhelming, but keep in mind that the more you learn about each individual symptom, the more you'll have the tools to stop it.

Click on the image below to read more about the symptoms of anxiety.

All About Anxiety Attacks

Often when we talk about anxiety symptoms, we're talking about more of the general symptoms of anxiety. But there is a form of anxiety that deserves its own special place - the anxiety attack.

Anxiety attacks are primarily physical anxiety symptoms on a large scale. They're traditionally referred to as panic attacks, but there are "forms" of anxiety attacks that can affect other disorders, such as severe anxiety at the sight of blood, or severe OCD that triggers an extreme bump in symptoms.

Still, when talking about anxiety attacks and panic attacks, we're usually referring to significant, intense anxiety symptoms that are often so severe, people that experience them may feel as though they're having a heart attack.

Symptoms of anxiety attacks include:

Rapid Heartbeat (Heart Palpitations)

Trouble Breathing

Chest Pains

Lightheadedness

Sweating

Urge to Urinate

Hyperventilation

Intense Feelings of Doom/Danger

Rapid Thoughts/Trouble Thinking

Feelings of Losing Control

Some people even call an ambulance, because the symptoms mimic health problems. They can make you feel like you're dying.

Anxiety attacks peak at around 10 minutes and then slowly decline afterwards. They can leave you feeling drained, confused, exhausted, and scared. Some people develop health anxiety, because the symptoms are so physical and so real, that it's hard to believe that they can be caused by anxiety.

Let's be clear here: The symptoms of anxiety attacks ARE real. Your chest pains, lightheadedness, and more are not your imagination. Your body is really experiencing those problems. The only difference is that they're caused by anxiety, and they are not necessarily dangerous. They just feel like they are.

To start learning more about anxiety attacks, and exploring the many, many symptoms, visit our anxiety attack page here:

What Causes Anxiety?

Any time you struggle with a mental health issue like anxiety, it's easy to want to seek out the cause.

But for the vast majority of people that have anxiety, there is no obvious cause.

Genetics may play a role, but it does not explain anxiety in full. Some people may have had past experiences that caused them to develop anxiety. Others may have simply been under significant stress, which breaks down your ability to stress cope (stress coping may be linked to anxiety). Others simply develop it naturally with no clear reason.

Anxiety can also be self-sustaining. For example, if you're someone with social anxiety, you may have an experience where you go out in public, your nervousness causes you to embarrass yourself, and then you reinforce that anxiety in the future. Similarly, you may be someone that worries too much, but then something bad happens and suddenly you feel justified in your worry.

There is some value in identifying what causes your anxiety, but it shouldn't necessarily be your primary focus. That's because it's easy to point to something and blame it for your anxiety, even though it may not actually be the cause:

"I have anxiety because my parents didn't let me have social experiences."

"I have anxiety because I was treated poorly as a child."

"I have anxiety because my workplace is stressful."

These may be true. They may also not be true. It's not possible to prove what caused your anxiety, but it is easy to find issues to blame.

With that in mind, it does help to explore the causes of anxiety to some degree. Here are some places to start:

Anxiety is also the type of condition that develops through experiences. Let's look at an example:
Sarah is shy, but otherwise she's fine socially. Her parents were also shy, so this is normal. She spends time with a few close friends, but she's able to go out to parties. She doesn't talk to many people, and she's a little uncomfortable, but she has no severe issues keeping her away and occasionally makes a new friend or two. But she's got a new job, and she's struggling. She mishandles a few phone calls and starts to feel less confident. That drop in confidence affects her. The next time she's at a party, she feels more uncomfortable than usual. Someone tries to talk to her, but when she tries to talk back she struggles to find the words. It's embarrassing. A few weeks later is a birthday. She remembers how hard it was for her to talk and she feels anxious. That anxiety causes her to withdraw even further. When she does try to break out of it, her anxiety makes her struggle even more, which reinforces her fear. Over the next few years, it develops into a cycle that makes her more and more anxious, until the very idea of going out in public causes her extreme anxiety. She has developed social anxiety disorder.
This type of example is how many people develop anxiety. If you're looking for specific causes, you can blame genetics (her parents were shy), or you can blame her stressful workplace (chronic stress can create anxiety), or you can blame her experiences (mistakes in social situations caused her anxiety).

But the answer is really some combination of all three.

Learning and understanding this in full can help you make sure you recognize what can lead to your anxiety. It just also helps to see that anxiety can be more complicated than one specific "cause." Some people have anxiety triggered by one event or trauma, or possibly a health condition, such as menopause. But for others, the issue is often more complicated.

We've also explored over 50 different unique causes of anxiety that we explore throughout the site, so don't forget to use our search feature and visit our page on anxiety causes to learn more.

Do You Have Anxiety?

Hopefully you have a better understanding of anxiety, and an idea of whether or not you or someone you love is struggling with an anxiety symptom. We also invite you to explore the many pages we have available that delve further into the individual details about each anxiety, symptom, cause, and more.

But you may still be wondering:

If you have anxiety

How severe your anxiety is

What type of anxiety you have

Treatments for Anxiety

If you struggle with anxiety, chances are you want to treat it. The problem is that navigating the thousands of potential treatments available can be difficult. There are dozens of medications, countless self-help tips, numerous "herbal" and "natural" strategies, many different types of therapy, and more.

We'll give you an introduction to all of these different options below, but if you're looking to explore anxiety treatments in significant detail, visit our anxiety treatment handbook at the link below.

Before we get into the treatments for anxiety, there is one important thing to note: treating anxiety can be slow. It takes years to develop anxiety, and anxiety becomes a part of who you are. Commitment to treatments is important, because most treatments will not work right away. They take time, and there will be setbacks along the way.

Similarly, just as anxiety is different for different people, so too are treatments. What works for one person may not work as well for another. Some are more effective than others. Never give up trying to treat your anxiety. ALL ANXIETY IS CURABLE. It simply takes finding the right treatment for you.

Medications for Anxiety

Medications are one of the most popular treatments for anxiety, because they are the only treatment option that is easy and works quickly. That ease does come at a cost. Many medications have unpleasant side effects. Medications also can't "cure" anxiety. They can only "stop it."

If you stop taking the medication, anxiety will come back.

So all anxiety medications benefit from supplementary treatments. But in the beginning? Yes, medications can help, provided you figure out which one is best for you. Here are some references to start you off:

These are only some of the medications that we've featured here on CalmClinic, but there are countless more. For a complete over view of all different types of anxiety medications, and details about what to choose from, please visit our anxiety medication handbook below.

Therapy

Therapy is another type of treatment for anxiety. With therapy, you meet individually or in group with an expert in mental health, who uses a series of different therapeutic styles to try to help you overcome your anxiety.

Not all therapy is created equal, and some forms of therapy are controversial in their effectiveness. For example, psychodynamic therapy - popularized by Sigmund Freud - is considered ineffective by some and the most effective by others.

But therapy, especially certain types of therapy, can be very effective. If you're interested in learning more about therapy for anxiety, here are some places to start:

Therapy is effective. But not all therapy is the same. Hypnotherapy is controversial. Cognitive behavioral therapy is highly regarded and effective, but doesn't work for everyone. Therapy is a great choice, but don't feel deflated if it doesn't work for you or you can't afford it.

Self-Help Techniques for Anxiety

Self-help treatments can work. You can cure your anxiety at home. The only problem with self-help techniques is that they require substantial commitment, and most people that try to cure anxiety at home give up quickly.

Why?

Because when you're at home, there's no one to keep you accountable. You have to self-motivate, and you have to be okay with setbacks, and you have to be willing to take a considerable amount of time learning more about anxiety and learning the right strategies to help you control it.

Self-help often seems easier, but it does require work. Those willing to put in that work, however, are more likely to find the results they're looking for. Here are some pages to help you get started:

If you research yourself, you'll probably find a lot of strategies for self-help. Some of them work. Not all of them do. Don't be discouraged if the ones you try aren't as effective as you hoped.

If you're ready to truly break into self-help techniques, review our self-help for anxiety handbook below.

Overcoming Anxiety

Anxiety is an overwhelming condition. It takes control of your thoughts. Its presence is felt in everything that you do. The longer you live with anxiety, the more it can feel like that's all there is - as though there is no other way of being than struggling with an anxiety disorder.

But that's simply not the case. Anxiety was formed. Anxiety can also be eliminated. It takes time, knowledge, the ability to overcome setbacks, and a commitment to your mental health and wellness, but anxiety can be beaten. Anxiety is learned. It can be unlearned.

The next steps are up to you. Our advice is to bookmark this handbook, so that you can keep exploring further and further into anxiety and how to eliminate it. If you have any struggles, use our search feature and find out more about it. You can also follow us on Facebook, where we post new stories and updates about anxiety, and a chance to interact with others that are also dealing with similar challenges.

Hopefully this anxiety handbook helps you get started, and keep delving deeper into the other guides we've linked to above. In time, you'll be an expert on anxiety yourself, and able to find the solutions that will work best for you.

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The Complete Anxiety Guide: How to Live Anxiety-Free

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What if you could cure your anxiety? Welcome to our anxiety guide. We have compiled over 400 pages on anxiety, including anxiety symptoms, anxiety types, anxiety causes, anxiety help strategies, anxiety treatments, and much more, with detailed and specific information that outlines every single question you may have about anxiety.

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Everyone has feelings of anxiety, nervousness, tension, and stress from time to time. Here are 5 ways to help manage them:

Become a relaxation expert. We all think we know how to relax. But chilling out in front of the TV or computer isn't true relaxation. (Depending on what you're watching or doing, it could even make you more tense.) The same is true for alcohol, drugs, or tobacco. They may seem to relieve anxiety or stress, but it's a false state of relaxation that's only temporary. What the body really needs is daily practice of a relaxation technique - like deep breathing, tai chi, or yoga - that has a physical effect on the mind. For example, deep breathing helps to relax a major nerve that runs from the diaphragm to the brain, sending a message to the entire body to let go and loosen up.

Get enough sleep, nourishment, and exercise. Want your mind and body to feel peaceful and strong enough to handle life's ups and downs? Get the right amount of sleep for your needs - not too much or too little. Eat well: Choose fruit, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains for long-term energy (instead of the short bursts that come from too much sugar or caffeine). And exercise to send oxygen to every cell in the body so your brain and body can operate at their best.

Connect with others. Spend time with friends or family. Organized activities are great, but just hanging out works too. Doing things with those we feel close to deepens our bonds, allowing us to feel supported and secure. And the fun and sharing that go with it allow us to feel happier and less upset about things. If you feel worried or nervous about something, talking about it with someone who listens and cares can help you feel more understood and better able to cope. You'll be reminded that everyone has these feelings sometimes. You're not alone.

Connect with nature. Heading out for a walk in the park or a hike in the woods can help anyone feel peaceful and grounded. (Choose somewhere you feel safe so you can relax and enjoy your surroundings.) Walking, hiking, trail biking, or snowshoeing offer the additional benefit of exercise. Invite a friend or two - or a family member - along and enjoy feeling connected to people as well.

Pay attention to the good things. A great way to keep our minds off the worry track is to focus our thoughts on things that are good, beautiful, and positive. Appreciate the small, everyday blessings. Allow yourself to dream, wish, and imagine the best that could happen.

Note: When anxiety or worry feels extreme, it may be a sign of an anxiety disorder. For someone who has an anxiety disorder, getting proper care from a health professional is important. These tips can help too, of course. But professional treatment is the only way to shake an anxiety disorder.

Date reviewed: April 2016

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Everyone has feelings of anxiety, nervousness, tension, and stress from time to time. Here are 5 ways to help manage them: Become a relaxation expert. We all think we know how to relax. But chilling out in front of the TV or computer isn't true relaxation.

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There are lots of apps out there for anxiety - I searched to find five which are grounded in evidence-based practices. General best evidence-based anxiety treatments are exposure based - you're exposed to the thing that makes you anxious, and over time, your anxiety response decreases. Psychoeducation and relaxation may also be helpful when used in combination with other treatments. Here are five of my favorite apps for anxiety.

ReachOut Breathe is a really simple app - it's main purpose is to help you with slow down and control your breathing. When we feel anxious, our heart rate quickens and our breathing can change; we may take short, shallow breaths. When we slow down our breathing, this can help slow down heart rate and help us recover from the symptoms of stress and anxiety. I really like how simple this app is; if I'm feeling anxious, I can use it for just a few minutes, wherever I am, and it can provide some immediate relief.
Self-Help for Anxiety Management (SAM)
This is one of the only apps I've come across that walks you through the process of exposure therapy. The app encourages you to think of situations which make you anxious, imagining the details of the situation and how you would act, think and feel. You're encouraged to start with low anxiety situations, progressing to slightly more anxious, to record anxiety levels before and after, and explore what helps your anxiety levels. The app also contains psychoeducation and relaxation exercises.

Pacifica has a bunch of different features which you might find helpful - including goal setting, mood tracking, and activities to help you reframe negative thinking. The main thing I like about Pacifica as an anxiety app is it's Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) meditation. PMR has been shown to help with the physical symptoms of anxiety - those butterflies in your stomach, for example, or tightness in your muscles. There are also meditations for specific stressful situations, for example school stress or social anxiety.

MindShift offers tools to cope with specific types of anxiety - it can be tailored for social fears, worry, panic, test anxiety and performance anxiety. Once you've chosen the situation you'd like to tackle, the app walks you through three stage: facts about the anxiety, checking in with yourself to see how much this anxiety is impacting you, and making a plan to deal with the anxiety using various thinking strategies and coping skills. What I really like about this app is that the strategies and skills are very specific to the type of anxiety you're dealing with, and the app offers practical tips and steps you can take to help you cope.

MoodMission can be used for either depression or anxiety, and gives you challenges or "missions" based on how you are feeling. Missions may be physical (e.g. walk up and down the street), thought-based (e.g. coping statements), behavior-based (e.g. learn how to knit, crochet, or sew), or emotion-based (e.g. instant message a friend). For each mission, you can learn why the activities might help decrease your anxiety. Aside from the beautiful interface, I love that missions are mostly quick and easily-achievable, which gives makes me feel accomplished in a short amount of time.

If you'd like to explore more apps that may help with anxiety or other mental health issues, visit One Mind PsyberGuide.

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What are the best apps for anxiety? | MHA Screening

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There are lots of apps out there for anxiety - I searched to find five which are grounded in evidence-based practices. General best evidence-based anxiety treatments are exposure based - you're exposed to the thing that makes you anxious, and over time, your anxiety response decreases.

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Anxiety Information & Support | MHA Screening

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I can't stop snapping at people! | I can't deal with pressure and expectations! | Nobody likes me | Feeling lonely in a crowd | Depression and anxiety after losing a pet | I miss my friends. | What are the symptoms of PTSD? | What is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?

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The Anxiety Test is also available in Spanish.
Source:

Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders Patient Health Questionnaire (PRIME-MD-PHQ). The PHQ, including the GAD-7, was developed by Drs. Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B.W. Williams, Kurt Kroenke, and colleagues. For research information, contact Dr. Spitzer at [email protected] PRIME-MD® is a trademark of Pfizer Inc. Copyright© 1999 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission.
Please note: Online screening tools are not diagnostic instruments. You are encouraged to share your results with a physician or healthcare provider. Mental Health America Inc., sponsors, partners, and advertisers disclaim any liability, loss, or risk incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, from the use and application of these screens.

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The Anxiety Test is also available in Spanish. Source: Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders Patient Health Questionnaire (PRIME-MD-PHQ). The PHQ, including the GAD-7, was developed by Drs. Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B.W. Williams, Kurt Kroenke, and colleagues. For research information, contact Dr. Spitzer at [email protected] PRIME-MD® is a trademark of Pfizer Inc.

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Separation anxiety disorder: Children feel extremely upset when they have to be away from parents or caregivers. This anxiety goes beyond what other kids their age normally feel.

Symptoms of separation anxiety include:

Worry about parents or caregivers getting sick or dying

Refusing to leave home or go to school

Fear of sleeping or being alone

Nightmares about separation

Physical symptoms (such as headaches or stomachaches) before an upcoming separation

Children with separation anxiety disorder show symptoms for at least four weeks.

Social anxiety disorder: Children with social anxiety disorder feel extremely self-conscious around other people. They are so afraid of being embarrassed that they avoid social situations and even speaking in class.

Symptoms of social anxiety disorder in children include:

Avoiding most social situations or feeling terrible when they have to participate in them

Physical symptoms like shaking, sweating or trouble breathing in social situations

In young children, tantrums and crying in social situations

Fear of others seeing their anxiety and judging them for it

For a child to be diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, their worry must be so extreme that it interferes with daily life.

Selective mutism: Children with selective mutism have a hard time speaking in some situations, like at school. These kids aren't just shy. Their anxiety is so bad that they feel frozen and are not able to speak.

To get a diagnosis of selective mutism, the child must:

Be able to speak in some situations but not others

Have had the problem for at least a month

Have problems with school and social activities as a result

Children are not diagnosed with selective mutism if their trouble speaking is caused by a communication disorder or language barrier.

Generalized anxiety disorder: Children with generalized anxiety disorder worry about a lot of everyday things. Their worry is not caused by anything specific and it is bad enough to get in the way of daily life.

Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder in children include:

Restlessness

Feeling on edge

Feeling tired much of the time

Problems concentrating

Feeling angry

Trouble sleeping

To be diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, children must experience symptoms most days for at least six months.

Panic disorder: Children with panic disorder have frequent, unexpected panic attacks. Panic attacks cause physical feelings that can make kids think they are dying or having a heart attack.Children are diagnosed with panic disorder when they experience at least one panic attack and show other signs including:

Constant fear of more panic attacks

A big change from normal behavior after the panic attacks, like avoiding places that remind them of an attack

When diagnosing a child with panic disorder, a professional also rules out medical causes and other disorders like PTSD.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): Children with OCD have thoughts and worries that make them very anxious. They develop rules for themselves that they feel they must follow to control the anxiety.

Obsessions are the unwanted thoughts that make kids feel upset and anxious.

Compulsions are the rules kids feel they have to follow to get rid of their anxiety.

Children can be diagnosed with OCD when they have obsessions, compulsions or both.

Specific phobia: Kids with specific phobias are very afraid of one or more specific things. This fear is of something that isn't normally considered dangerous. Phobias disrupt kids' lives when they go out of their way to avoid the things they're afraid of.

Common phobias in children include:

Animals or insects

Parts of the natural world, like water or heights

Blood or shots

Specific situations, like crowds or tight spaces

Others including vomiting, choking or loud sounds

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Quick Guide to Anxiety in Children - Child Mind Institute

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Download our free guide to different kinds of anxiety in children. Anxiety causes an extreme feeling of unease in kids. While some anxiety in stressful situations is normal, it becomes a disorder if it lasts a long time or gets in the way of daily life.

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Sometimes anxiety is easy to identify - when a child is too nervous to read aloud or make a presentation in class. Other times anxiety in the classroom can look like something else entirely - an upset stomach, disruptive or angry classroom behavior, ADHD or even a learning disorder. In this guide we outline the types of anxiety that are common in children, and the symptoms of anxiety you might see in your classroom.

Types Of Anxiety in Children

There are many different types of anxiety, which is one of the reasons it can be hard to detect in the classroom. What they all have in common, says neurologist and former teacher Ken Schuster, PsyD, is that anxiety "tends to lock up the brain," making school hard for anxious kids.

Children can struggle with:

Separation anxiety: When children are worried about being separated from caregivers. These kids can have a hard time at school drop-offs and throughout the day.

Social anxiety: When children are excessively self-conscious, making it difficult for them to participate in class and socialize with peers.

Selective mutism: When children have a hard time speaking in some settings, like at school around the teacher.

Generalized anxiety: When children worry about a wide variety of everyday things. Kids with generalized anxiety often worry particularly about school performance and can struggle with perfectionism.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder: When children's minds are filled with unwanted and stressful thoughts. Kids with OCD try to alleviate their anxiety by performing compulsive rituals like counting or washing their hands.

Specific phobias: When children have an excessive and irrational fear of particular things, like being afraid of animals or storms.

Inattention and Restlessness

When a child is squirming in his seat and not paying attention, we tend to think of ADHD, but classroom anxiety could also be the cause. When kids are anxious in the classroom, they might have a hard time focusing on the lesson and ignoring the worried thoughts overtaking their brains.

Some kids might appear really 'on' at one point but then they can suddenly drift away, depending on what they're feeling anxious about," says Dr. Ken Schuster. "That looks like inattention, and its, but it's triggered by anxiety."

School Attendance Problems and Clingy Kids

It might look like truancy, but for kids for whom school is a big source of anxiety, refusing to go to school is also pretty common. School refusal rates tend to be higher after vacations or sick days, because kids have a harder time coming back after a few days away.

Going to school can also be a problem for kids who have trouble separating from their parents. Some amount of separation anxiety is normal, but when kids don't adjust to separation over time and their anxiety makes going to school difficult or even impossible, it becomes a real problem. Kids with separation anxiety may also feel compelled to use their phones throughout the day to check in with their parents.

Disruptive Behavior in the Classroom

Acting out is another thing we might not associate with anxiety. But when a disruptive student is compulsively kicking the chair of the kid in front of him, or throws a tantrum whenever the schedule is ignored or a classmate isn't following the rules, anxiety may well be the cause. Similarly, kids who are feeling anxious might ask a lot of questions, including repetitive ones, because they are feeling worried and want reassurance.

Anxiety in children can cause aggresion. When children are feeling upset or threatened and don't know how to handle their feelings, their fight or flight response to protect themselves can kick in - and some kids are more likely to fight. They might attack another child or a teacher, throw things or push over a desk because they're feeling out of control.

Trouble Answering Questions in Class

Sometimes kids will do perfectly well on tests and homework, but when they're called on in class, teachers hit a wall. There are several different reasons why this might happen.

"Back when I was teaching, I would notice that when I had to call on someone, or had to figure out whose turn it was to speak, it was like the anxious kid always tended to disappear," says Dr. Schuster. "The eager child is making eye contact, giving you some kind of physical presence in the room like 'Call on me, call on me!' "

But when kids are anxious about answering questions in class, "they're going to break eye contact, they might look down, they might start writing something even though they're not really writing something. They're trying to break the connection with the teacher in order to avoid what's making them feel anxious."

If they do get called on, sometimes kids get so anxious that they freeze. They might have been paying attention to the lesson and they might even know the answer, but when they're called on their anxiety level becomes so heightened that they can't respond.

Why do Students with Anxiety Take Frequent Trips to the Nurse

Anxiety in children can manifest in physical complaints, too. If a student is having unexplained headaches, nausea, stomachaches or even vomiting, those could be symptoms of anxiety. So can a racing heart, sweaty palms, tense muscles and being out of breath.

Anxiety and Learning: Problems in Certain Subjects

When a child starts doubting her abilities in a subject, anxiety can become a factor that gets in the way of her learning or showing what she knows. Sometimes this can be mistaken for a learning disorder when it's really just anxiety in children.

However anxiety can also go hand in hand with learning disorders. When kids start noticing that something is harder for them than the other kids, and that they are falling behind, they can understandably get anxious. The period before a learning disorder is diagnosed can be particularly stressful for kids.

Students with Anxiety: Not Turning in Homework

When a student turning in homework, it could be because she didn't do it, but it could also be because she is worried that it isn't good enough. Likewise, anxiety can lead to second guessing - an anxious child might erase his work over and over until there's a hole in the paper - and spending so much time on something that it never gets finished.

We tend to think of perfectionism as a good thing, but when children are overly self-critical it can sabotage even the things they are trying their hardest at, like schoolwork.

You might also notice that some students with anxiety will start worrying about tests much earlier than their classmates and may begin dreading certain assignments, subjects or even school itself.

Avoiding Socializing or Group Work in School

Some kids will avoid or even refuse to participate in the things that make them anxious. This includes obvious anxiety triggers like giving presentations, but also things like gym class, eating in the cafeteria and doing group work.

When kids start skipping things, it might look to their teachers and peers like they are uninterested or underachieving, but the opposite might be true. Sometimes kids avoid things because they are afraid of making a mistake or being judged.

Dr. Schuster notes that when kids get social anxiety, sometimes they have a much easier time showing what they know when teachers engage them one-to-one, away from the group.

This guide was last reviewed or updated on September 7, 2021.

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Sometimes anxiety is easy to identify - when a child is too nervous to read aloud or make a presentation in class. Other times anxiety in the classroom can look like something else entirely - an upset stomach, disruptive or angry classroom behavior, ADHD or even a learning disorder.

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When children are chronically anxious, even the most well-meaning parents, not wanting a child to suffer, can actually make the youngster's anxiety worse. It happens when parents try to protect kids from their fears. Here are pointers for helping children escape the cycle of anxiety.

None of us wants to see a child unhappy, but the best way to help kids overcome anxiety isn't to try to remove stressors that trigger it. It's to help them learn to tolerate their anxiety and function as well as they can, even when they're anxious. And as a byproduct of that, the anxiety will decrease over time.

Helping children avoid the things they are afraid of will make them feel better in the short term, but it reinforces the anxiety over the long run. Let's say a child in an uncomfortable situation gets upset and starts to cry - not to be manipulative, but just because that's how they feel. If their parents whisk them out of there, or remove the thing they're afraid of, the child has learned that coping mechanism. And that cycle has the potential to repeat itself.

You can't promise a child that their fears are unrealistic-that they won't fail a test, that they'll have fun ice skating, or that another child won't laugh at them during show & tell. But you can express confidence that they're going to be okay, that they will be able to manage it. And you can let them know that as they face those fears, the anxiety level will drop over time. This gives them confidence that your expectations are realistic, and that you're not going to ask them to do something they can't handle.

It's important to understand that validation doesn't always mean agreement. So if a child is terrified about going to the doctor because they're due for a shot, you don't want to belittle those fears, but you also don't want to amplify them. You want to listen and be empathetic, help them understand what they're anxious about, and encourage them to feel that they can face their fears. The message you want to send is, "I know you're scared, and that's okay, and I'm here, and I'm going to help you get through this."

Encourage your child to talk about their feelings, but try not to ask leading questions- "Are you anxious about the big test? Are you worried about the science fair?" To avoid feeding the cycle of anxiety, just ask open-ended questions: "How are you feeling about the science fair?"

What you don't want to do is be saying, with your tone of voice or body language: "Maybe this is something that you should be afraid of." Let's say a child has had a negative experience with a dog. Next time they're around a dog, you might be anxious about how they will respond, and you might unintentionally send a message that they should, indeed, be worried.

Let your child know that you appreciate the work it takes to tolerate anxiety in order to do what they want or need to do. It's really encouraging them to engage in life and to let the anxiety take its natural curve. We call it the "habituation curve." That means that it will drop over time as he continues to have contact with the stressor. It might not drop to zero, it might not drop as quickly as you would like, but that's how we get over our fears.

When we're afraid of something, the hardest time is really before we do it. So another rule of thumb for parents is to really try to eliminate or reduce the anticipatory period. If a child is nervous about going to a doctor's appointment, you don't want to launch into a discussion about it two hours before you go; that's likely to get your child more keyed up. So just try to shorten that period to a minimum.

Sometimes it helps to talk through what would happen if a child's fear came true-how would they handle it? A child who's anxious about separating from their parents might worry about what would happen if a parent didn't come to pick them up. So we talk about that. If your mom doesn't come at the end of soccer practice, what would you do? "Well I would tell the coach my mom's not here." And what do you think the coach would do? "Well he would call my mom. Or he would wait with me." A child who's afraid that a stranger might be sent to pick them up can have a code word from their parents that anyone they sent would know. For some kids, having a plan can reduce the uncertainty in a healthy, effective way.

There are multiple ways you can help kids handle anxiety by letting them see how you cope with anxiety yourself. Kids are perceptive, and they're going to take it in if you keep complaining on the phone to a friend that you can't handle the stress or the anxiety. I'm not saying to pretend that you don't have stress and anxiety, but let kids hear or see you managing it calmly, tolerating it, feeling good about getting through it.

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What to Do (and Not Do) When Children Are Anxious - Child Mind Institute

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How to help a child with anxiety? We bring expert parenting advice on assisting children to escape the cycle of anxiety. Learn what to do and not to do, anxiety treatments, and behavioral modification techniques.

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If you are feeling shyer than you'd like to be, you're in good company. A lot of kids - and adults - say they get anxious during social situations. Maybe it's speaking up in class or making a phone call or just trying something new. Whatever it is, if your anxiety is bothering you, there are some things you can try on your own to help with managing social anxiety.

Don't avoid things

Experts agree that avoiding situations that make us anxious can actually make things worse in the long run. "Getting out of something you didn't want to do might make you feel better in the moment," says Rachel Busman, PsyD, a psychologist, "but you will still feel anxious the next time you're asked to do it." And the things that make us anxious-talking to new people, giving presentations-aren't going to go away.

Push yourself

While leaving your comfort zone isn't easy, it can be very good for you. That's because our anxiety tends to go away when we start doing the things that make us anxious. So when a situation comes up that makes you nervous, like walking into the cafeteria alone or asking someone to be your lab partner, try to face your fear and see what happens. "Chances are the worst outcome that you fear won't happen," says Dr. Busman. "And if it does, you might find you have the skills to handle it."

As an experiment, try doing something that makes you nervous. It's fine to start small and ease yourself into it. Picking goals that feel realistic to you is important-you don't need to run for class president. If you think you might like to join a club, try just sitting in on a meeting at first. Or if you'd like to volunteer at the local animal shelter but you're feeling nervous about it, start by bringing a friend or family member along for company.

Whatever you do, you'll find that it gets easier over time. That's because by practicing the things that make you nervous you are actually expanding your ability to handle them. This is true even when things don't work out exactly like you might hope. For example, a lot of kids hesitate to ask teachers questions because they worry they're already supposed to know the answer. But if you decide to ask your teacher anyway and he responds, "You already learned that so go ask a friend," you'll probably find that hearing that isn't such a big deal after all. It's just another kind of practice.

Doing things like yoga and exercising can also help you regulate anxiety. Conversely, caffeine can make people feel more anxious, so you might want to cut back on soda and coffee in general, and especially before doing things that make you anxious. That can help with managing social anxiety.

But if you're feeling really anxious, and doing these things feels impossible for you, Dr. Busman says it's always a good idea to talk to your parents. "Tell them how you're feeling. Anxiety is something that you can definitely get help for, but telling someone that you need it is the first step."

This article was last reviewed or updated on April 7, 2023.

Rachel Ehmke is a freelance writer and the former managing editor at the Child Mind Institute. She holds a BA ... Read Bio

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Tips for Managing Social Anxiety - Child Mind Institute

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Kids with so much social anxiety that they're unable to do a lot of things they'd like to do should definitely talk to their parents about getting help.

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Back to School Anxiety - Child Mind Institute

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How to help kids manage anxiety at the start of a new school year, and make sure anxiety doesn’t cause disruptive behavior in the classroom

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When you're a teen you start being more aware of what other people think. There seems to be a "right" thing to wear, or say, or do. There also seem to be things that you shouldn't do-things that could be embarrassing, or lose you points with friends. This can lead to social anxiety.

The idea that people might be paying particular attention to what you do makes a lot of kids anxious. Some kids feel so anxious that they develop something called social anxiety disorder, which is diagnosed when you worry so much about how you appear to others that you stop doing things you need to (and want to) do for fear of embarrassing yourself.

Most people with the disorder start noticing this anxiety when they're between the ages of 8 and 15. For a while, children are usually able to hide social anxiety disorder. Their parents and teachers may not notice that anything is wrong, especially since kids are often ashamed to admit how anxious they are about things that other people don't seem to get upset about.

At the Child Mind Institute we've heard from a lot of young people who are wondering if they might have social anxiety disorder, and how to tell their parents about it. This is an explanation of what it looks like, and what to do if you think you (or your child) might have it.

Not just being shy

Kids with social anxiety disorder aren't just nervous when they're at parties or giving a speech in class. "It's not a phobia of being in social situations, it's being terrified of how people are going to perceive you," explains Jerry Bubrick, PhD, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute.

Even small interactions, like answering a question in class or eating with friends in the cafeteria, can feel extremely scary to kids with social anxiety disorder. That's because they fear they might accidentally do something embarrassing or offensive, and it will make others judge or even reject them.

And while kids who are just shy will gradually warm up to new people and situations over time, kids with social anxiety don't. Rachel Busman, PsyD, a psychologist who specializes in anxiety, explains: "Shyness might hold you back to some extent from doing things, but it won't significantly impact your ability to do your job as a teenager, which is to function in school, function in your family, and to have friends and be a part of your peer-related community." But social anxiety will.

The kinds of situations that are anxiety-provoking can vary a lot depending on the person. Some kids with social anxiety mostly fear performing in front of people, while others are anxious in many situations-talking to a sales clerk, asking for help, eating or drinking in front of others. Here are some examples of what social anxiety might look like:

You walk into the cafeteria and see your friends whispering and laughing. You're afraid they're laughing at you. Even when they promise they weren't, you keep worrying.

You love soccer and you want to try out for the team, but you don't because you're worried about people looking at you.

You want to ask the teacher a question, but you can't because you are afraid you will sound stupid.

You agonize over taking a position in a paper you're writing because you think it might be the "wrong" one.

You dread reading out loud because you might pronounce something wrong or skip a word.

What you feel-and what others see

If you have social anxiety disorder, you probably think your anxiety is obvious for all to see-in fact, looking anxious is another thing kids with social anxiety are afraid of. But other people might not recognize it. That's because a lot of the symptoms of anxiety are happening under the surface. You might be having panicked thoughts and feeling some of the physical symptoms of anxiety-like a racing heart or an upset stomach-but other people probably aren't going to pick up on that. More visible signs like blushing can be a clue, but even blushing tends to be something people pay more attention to when it is happening to themselves.

Because kids with social anxiety disorder are afraid of doing anything that is embarrassing, Dr. Busman adds, they can be experts at hiding how they really feel. "One of the girls I've worked with had panic attacks and was very highly anxious. Because I know her pretty well, I'd know that if she looked at the floor and was quiet that meant she was feeling anxious. But other people don't notice that, and can only assume by what they see."

For other kids, their anxiety can make them seem angry or aggressive, like one boy Dr. Bubrick worked with. "Someone came up to him randomly and said, 'I hear you want to see a picture of Sarah in a bikini.'" The boy was mortified and "went ballistic," says Dr. Bubrick. "He was throwing papers, he kicked the principal. The school thought he was being oppositional, but underneath it all was this horrendous fear of being embarrassed."

Why avoiding anxiety doesn't work

One of the things that kids learn to do when they are anxious is to avoid the things that worry them-making excuses to stay home from school or skip parties or other social events. While this might work to calm your anxiety in the short term, experts warn that hiding from your anxiety really only makes it get worse. Besides, you'll still need to learn how to do those things that at some point, and practicing them helps.

Another dangerous thing about avoiding fears is that it can become a habit, so you might find yourself withdrawing more and more. This will make your anxiety worse, and other people won't understand why you are withdrawing. This can make you feel even more alone.

You're so worried about giving a presentation in school that you decide to cut class, because you'd rather take a lower grade than give your speech. Doing this makes the teacher think you don't care about grades and are just doing the bare minimum to get by. Actually you care a lot about school but are paralyzed at the idea of getting in front of the class.

You are becoming friends with your new lab partner and he keeps inviting you to play video games with him after school. You would like to go, but you're afraid you'll do something weird, so you keep coming up with excuses. Eventually he will start seeking you out less and less and assume you don't want to be friends after all.

Why it's important to ask for help

Having social anxiety can stop you from doing the things you want to do, and close you off from people you'd like to be friends with. It can also make you more likely to get depressed. Asking for help can be hard, but it really is important.

Dr. Busman says she wants kids to know they're not alone. "Many teens experience anxiety disorders. Being brave and telling someone how you feel might seem scary, but if you can get over that hurdle, someone will want to listen."

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What Is Social Anxiety? - Child Mind Institute

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Learn about social anxiety in children. Child Mind Institute provides information and help for parents and kids when fear and embarrassment become crippling.

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When a child shows signs of anxiety, we tend to think it will go away-she's just nervous or shy, and she'll grow out of it. But when the anxiety becomes so intense that it's seriously interfering with a child's life, and the life of her family, it's important to get help.

Serious untreated anxiety tends to get worse over time, not better, because the child learns that avoidance works in reducing the anxiety, at least in the short run. But as the child-and, indeed, the whole family-work to avoid triggering those fears, they only grow more powerful.

Medication is often prescribed for children with anxiety, as it is for adults. And medication -antidepressants are usually our first choice-often helps reduce anxiety. But what many people don't know is that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be very effective for kids who are anxious. In fact, research over more than 20 years has shown that CBT is the most effective treatment for reducing symptoms of severe anxiety. And unlike taking medication, the therapy gives children the tools to manage the anxiety themselves, now and in the future.

What is cognitive behavioral therapy?

Cognitive behavioral therapy is based on the idea that how we think and act both affect how we feel. By changing thinking that is distorted, and behavior that is dysfunctional, we can change our emotions. With younger children, focusing first on the behavioral part of CBT can be most effective. The goal is, essentially, to unlearn avoidant behavior.

One of the most important techniques in CBT for children with anxiety is called exposure and response prevention. The basic idea is that kids are exposed to the things that trigger their anxiety in structured, incremental steps, and in a safe setting. As they become accustomed to each of the triggers in turn, the anxiety fades, and they are ready to take on increasingly powerful ones.

Exposure therapy is very different from traditional talk therapy, in which the patient and a therapist might explore the roots of the anxiety, in hopes of changing her behavior. In exposure therapy we try to change the behavior to get rid of the fear.

Exposure therapy is effective on many different kinds of anxiety, including separation anxiety, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and social anxiety.

The Bully in the Brain

For children with anxiety disorders, the process begins by helping them, and their parents, get some distance from the anxiety and start thinking of it as a thing that is separate from who they are. One way I do this is by having them conceptualize it as a "bully in the brain," and I encourage kids to give the bully a name and talk back to him. Kids I've worked with have called him the Witch, Mr. Bossy, Chucky, the Joker, and, in the case of some teenagers, names I cannot repeat here.

We explain that we are going to teach skills to handle the bully, giving children the idea that they can control their anxiety rather than it controlling them.

Related: What to Do (and Not Do) When Children Are Anxious

It's also important to help kids really understand how their anxiety is affecting their lives. I may actually map out things a child can't do because of his fears-like sleeping in his own bed, or going to a friend's house, or sharing meals with his own family-and how that makes him feel. Getting kids to understand how their anxiety works and gaining their trust is important because the next step-facing down their fears-depends on them trusting me.

Adopting Robert Frost's observation that "the only way around is through," exposure therapy slowly and systematically helps a child face his fears, so he can learn to tolerate his anxiety until it subsides rather than reacting by seeking reassurance, escaping, avoidance or engaging in ritualistic behaviors such as hand washing.

How does exposure therapy work?

The first step is identifying triggers. We design a "hierarchy of fears"-a series of incremental challenges, each of which is tolerable, and which together build to significant progress. Instead of thinking in black and white terms-I can't touch a dog or I can't cross a bridge-kids are asked to consider degrees of difficulty. We might ask a child with contamination fears, for example, "On a scale of 1 to 10, how difficult would it be to touch the door handle with one finger? To touch and open the door?"

Related: How Anxiety Leads to Disruptive Behavior

For a child with a fear of vomiting, we might ask: "How difficult would it be to write the word vomit?" If that is a 3, saying "I will vomit today" might be a 5. To see a cartoon of someone vomiting might rate a 7. To watch a real video of someone vomiting might be a 9. At the top of the hierarchy would likely be eating something the child thinks will make him vomit. By rating these different fears, kids come to see that some are less extreme, and more manageable, than they had thought.

Next, we expose the child to the trigger in its mildest possible form, and support him until the anxiety subsides. Fear, like any sensation, diminishes over time, and children gain a sense of mastery as they feel the anxiety wane.

Intensive treatment

With a child who is severely anxious-who can, for instance, barely leave his room for fear that his parents will die, or must wash his hands dozens of times a day to avoid contamination-I may work with him several times a week, for several hours at a time. We do exposures in the office and then, when a child is comfortable enough, do them outside.

For someone with social anxiety, for instance, we might go out wearing silly hats, or walk a banana on a leash. For someone afraid of contamination, we might ride the bus together, or shake hands with strangers, then eat chips without washing.

Once we have worked through some exposures and he is feeling more confident, I assign homework to practice what we did in the sessions. We want kids to really master their exposures before moving up the ladder. And parents are taught to help kids progress by encouraging them to tolerate anxious feelings, rather than jumping in to protect them from their anxiety.

Treatment for mild to moderate levels of severity usually takes eight to 12 sessions, and some kids make more progress if they are also taking medication to reduce their anxiety, which can make them more able to engage in therapy.

It's important to understand that exposure therapy is hard work, both for kids and their parents. But as fear diminishes, kids get back to doing things they like to do, and the family gets back a child they feared they had lost-and that's a great reward.

Read More:
Best Medications for Kids With Anxiety
Why Childhood Anxiety Often Goes Undetected (and the Consequences)

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Treating Anxiety in Children | Behavioral Treatment | Child Mind Institute

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When a child shows signs of anxiety, we tend to think it will go away-she's just nervous or shy, and she'll grow out of it. But when the anxiety becomes so intense that it's seriously interfering with a child's life, and the life of her family, it's important to get help.

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A 10-year-old boy named James has an outburst in school. Upset by something a classmate says to him, he pushes the other boy, and a shoving-match ensues. When the teacher steps in to break it up, James goes ballistic, throwing papers and books around the classroom and bolting out of the room. He is finally contained in the vice principal's office, where staff members try to calm him down. Instead, he kicks the vice principal in a frenzied effort to escape. The staff calls 911, and James ends up in the Emergency Room.

To the uninitiated, James looks like a boy with serious anger issues. It's not the first time he's flown out of control. The school insists that his parents pick him up and take him home for lunch every day because he's been banned from the cafeteria.

But what's really going on? "It turns out, after an evaluation, that he is off the charts for social anxiety," reports Jerry Bubrick, PhD, a child psychologist at the Child Mind Institute. "He can't tolerate any - even constructive - criticism. James is terrified of being embarrassed, so when a boy says something that makes him uncomfortable, he has no skills to deal with it, and he freaks out. Flight or fight."

James's story illustrates something that parents and teachers may not realize - that disruptive behavior is often generated by unrecognized anxiety. A child who appears to be oppositional or aggressive may be reacting to anxiety-anxiety they may, depending on their age, not be able to articulate effectively, or not even fully recognize.

"Especially in younger kids with anxiety you might see freezing and clinging kind of behavior," says Rachel Busman, PsyD, a clinical psychologist, "but you can also see tantrums and complete meltdowns."

Anxiety manifests in a surprising variety of ways in part because it is based on a physiological response to a threat in the environment, a response that maximizes the body's ability to either face danger or escape danger. So while some children exhibit anxiety by shrinking from situations or objects that trigger fears, some react with overwhelming need to break out of an uncomfortable situation. That behavior, which can be unmanageable, is often misread as anger or opposition.

"Anxiety is one of those diagnoses that is a great masquerader," explains Laura Prager, MD, director of the Child Psychiatry Emergency Service at Massachusetts General Hospital. "It can look like a lot of things. Particularly with kids who may not have words to express their feelings, or because no one is listening to them, they might manifest their anxiety with behavioral dysregulation."

The more commonly recognized symptoms of anxiety in a child are things like trouble sleeping in his own room or separating from his parents, avoidance of certain activities. "Anyone would recognize those symptoms," notes Dr. Prager, co-author of Suicide by Security Blanket, and Other Stories from the Child Psychiatry Emergency Service. But in other cases the anxiety can be hidden.

"When the chief complaint is temper tantrums, or disruption in school, or throwing themselves on the floor while shopping at the mall, it's hard to know what it means," she explains. "But it's not uncommon, when kids like that come in to the ER, for the diagnosis to end up being a pretty profound anxiety disorder."

It's not uncommon for children with serious undiagnosed anxiety to be disruptive at school, where demands and expectations put pressure on them that they can't handle. And it can be very confusing to teachers and other staff members to "read" that behavior, which can seem to come out of nowhere.

Nancy Rappaport, MD, a Harvard Medical School professor who specializes in mental health care in school settings, sees anxiety as one of the causes of disruptive behavior that makes classroom teaching so challenging. "The trouble is that when kids who are anxious become disruptive they push away the very adults who they need to help them feel secure," notes Dr. Rappaport. "And instead of learning to manage their anxiety, they end up spending half the day in the principal's office."

Dr. Rappaport sees a lot of acting out in school as the result of trauma at home. "Kids who are struggling, not feeling safe at home," she notes, "can act like terrorists at school, with fairly intimidating kinds of behavior." Most at risk, she says, are kids with ADHD who've also experienced trauma. "They're hyper-vigilant, they have no executive functioning, they misread cues and go into combat."

When a teacher is able to build a relationship with a child, to find out what's really going on with them, what's provoking the behavior, she can often give them tools to handle anxiety and prevent meltdowns. In her book, The Behavior Code: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Teaching the Most Challenging Students, Dr. Rappaport offers strategies kids can be taught to use to calm themselves down, from breathing exercises to techniques for distracting themselves.

"When a teacher understands the anxiety underlying the opposition, rather than making the assumption that the child is actively trying to make her miserable, it changes her approach," says Dr. Rappaport, "The teacher is able to join forces with the child himself and the school counselor, to come up with strategies for preventing these situations."

If it sounds labor-intensive for the teacher, it is, she notes, but so is dealing with the aftermath of the same child having a meltdown.

Anxiety also drives a lot of symptoms in a school setting that are easily misconstrued as ADHD or defiant behavior.

"I'll see a child who's having difficulty in school: not paying attention, getting up out of their seat all the time, asking a lot of questions, going to the bathroom a lot, getting in other kids' spaces," explains Dr. Busman. "The behavior is disrupting other kids, and is frustrating to the teacher, who's wondering why they ask so many questions, and why they're so wrapped up in what other kids are doing, whether they're following the rules."

People tend to assume what's happening with this child is ADHD inattentive type, but it's commonly anxiety. Kids with OCD, mislabeled as inattentive, are actually not asking all those questions because they're not listening, but rather because they need a lot of reassurance.

"It probably occurs more than we think, either anxiety that looks disruptive or anxiety coexisting with disruptive behaviors," Dr. Busman adds. "It all goes back to the fact that kids are complicated and symptoms can overlap diagnostic categories, which is why we need to have really comprehensive and good diagnostic assessment."

First of all, good assessment needs to gather data from multiple sources, not just parents. "We want to talk to teachers and other people involved with the kid's life," she adds, "because sometimes kids that we see are exactly the same at home and at school, sometimes they are like two different children."

And it needs to use rating scales on a full spectrum of behaviors, not just the area that looks the most obvious, to avoid missing things.

Dr. Busman also notes that a child with severe anxiety who's struggling in school might also have attention or learning issues, but they might need to be treated for the anxiety before they can really be evaluated for those. She uses the example of a teenager with OCD who is doing terribly in school. "She's ritualizing three to four hours a day, and having constant intrusive thoughts - so we need to treat that, to get the anxiety under control before we ask, how is she learning?"

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How Anxiety Leads to Problem Behavior - Child Mind Institute

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A 10-year-old boy named James has an outburst in school. Upset by something a classmate says to him, he pushes the other boy, and a shoving-match ensues. When the teacher steps in to break it up, James goes ballistic, throwing papers and books around the classroom and bolting out of the room.

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UCLA Center for Child Anxiety Resilience Education and Support

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If you confide in people about your social anxiety, sometimes they don't know how to act around you in an anxiety triggering situation ( Social Anxiety triggers). The last thing I, or I am guessing anyone, would want is for the loved ones in our lives to feel like they have to walk on eggshells around us. I can sense when people do that and it makes me feel handicapped. I came up with a few tips for our friends and families so they can have a better idea of what helps in an anxious situation and what just makes things worse.

How to Help Someone With Social Anxiety

I appreciate the sensitivity shown by my family and friends. It truly makes things a lot easier to know that I have someone who will understand my quirkiness and will still love me for it.

When entering a trigger situation, don't mention anything about the anxiety to the worrier. It may seem like a nice supportive thing to do to ask "How are you feeling? Are you going to be ok?" etc, but for all you know the worrier isn't even thinking about it. The questions can make them realize that others may be thinking about it and watching them, and that alone can cause anxiety and panic. The best thing to do is to ask the worrier later, once you have left the situation. You can let them know then that you were thinking about them.

Never say something like "It's not a big deal, just stop worrying about it." Believe me, if we could we would in a heartbeat. Just being supportive is your best bet.

Not inviting the person to an event because you know it may cause them anxiety. Give the worrier the option of attending instead of making the decision for them. That way, you aren't enabling them to avoid their fears and you are giving them an opportunity to grow and work on it. Even if they turn you down, they will know that you thought of them and treated them like a normal person - and that is loving and supportive. Exclusion will only cause feelings of resentment on both ends, even though you are doing it to make the worrier and maybe even yourself more comfortable.

Summing Up Social Anxiety Support

To sum it all up: Act the way you would if you didn't know your loved one had anxiety. We still want to be invited to social gatherings, even if it's too much for us and we have to turn it down. We still want the option to take the risk. I may be fine inside or really struggling, but for some reason if I think I'm the only one who knows I am struggling, it makes it easier.

More Information on Supporting Someone with Anxiety Disorders and Panic Attacks

APA Reference
White, A. (2010, June 5). Social Anxiety Support: How Family and Friends Can Help, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2021, June 3 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/anxiety-panic/2010/06/a-few-tips-for-friends-and-family-of-social-anxiety-sufferers

Author: Aimee White

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supporting someone with anxiety disorders and panic attacks

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Social Anxiety Support: How Family and Friends Can Help

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If you confide in people about your social anxiety, sometimes they don't know how to act around you in an anxiety triggering situation ( Social Anxiety triggers). The last thing I, or I am guessing anyone, would want is for the loved ones in our lives to feel like they have to walk on eggshells around us.

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Do You Love Someone Who Lives with Anxiety? - GoodTherapy.org 

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Anxiety is a normal emotional experience for humans, in varying degrees, at various times in their lives. A person can report feelings of anxiety while coping with work or life transitions, the death of a loved one, moving, or a happy event like an upcoming marriage or birth of a child.

Unlike a clinically diagnosed "anxiety disorder," these types of anxiety are situational and transient, and do not interfere with one's ability to function in life.

"Anxiety disorder" is an umbrella term that encompasses many different forms of common psychiatric diagnoses characterized by excessive worry, rumination, fear, and apprehension.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), clinical anxiety affects about 40 million adults, ages 18 and older, in America in any given year.
Symptoms are both physical and emotional: Physical

Pounding heart

Shortness of breath

Sweating

Tremors and twitches

Stomach upset

Muscle tension

Dizziness

Headache

Frequent urination

Fatigue

Insomnia

Emotional

Feelings of apprehension or dread

Irritability

Trouble concentrating

Restlessness

Feeling tense and jumpy

Watching for signs of danger

Anticipating the worst

Feeling like your mind has gone blank

Symptoms of Anxiety Attacks

Surge of overwhelming panic

Hyperventilation

Feeling of losing control or going crazy

Hot flashes or chills

Heart palpitations or chest pains

Trembling or shaking

Feeling like you're going to pass out

Nausea or stomach cramps

Trouble breathing or choking sensation

Feeling distracted or unreal

The onset of anxiety often cannot be anticipated, and can be sudden and unexpected, while at other times a known trigger will cause anticipatory anxiety. This unpredictability in itself can cause someone to live in a constant state of stress and tension, worrying when the next attack will strike. Someone with anxiety tends to worry about anything and everything.

How Can You Help?
If someone in your life lives with clinical anxiety, you are well aware of the impact it can have on the sufferer, as well as those around them. This person may be hyper-focused on what will trigger an attack or feel unable to participate in certain activities.

This is neither a choice, nor a sign of weakness. Clinical anxiety is a real phenomenon that requires treatment and, often, lifestyle adjustments. Medication, medical monitoring, and changes to diet and exercise may also make a difference. The most efficient tool for you is knowledge. Learn as much as you can about anxiety from reliable sources, and remember that the inconvenience it may pose to you through your loved one is nothing compared to the experience of your friend.
To Support a Friend with Anxiety

Do educate yourself.

Do not be critical or judgmental.

Do know your own limits and respect them.

Do take care of yourself. Get sufficient sleep and engage in stress-reducing activities.

Do not expect your loved one to be "cured."

Do not tell your loved one to "just stop it" or "be strong."

Do minimize exposure to triggers as much as possible Be a calm support when a trigger is present.

Do reassure your friend and offer reminders of his or her past strength through attacks.

Loving people who live with anxiety can be as challenging to you as it is painful your loved ones. Keep in mind that the second-hand experience is only a small window into the experience of your friend. Self-care can be the difference between supporting the person with anxiety, or becoming a source of anxiety to them.
References:

nimh.nih.gov

allpsych.com/disorders/anxiety/index.html

socialworkpolicy.org/research/anxiety-disorders.html

apa.org/helpcenter/anxiety-treatment.aspx

© Copyright 2013 GoodTherapy.org. All rights reserved. Permission to publish granted by Doreen D Corrado, LCSW-R, therapist in Ossining, New York

The preceding article was solely written by the author named above. Any views and opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by GoodTherapy.org. Questions or concerns about the preceding article can be directed to the author or posted as a comment below.

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Do You Love Someone Who Lives with Anxiety? - GoodTherapy.org Therapy Blog

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Anxiety is a normal emotional experience for humans, in varying degrees, at various times in their lives. A person can report feelings of anxiety while coping with work or life transitions, the death of a loved one, moving, or a happy event like an upcoming marriage or birth of a child.

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Anxiety is a condition that can close you off to others. For friends and family of those living with anxiety, this can represent a serious challenge. You want to help them deal with their condition, but you don't know what to say to them that diminishes their distress.

It's important to realize that while anxiety is not a physical condition, it's also not something that can be cured by logic or reasoning. Like a disease, anxiety is something that needs special treatment. In this article, we'll give a background on what it's like to live with anxiety, followed by information on how to help your family members or friends with anxiety.

Living With Anxiety

You need to realize that anxiety disorders are not like normal anxiety. It's not like the anxiety you feel before a meeting with your boss, or when you come face to face with a bully at school. It's much more complex, much less controllable, and with passage of time, more difficult to cure.

Self-Sustaining Nature of Anxiety

The first thing to understand is that anxiety itself is self-sustaining. It causes problems with your mind and body that make it more likely to experience further anxiety. For example, anxiety leads to more negative thinking, which then precipitates Anxiety can have physical manifestations, such as hyperventilation, sweating, nausea, etc., which can be very troubling. Anxiety also creates hypersensitivity, which is a mental response that makes people more prone to noticing those physical symptoms and letting it affect them.

If anxiety were just nervousness and sweating, anxiety disorders may not be considered as serious. But anxiety is so much more than that, and the longer you live with anxiety the more prevalent these symptoms can get.

Fearing Anxiety

Anxiety can also cause people to fear the anxiety itself, which unfortunately affects other areas of their life. When you're nervous about one thing (for example, social situations) you can become nervous about other things as a result (for example, amusement park rides). So when someone starts to fear their own anxiety and its symptoms, they may also develop new anxieties, or find more situations to provoke anxiety.

Learning to Forget What You Think About Anxiety

As someone with family members or friends who have anxiety or a panic disorder, it's important to understand what anxiety really is. For example, did you know that someone with anxiety can experience physical symptoms even when they're not mentally anxious? Did you know that one of the symptoms of a panic attack is a feeling of imminent death or doom, combined with intense physical symptoms that are nearly identical to heart attacks?

If you've never had anxiety, it's extremely difficult to empathize and understand, because it is so much different than the normal anxieties people experience in their everyday life. If you start trying to "cure" your friend's anxiety by assuming you understand what they're dealing with, you're going to struggle, and you may actually upset your friend or family member more.

The Do's and Don'ts of Anxiety

With that in mind, it's time to go over some tips on how to help a friend with anxiety. Note that every person is different and has different needs. There are some people who want to talk about their anxieties, and there are others who may have never mentioned it. So even with these do's and don'ts, it's hard to know exactly what you should do. However, this can be a helpful guide.

Let's begin:

DO let this person know that they can talk to you about it openly, without any fear of judgment. It's very important that they know that you're there to lend them an ear, and that you aren't going to judge them or change the way you think/feel about them based on anything they say - even if they say the same fear over and over again (because for many, the fears and thoughts are nearly exactly the same each time).

DON'T get frustrated. Those with anxiety really do know that their fears shouldn't bother them, but as hard as they try they can't stop, and expecting them to use logic to control their anxiety is extremely difficult, if not impossible.

DO spend time with them as much as possible. You being around them is a bigger help than you realize. In fact, they may not realize it either. But time spent with others makes it harder to think about their anxieties, and that makes a difference.

DON'T bring up the anxiety often. This is a tricky one - while you want to be there to talk about it, there are some anxieties, like panic attacks, that can be triggered by thinking about it. In other words, if you ask someone "how are your panic attacks?" you may accidentally trigger an attack. Let them bring it up with you.

DO tell them to call you anytime, anywhere. Talking on the phone and knowing someone is there to pick up can actually be incredibly comforting to someone that is trying to control their anxiety. Anxiety can make people feel lost and alone. Knowing that someone is a phone call away reduces that feeling.

DON'T let anxiety affect you as well. Make sure that you are working on your own stress and anxiety, because the way you feel can have an effect on the way others feel, especially as you spend more and more time again. If you're dealing with anxiety yourself, the other person is going to deal with more anxiety as well.

DO be forgiving. Anxiety can make people irritable. It's not in the control of the person with anxiety. Ideally, try your best to be forgiving. Let them know that you understand, and that even if it's not fair you're not going to quit the friendship because of it.

DON'T expect massive, immediate turnarounds. Unfortunately, controlling anxiety does take time. Those that try to cure it too fast often find they have setbacks that are sometimes worse than the initial anxiety. It's very important that you understand that curing anxiety can take a lot of time, and even on the way there, there are going to be issues that come up and fears that they're going to have. It's natural.

DO exciting activities. Try to be outdoors. Find things to do that don't involve alcohol (since alcohol can cause setbacks in anxiety treatments). Stay active. Exercise itself is a remedy for anxiety, and creating new memories can help people cope with some of the stresses of life. So try your best to get out and do things together.

DON'T guilt trip. It can be hard, but you have to remember that those with anxiety often struggle to get out of their own head. They want to relate to you, talk to you, and be friendly, but they have an incredibly hard time dealing with the thoughts they can't control. They take over their mind and their memories. If you push them too hard to get more attention or get them out of their bubble, they may withdraw further.

DO be proud of them when they improve. They'll be able to see it on your face. Remember that anxiety changes thought patterns and can make people think and feel much more negative, which unfortunately means that many of them are going to interpret your facial expressions negatively, assuming you're annoyed with them or ashamed of them. Thus making sure to highlight your positive emotions and your pride - and actually being happy when you see recovery while avoiding feeling frustrated during setbacks - can be very valuable.

DON'T give up hope. Anxiety is a treatable condition. The person in your life isn't going to always feel or believe it's treatable, and there are going to be times when even you think it might keep going forever, but the reality is that anxiety is perhaps one of the most treatable conditions available today.

DO be yourself. You don't need to change who you are, and the person with anxiety doesn't want you to change either. You are close for a reason. Be yourself. The fact that you're looking for what you can do to help this person with anxiety proves that you're a good influence in their life. Be positive, have fun, and be the person that your friends or family member loves.

Dealing with anxiety is an uphill battle, and it does take a toll on others around them. Anxiety can strain relationships, and may even cause significant stress on a loved one. Some people find that they actually start developing anxieties of their own.

But a supportive friend is an extremely effective way to treat your own anxiety. Learn from the above tips to better understand how to help your friend, family member, or a partner and you'll give them the best opportunity to overcome their anxiety and grow closer to you as a result.

SUMMARY:
Those that love someone with anxiety may feel helpless that they cannot help their partner or friend. Anxiety is treatable, but it's also a very individual experience. Learning more about anxiety is the best thing you can do for them, as well as encouraging them if they decide they're ready to treat it.

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12 Do's and Don'ts of Helping Someone With Anxiety

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Anxiety is a condition that can close you off to others. For friends and family of those living with anxiety, this can represent a serious challenge. You want to help them deal with their condition, but you don't know what to say to them that diminishes their distress.

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Something is wrong, but you don't know what it is.

It may take months or years for you and your family members to finally realize that you have an Anxiety Disorder.

But those months and years have put a strain on relationships, household routines, and maybe even finances. Even with a diagnosis, some strain often lingers, and recovery can be a long process.

Partners and family members may want to help may not know how. They may do all the wrong things at the wrong time. As one commenter on this blog said, "I try and tell them to just leave me - I leave the room when [Anxiety and Panic] kick in - but people will not."

This post will help you understand the strains on a family when one of its members has an Anxiety Disorder. It will also give you positive suggestions to help you help your family member.

Anxiety Disorders take a toll on the family

Anxiety Disorders can take a real toll on family and friends. They can be as disruptive as physical ailments, and sometimes more so. Among the strains the family may experience are:
Normal family activities

Household routines and plans are disturbed.

Special plans or allowances may need to be made for the Anxiety sufferer.

Family members must often take on the full burden of handling responsibilities such as bills, shopping, and driving the kids to their activities.

Finances and employment

The person with the Anxiety Disorder may find it difficult to get or keep a job.

There may be serious financial strains that create major hardships for the family.

Family members may have to step in to help financially support for the family, often a stressful role that they do not wish to have.

Social life

The person with the Anxiety Disorder may be reluctant to participate in routine social activities, which can have a negative effect on family dynamics.

Special plans for vacations and social events may have to be modified or cancelled.

Partners of the person with Anxiety Disorder often feel isolated, since couples often spend their time with other couples.
Emotional well-being

The family's emotional state may suffer due to the family upheaval and economic hardships that an Anxiety Disorder may cause.

Family members and partners may feel sad, depressed or scared for the family's well-being. They may feel angry or resentful, and guilty for feeling that way.

Family members, and especially children, may feel abandoned, neglected or frightened.

How can you support a family member with an Anxiety Disorder?

If a family member has an Anxiety Disorder, you can make their improvement and recovery easier by providing support, encouragement and creating an environment that promotes healing. Below are some everyday tips that will help:

Learn about the Anxiety Disorder. Some resources are listed at the bottom of this post.

Encourage treatment, and help the person keep appointments and take medications.

Be flexible and try to maintain a normal routine.

Aim for positive reinforcement of healthy behavior, rather than only criticizing irrational fear, avoidance, or rituals ("Catch them doing something right").

Recognize and praise small accomplishments.

Modify expectations during stressful periods.

Measure progress on the basis of individual improvement, not against some absolute standard.

Help set specific goals that are realistic and that can be approached one step at a time.

Don't assume you know what is needed. Ask how you can help. Listen carefully to the response.

Acknowledge that you don't understand if you're never personally experienced a panic attack or other form of irrational anxiety.

Understand that knowing when to be patient and when to push can be challenging. It's a fine line. Achieving a proper balance often requires trial and error.

Remember, recovery requires hard work on the part of the individual, and patience on the part of the partner and family. It may seem like a slow process, but the rewards are well worth it.

Conclusion

The challenges to the family with a person with Anxiety Disorder can be daunting.

Family members and partners may feel understandably overwhelmed and burned out from bearing most of the burden for family activities that often come so easily to other couples and families. It is also important for family members to keep in mind that the recovery process is stressful for them, too.

Family support is essential to the recovery process. But it is not the cure. Getting better and staying better takes hard work, mostly from the person involved. And it takes patience from everyone, family and friends alike.

But it is important to remember that with treatment, people with Anxiety Disorders can go on to lead a normal, productive life that include a successful career, thriving social lives and busy schedules.

What do you think?

Do you or have you had a family member with an Anxiety Disorder?

How have you coped?

Can you make any additions or suggestions to this post?

As always, your comments are welcome!
If you have enjoyed this article, please consider subscribing to this blog, either via RSS or email on the top of the right sidebar. I would also appreciate it if you shared this article with your favorite social media, such as StumbleUpon or Digg. Just click the little green "ShareThis" button at the bottom of this post.
Resources used in this post:

Anxiety Disorders Association of America. (2007, June). When Your Partner Has an Anxiety Disorder. Retrieved July 16, 2008 from Anxiety Disorders Association of America Web site: http://www.adaa.org/gettinghelp/MFarchives/MonthlyFeatures(june07).asp

Anxiety Disorders Association of America. (2007). Helping a Family Member. Retrieved June 27, 2008 from Anxiety Disorders Association of America Web site: http://www.adaa.org/GettingHelp/HelpAFamilyMember.asp

Resources for the family

Anxiety Disorders Self-Test for Family Members - Anxiety Disorders Association of America

Anxiety Disorders Association of America

How to Take Care of Yourself When Your Partner Has an Anxiety Disorder

Search for Specific Anxiety Disorders - Mayo Clinic
National Institute of Mental Health Anxiety Disorders Overview
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Helping a Family Member with an Anxiety Disorder

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Something is wrong, but you don't know what it is. It may take months or years for you and your family members to finally realize that you have an Anxiety Disorder. But those months and years have put a strain on relationships, household routines, and maybe even finances.

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Fact Sheet

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Anxiety Disorders - National Institute of Mental Health 

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Overview

Occasional anxiety is an expected part of life. You might feel anxious when faced with a problem at work, before taking a test, or before making an important decision. But anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. For a person with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time. The symptoms can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, school work, and relationships.

There are several types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and various phobia-related disorders.

Signs and Symptoms

Risk Factors

Treatments and Therapies

Join a Study

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Occasional anxiety is an expected part of life. You might feel anxious when faced with a problem at work, before taking a test, or before making an important decision. But anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. For a person with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time.

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Social Anxiety Disorder in Children and Teens

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Anxiety Disorders — Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Stress and Anxiety

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Founded in 1979, ADAA is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention, treatment, and cure of anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, and co-occurring disorders through aligning research, practice and education.

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ADAA Books: Pregnancy and Postpartum Anxiety

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During this time of national crisis, we must manage two things simultaneously: 1) Protect ourselves from the Coronavirus, and 2) Protect ourselves from anxiety. If your anxiety, fear, and worry has been overwhelming, put these ten strategies into practice.

Media Distancing : To stop the spread of COVID-19, we've had to practice social distancing. But to stop the spread of anxiety, we must distance ourselves from the media. All anxiety stems from uncertainty and an active imagination which produces catastrophic thoughts. The media, which is 24/7 Coronavirus and virtually all negative, is the driver of those thoughts. My patients who are the most anxious about the Coronavirus are those who are consuming the most news from social media, online, and traditional outlets. The more anxious you feel, the more you should distance from the media. And if you are extremely fearful, stop altogether. Do no Google or research. Stop checking the latest news about the virus. Any vital information you need to know, you will find out.

Do Not Engage with Worry. Take Action: Whether you are worried about contracting the virus, your struggling business, or being unemployed, the more your mind focuses on worst-case scenarios, the more anxious you feel. You can't stop thoughts from entering your mind, but you can choose to stop dwelling and you can choose to take action to solve problems. There is a huge difference between worrying and problem solving. When your mind tries to bait you into worry, don't take the bait. If you do, like a fish in a lake, you will be caught. Anxiety will try to bait you with many "what if" questions. Don't answer them. Respond, "Not taking the bait," turn your attention away, and focus elsewhere. Spinning your wheels with questions that don't have answers will take you down the rabbit hole of fear. Instead, find creative measures to get you through this storm until you can get back on your feet. None of these measures will be comfortable. Like an umbrella and a raincoat, we use them to get through the storm, not to stop it. Much of anxiety stems from a lack of confidence in our ability to handle challenges. Push yourself to take one uncomfortable step at a time. The goal is to stay afloat until the storm passes, and now with a vaccine, the forecast looks brighter

Focus on Present Odds: All deaths are tragic and the coronavirus can be deadly but maintaining proper perspective can reduce your anxiety. No doubt the symptoms of COVID-19 can be horrible but the vast majority of people infected with COVID-19 have mild to moderate symptoms or no symptoms at all. The Infection Fatality Rate (IFR) is the total number of deaths divided by the total number of people that carry the infection, regardless of them having clinical symptoms or not. The IFR is the chance of death once you have the virus. This number is difficult to calculate accurately because of the high number of asymptomatic individuals. As of November 2020, the estimated Infection Fatality Rate of Covid-19 for various age groups is as follows:

For purpose of comparison only, the World Health Organization has stated that influenza has an overall Infection Fatality Rate of 0.1% or lower. With increased testing over the last several months as well as people spending more time inside because of the cold weather, the number of cases has risen, yet, the chance of you or a loved-one dying is still remote. But death is possible and COVID-19 is a serious illness, and that is why anxious people take the bait and dwell. Possibility becomes probability.

Remind yourself of the present odds, which are very good. If you take care of yourself properly, even if you are in a higher risk category, your risk of death is still low. And if you're under the age of 59 your risk is incredibly low. There are roughly 74 million children in the United States. Between February 1 and August 1, approximately 13,000 children died from all causes, 105 died of the flu and 45 died of coronavirus and almost all of them had a pre-existing medical condition. I am not minimizing the seriousness of COVID-19 but children, teens, and people in their 20s and 30s, should not worry about dying from coronavirus.

Do Not React to Physical Symptoms : If you cough, it does not mean you have the COVID-19. The same is true for others who cough.Allergies, bronchitis, post-nasal drip, and the cold are more common and a more likely explanation. Accept uncertainty as you do in other areas of life and assume what is most likely. Do not scan your body looking for symptoms. This behavior reinforces your worries and will increase anxiety.

Focus on Being Productive and New Ways of Enjoying Life: Although we have no control over the national crisis, we must focus on where we do have control - our response to the crisis. This is an opportunity to try something new and do things we haven't had time for. Organize a messy room, paint a fence, clean the garage, edit the photos on your phone, clean a rusty bike and take it for a ride, and play a board game - remember those? You can also learn a new skill or start a new hobby from videos on You Tube or various apps and websites. My son, who hasn't played piano in six years, downloaded a free piano course and is practicing once a day. Creating and accomplishing puts your attention on what is satisfying. Consider starting something new: genealogy, gardening, photography, knitting, drawing, cooking, woodworking, video editing, ballroom dancing, or chess, just to name a few. You can start and learn all of these online. Put your attention on creating and accomplishing, not on the virus.

Engage in Stress Reduction Activities: Focusing on what you are grateful for, exercising your body, and relaxing your mind will help give you the peace you desire. Guided meditation, yoga, exercise, and a gratitude journal are all practices that lower stress. Select one or two, learn about them so you do them correctly, and practice each day. If you and your loved ones are not severely sick or experiencing dire financial hardship, be grateful. Once this crisis has passed, perhaps we will all appreciate what we take for granted: a healthy society, freedom to gather, dinner with friends, a night at the movies, and a simple haircut.

People who spray everything in sight with bleach and other harsh cleaners should know that disinfectants can irritate the lungs and is not necessary based on what science knows about transmission of the virus. Emanuel Goldman, PhD, a professor of microbiology, biochemistry, and molecular genetics at the New Jersey Medical School of Rutgers University wrote in Do Not Go Beyond CDC Guidelines: Compulsive hand washing until your hands are dry and red, taking off all of your clothes before entering the house, and isolating indoors are anxiety's guidelines, not the CDCs. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, "In my opinion, the chance of transmission through inanimate surfaces is very small, and only in instances where an infected person coughs or sneezes on a surface and someone else touches that surface soon within 1-2 hours." Dean Blumberg, MD, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Children's Hospital talked about the likelihood of catching Covid-19 from inanimate surfaces: "You'd need a unique sequence of events. First, someone would need to get a large enough amount of the virus on a surface to cause infection. Then, the virus would need to survive long enough for you to touch that surface and get some on your hands. Then, without washing your hands, you'd have to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth." Our skin is a protective barrier. As long as you wash your hands and don't touch your face, there is no reason to clean packages brought to your home. Anxious behaviors maintain worry. To reduce worry, slowly reduce unnecessary behaviors that are not recommended.

Preserve Some Sense of Normalcy: During World War II, second-tier baseball players filled in for the professionals who were entering the army. Baseball, during a time of war, was important for the morale of the country. To the extent you can, maintaining a structure to your day with some semblance of normalcy will help reduce anxiety.Much has been learned about the virus since last spring and doctors are treating it more effectively now. Unless you are in a high-risk category you do not need to lock yourself in your home. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, " Public health authorities define a significant exposure to COVID-19 as face-to-face contact within 6 feet with a patient with symptomatic COVID-19 that is sustained for at least a few minutes (and some say more than 10 minutes or even 30 minutes). The chance of catching COVID-19 from a passing interaction in a public space is therefore minimal." They Journal article and subsequent articles stress the importance of wearing a mask but maintain that the risk of contracting COVID-19 comes from "sustained contact within six feet" not from "a passing interaction." Therefore, wearing a mask when driving a car, exercising outside, or walking in a quiet neighborhood alone is not necessary. You might believe wearing masks outside is socially responsible and in some cities, it is required by law, but if you happen to cross paths with an unmasked person, there is no reason to worry.

Be Kind to Yourself and Others and Have Faith: It's normal to feel anxious and worried during a national crisis. Don't be hard on yourself. Reaching out to relatives and friends who are isolated or in need will boost their spirits and yours. If you are in good financial standing, be grateful and continue to pay others for the services they cannot provide. Venmo or mail checks to your housekeeper, hairdresser, or others who are unable to work. If you are unemployed or your business is suffering, this is tragic and may lead to depression or other mental health issues. Your new job is to manage through the crisis as best as you can until it passes. Have faith that it will, despite not having all the answers. Having faith or imagining the worst is a choice. Which one will you choose?

You don't need to do this alone. If you are experiencing an escalation of anxiety, talk to a professional who can help you through this difficult time. Almost all therapists are using telehealth, so you are not limited to professionals in your area. Medication for anxiety, depression, and insomnia might also be needed and can be prescribed by a psychiatrist or your primary care physician. You can find a therapist and psychiatrist at the Seek Out Professional Help: Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA.org).

This list is a recipe to reduce anxiety. Review it again and put it into practice. Otherwise, it's like reading a cooking recipe in bed - in the end you have nothing to show for it.
This blog was originally written in March, 2020 and updated by the author on December 30, 2020
We invite you to read Ken's latest ADAA COVID-19 blog post: Flatten the Fear with Facts: What is an Appropriate Level of COVID-19 Worry and the Steps You Can Take to Reduce Anxiety

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Top Ten COVID-19 Anxiety Reduction Strategies

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During this time of national crisis, we must manage two things simultaneously: 1) Protect ourselves from the Cor