Do you ever feel as if your mind is on a constant spin of heightened thought – overthinking and overanalyzing every little thing, predicting the worst, making you feel as if you want to crawl out of your own skin? Do you ever lie wide awake in the middle of the night tossing and turning, trying to turn off the lightbulb that is burning brightly in your mind? Do you ever feel a constant heaviness that freezes your body into a state of stiffness, making you feel so full inside though you haven’t eaten for hours? If so, then you have met anxiety.
If you’ve ever experienced the above symptoms, you know that anxiety is selfish. It’s that voice in your head that incessantly tries to remind you that things might go wrong, always reminding you to look at the cup as half empty, always cautioning you that something is not right – when in fact everything is completely fine. Anxiety is debilitating and so exhausting, causing you to stay stuck in one place and affecting the quality of your life and relationships.
When you’re in the midst of an anxiety attack, it may feel like you’re the only one who could possibly feel this way, but you are not alone. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders affect 40 million adults in the United States, making it the most common mental health condition in the U.S. The good news is that anxiety is a treatable and manageable condition and that becoming aware of all the signs and symptoms of anxiety is an important step in getting the help, support, and healing you need and deserve. Therapy allows you to explore the roots and triggers of your anxiety. It also teaches you skills how to manage and cope better with stress and the perpetual, yet unhealthy, thought patterns that often lead to anxiety.
Anxiety, defined
The DSM-5 (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), defines generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) as excessive worry that occurs more days than not for at least 6 months. This involves spending a large majority of waking hours worrying about something. This worry intervenes with the events and activities in your day-to-day life such as work, school performance, household responsibilities, etc. Individuals who suffer from GAD find it very difficult to control this worry.
GAD is also associated with three or more of the following physical and cognitive symptoms:
- Restlessness, feeling keyed up or on edge
- Being easily fatigued
- Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Sleep disturbance (difficulty falling or staying asleep, or restless, unsatisfying sleep)
Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidal Thoughts
Unfortunately, anxiety does not usually come knocking at your door alone – depression is most likely the friend that tags along. It is very common for you to suffer from both conditions at once. These two serious conditions can take over your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors; distorting reality and affecting your self-trust and self-efficacy. The American Psychological Association states that “self-efficacy reflects confidence in [your] ability to exert control over [your] own motivation, behavior, and social environment.”
You may already be aware that anxiety and depression are linked to deficits in biological and neurological processes, particularly deficits in the quality and quantity of neurotransmitter supply. Neurotransmitters are chemicals housed in the brain and other parts of the body that communicate pertinent information between cells. They play a role in every bodily function, including heart rate, breathing, digestion, as well as mood, sleep, and concentration. You can view neurotransmitters as the e-mails, text messages, and letters your cells receive. If the quality and the quantity of the delivery and messages are lacking, a deficit arises, affecting the functioning of your system, including the quality and quantity of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
It’s difficult to feel emotionally content and calm when your mind is racing, worry hijacks you, and negativity colors everything you think and see. Thus, anxiety is a risk factor for suicidal thoughts. This is why people usually seek immediate relief in the form of pharmaceuticals, and understandably so. Suicidal thoughts should always be taken seriously and are indicative that the person needs immediate help. Suicide is a public health concern and it’s preventable. Medication is one form of treatment in life-threatening situations and should be utilized to help stabilize a person in crisis.
Treatment – Is medication always the answer?
Suicide is a preventable tragedy and I hope I’ve made it clear that I am not against using psychotropic medications when needed.
But not everyone experiences a mental health crisis and the other part of the story warrants exploration and discussion in order for us to remain informed and responsible about the use of psychotropic drugs.
The concept of medication is alluring – a relatively quick, sometimes almost immediate decrease in your emotional distress and overwhelm. Since our brains are biologically and evolutionary designed to avoid pain and run towards pleasure, is comes as no surprise that the pharmaceutical conglomerate is flourishing. While the use of psychotropic drugs is at times the most viable option, it is important to practice caution when consuming psychotropics and consider medication in cases of acute crises or as a last resort. Alternatives to drugs and natural strategies are worthwhile exploring during the onset of depressive and/or anxiety symptoms in order to gain relief. Natural ways of calming the nervous system exist that allow the body to heal from past unresolved trauma that may be contributing to anxiety and depressive symptoms. These include:
- psychotherapy to learn roots of anxiety, how to manage stress and assert healthy boundaries, and how to tolerate intense emotions
- chiropractic care
- acupuncture
- nutrition for mental health
- exercise
- yoga
- meditation
- breathing techniques
- regular sleep routine
- massage
- supplements for brain health
If and when combined together, the above strategies serve as a powerful regimen for anxiety-management, with no negative side effects.
Psychotropic drugs
Benzodiazepines (fast-acting, anti-anxiety meds, Benzos for short) fall into the ‘use with extreme caution’ category, even though they are the most commonly and widely prescribed medications for anxiety relief. Some of the most popular ones include Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, and Ativan. While the relief may be almost immediate, the long list of negative side effects associated with these drugs warrant a look into alternative methods for anxiety relief (see above). Some of the most common side effects include: drowsiness, light-headedness, dizziness, nausea, poor balance and coordination, slurred speech, trouble concentrating, memory problems, confusion, stomach discomfort, headaches, and blurred vision. Other side effects can include psychoses and suicidal ideation.
Developing a dependence on Benzos is a dangerous issue due to the medications’ fast-acting and effective sedative results. The state of calm that Benzos produce in the midst of anxiety is highly addictive, creating the vicious cycle of individuals needing and relying on the medication to calm down and soothe anxiety. And as with any drug, building a tolerance to Benzos is another issue, leading to higher dosing and intensified side effects.
Of course, anti-anxiety medication may be the most warranted choice in certain mental health crises and circumstances. I want to caution against using these medications as a means of ridding yourself from uncomfortable emotions. While anxiety, even at lower levels, is not a pleasurable feeling, it is important to remember that your body is designed to employ anxiety as a signal to orient you to your internal and external surroundings. It is completely normal for your anxiety to be higher when you’re going through difficult times such as divorce, break-up, toxic relationship, ill family member, life transitions, in the midst of the coming out process, etc. Attuning to yourself and using the anxiety as a gauge to examine your surroundings is what I’m encouraging you to do. Anxiety speaks to us and communicates with us – we just have to be willing to listen to what it’s trying to say. So if your anxiety suddenly spikes, taking the time to examine and explore what’s going on prior to taking medication to mask the feeling is okay and allows you to get to the root of your anxiety as well as learn anxiety- and stress-management skills.
If you or your loved ones suffer from anxiety, depression, and/or suicidal thoughts, please remember that you are not alone and that help is available. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or urges, please use the following options:
- Contact the 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255
- Contact the 24-hour Crisis Text Line by texting CONNECT to 741741
- Call 911
- Go to your nearest emergency room
Your life is worthwhile and we are here, ready to help. Email us at therapy@kozioltherapyandcoaching.com with any questions or call/text at 224-504-9854. Looking forward to hearing from you.
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Aleksandra
05, September,2018 6 years ago
great article! I’ve dealt with episodes of severe anxiety / panic disorder but didn’t want to take medication and my therapist suggested CBT which turned out to be extremely helpful long term and worked well when paired up with natural supplements such as chamomile tea and Vitamin D supplements plus exercise/massage etc.
It was so easy to jump to medication right away as the first doctor I went to prescribed it pretty much immediately but I’m glad I didn’t take it and found other effective methods.