Demystifying Anxiety: Understanding and Coping Strategies
Picture this: you're standing on the edge of a cliff, the wind whipping around you, your heart racing as you peer into the unknown space below. That heart-pounding sensation, that feeling of impending doom — that's anxiety. It's a powerful force that can grip us all at some point in our lives, leaving us feeling overwhelmed, trapped, and uncertain of how to escape its grasp. But here's the thing: anxiety doesn't have to control us. As a Clinical Psychologist, I've seen firsthand the transformative power of understanding and managing anxiety. In this blog post, I'm here to help you better understand anxiety, equipping you with the tools and insights you need to conquer it and reclaim control of your life. So, take a deep breath, gather your strength, and let's embark on this journey together.
The National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing found that between 2020 and 2022, 17.2% of Australians aged 16-85 years had an anxiety disorder in the previous 12 months. Further, 38.8% of young adults aged 16-24 years had experienced a mental disorder in the previous 12 months. The effect of this is huge! Practically, this looks like being unable to attend work, school, or university, unable to spend time with the people we love and engaging in activities we enjoy, and unable to experience joy and contentment. As a Clinical Psychologist, I feel a responsibility to provide information to those who are interested and want to learn more about it.
What is anxiety?
On the surface, anxiety is a feeling, like any other feeling. It is particularly unpleasant and is often accompanied by physical symptoms (e.g., restlessness, increased heart rate, nausea, diarrhoea, and shortness of breath). Anxiety is often accompanied by thoughts. From my experience, the majority of people are completely unaware of their thoughts. There are typical anxious thought patterns, which tend to worsen anxiety. Because anxiety is such an unpleasant feeling, people often avoid situations, people, or place that they expect to worsen their anxiety. There are many mental health conditions that involve high levels of anxiety, for example Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. These conditions often develop over a period of time when left untreated and result in high levels of distress and cause issues within one or more areas of your life (e.g., work, relationships, and leisure activities).
Why do I experience anxiety?
It is completely normal to experience anxiety from time to time. Although unpleasant, anxiety itself cannot harm you. For those who experiencing anxiety regularly, struggle to manage it, and find that it causes problems in areas of their life, there are many possible contributing factors. There may be factors related to early childhood, recent triggers or stressors, as well as unhelpful coping that worsens anxiety long-term. Below I have listed some examples of contributing factors. This list is not exhaustive but should hopefully give you a some ideas for self-reflection.
Examples of predisposing factors:
Anxious temperament
Temperament is something we are born with; it is why some babies are more calm, happy, or sad than others
Family history of anxiety or mental illness
Inconsistent or anxious parenting (e.g., parents with mental health or substance misuse problems)
Exposure to violence (e.g., domestic and family violence and bullying)
Examples of situations that may occur shortly before an increase in anxiety:
Life transitions (e.g., finishing high school, starting university, beginning a new relationship, and parent separation)
Traumatic experiences (e.g., assault, allergic reaction, serious injury, and car accident)
Experiencing a panic attack unexpectedly
Increased conflict or uncertainty in relationship
A scary intrusive thought (e.g., My family will die if I don’t touch this door handle three times)
Public speaking
There are also things people do consciously or unconsciously that often worsen anxiety in the long-term. For example:
Thinking a lot about past experiences of anxiety
Analysing everything you said or did after social interactions
Worrying excessively about the future
There are a lot of specific thinking styles associated with anxiety
Getting stuck in our mind and not remaining present
Remaining in relationships that are inconsistent and unreliable
Withdrawing and avoiding people or things that are important to us
Anxiety Disorders
While it is important not to self-diagnose, some people take comfort it identifying their anxiety as a mental health condition, rather than something in their head. Below are a list of some anxiety disorders and symptoms. This information can also be found on the ‘Services’ page on our website. Assessment by a trained health care provider is required for diagnosis.
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a mental health disorder characterised by persistent and excessive worry about a wide range of everyday concerns (e.g., health, finances, and relationships). It's like having a constant background noise of worry playing in your mind, even when there's no immediate threat or reason to be anxious. People with GAD often find it difficult to control their worry, which can interfere with daily functioning and cause physical symptoms like restlessness, muscle tension, and difficulty concentrating.
Social Anxiety Disorder is characterised by overwhelming fear or anxiety in social situations (e.g., meeting new people, talking on the phone, and going to a party). It's like feeling extremely self-conscious and worried about being judged or embarrassed by others, even in common situations. People with social anxiety often avoid social situations altogether or endure them with intense distress. This fear can significantly impact daily life, affecting relationships, work, and school.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterised by intrusive thoughts, urges, or images (obsessions) that trigger intense anxiety or distress, and/or repetitive behaviours or mental acts (compulsions) performed to alleviate that anxiety. It's like having a relentless loop of worries or fears that you feel compelled to act upon, even though you often know they're not rational. People with OCD may engage in rituals or routines, such as hand washing, checking, or counting, to temporarily ease their anxiety; which can become time-consuming and interfere with daily life.
Panic Disorder is characterised by sudden and intense episodes of fear or discomfort, accompanied by physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, or a feeling of impending doom. It's like experiencing an overwhelming surge of anxiety or panic that comes on suddenly and unexpectedly, sometimes even without an apparent trigger. These panic attacks can be frightening and may lead individuals to avoid certain situations or places where they fear having another attack.
If diagnosis is of interest to you, please contact us to schedule an appointment. I can support you with this.
Anxiety Treatment
The first step in therapy is assessment. Through discussion and the use of questionnaires, we can begin to understand the type of anxiety you are experiencing and establish a treatment plan specifically for you.
At Bella Vida Psychology, we use therapies that are backed by research and known to reduce symptoms of anxiety and increase overall wellbeing. The main therapies we use are Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance Commitment Therapy, and Schema-Informed Therapy. Below I have written a brief description of these therapies. This information can also be found on the ‘Services’ page on our website. If you wish to engage in therapy, please contact us to arrange an appointment.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy explores the connection between our thoughts, feelings, and actions. It involves examining your patterns of thought that may be influencing how you feel and behave. Together, we work to understand and challenge any unhelpful thoughts, replacing them with more healthy and balanced ones. Think of it as gently untangling knots in a thread, allowing for smoother and more harmonious ways of thinking and living. Through this process, we aim to cultivate a deeper understanding of yourself and develop practical skills to navigate life's challenges with greater ease and resilience.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy encourages embracing life's challenges with courage and openness. We learn to observe our inner experiences with acceptance, rather than trying to suppress or control them. Through mindfulness, we cultivate a deep sense of presence and connection to the present, allowing us to respond to life's challenges with clarity and resilience. We identify our core values, which serve as a compass in navigating life's journey. By aligning our actions with these values, we can live authentically and pursue what truly matters to us. It's a journey of self-discovery and empowerment, where we unlock inner resources needed to live a rich and meaningful life.
Schema Therapy offers a profound exploration of the patterns that shape our lives, helping us unlock the keys to lasting change and fulfilment. Imagine your mind as a sanctuary where past wounds linger, shaping your present experiences in ways you may not fully understand. Together, we uncover the schemas – deeply ingrained patterns of thought, feeling, and behaviour – that were formed in response to these past experiences. We explore the origins of these schemas, tracing them back to your early experiences and relationships. We confront and reframe these schemas, establish more adaptive behavioural patterns, and use imagery rescripting to heal from past experiences. This allows for profound healing and transformation.
Managing anxiety
If you are not ready or able to start therapy, we have listed some general strategies below that may help you manage your anxiety. These strategies are not a replacement for therapy but can certainly be helpful. If you are unsure if these strategies will be helpful for you, please contact us to arrange an appointment. We can create a treatment plan specifically for you.
Physiological self-soothing
Diaphragmatic breathing can calm the nervous system
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg2ar-7_HfA - this is a Youtube Video with a brief demonstration
This is something I love teaching. When working with clients I explain the neurobiology behind this technique and answer any questions they may have.
Mindfulness increases our ability to remain present and can be used to manage anxious thoughts
I recommend the ‘Smiling Mind’ app. It is free to use and user friendly. https://www.smilingmind.com.au/
Notice your thinking
Begin to notice your thoughts. You can do this in your mind or write them down.
Notice if there are any themes. For example:
Are you blowing a situation out of proportion?
Are you making assumptions about what might happen in the future or what people might be thinking of you?
Are you making assumptions based on your feelings rather than any factual evidence?
Try to look at your thoughts impartially and question: how likely is my feared outcome going to happen? If it did happen, how could I cope with it?
Behaviour changes
Notice your desire to avoid situations, people, or places. Challenge yourself to slowly engage in these activities using self-soothing strategies to cope.
Remind yourself why it is important to do these things (e.g., I need to spend time with my friends because I value their friendship or I need to go to work because I am passionate about my career).
Often people fear that if they engage in these activities, there anxiety will sky rocket and never come back down. What’s more likely to happen is that your anxiety will increase significantly in the moment but will inevitably reduce. In doing this, we begin to learn to tolerate the feeling of anxiety and learn that we are able to confront feared situations.
Ready to take the first step towards overcoming anxiety and reclaiming control of your life? Contact Bella Vida Psychology today to learn more about our services or to schedule an appointment. We offer a free, no obligation, 15 minute phone call. Your journey towards improved mental health starts here. Reach out to us now – we're here to help.
Resources:
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2023, May 10). Two in five Australians have experienced a mental disorder | Australian Bureau of Statistics. https://www.abs.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/two-five-australians-have-experienced-mental-disorder
Smiling Mind. (2023). Smiling Mind. Smiling Mind. https://www.smilingmind.com.au/
Meditation and Sleep Made Simple. (n.d.). Headspace. https://www.headspace.com/home?_stsgnoredir=1