Accepting and Managing Anxiety

Let’s face it. We all worry. Many of us worry about the fact that we worry too much. “Is this normal? Is there something wrong with me?” are among the many thoughts which cross our mind. We are reluctant to talk about it…after all, we feel, that no one really knows what we are going through. Well let me set the record straight.

One of the most common complaints I see in my practice are clients who are struggling with anxiety.

One of the most common complaints I see in my practice are clients who are struggling with anxiety. I see it everywhere. Not only at work, but also among friends, and with the children in my life. So if this is the case, is it really true that no one understands? In fact, the opposite is true. Over 20% of the Canadian population does in fact have a mental health diagnosis of some sort. This number is probably even higher, but statistics can only account for those who actually report their symptoms.

So how can we learn to manage anxiety without it taking over our lives? Or hinder our willingness to put ourselves out there and experience new things without feeling completely overwhelmed? 

I use the following methods in my practice to help my clients find acceptance and harmony when living with anxiety.

1. Reinforce the commonality of anxiety. Clients take comfort in knowing the statistics, and that many of those around them share in their struggle. Not that they take comfort in someone else’s suffering. But for some reason, normalizing a situation allows one to accept it more freely and to stop beating oneself up about it or feel inferior for having it. In fact, many clients who learn to understand the commonality of anxiety actually demonstrate deeper compassion when they see others go through it.
2. Learn to become your own proactive advocate. I often see clients who come to me expecting me to fix them. Along with medication that has been prescribed by their GP, they are looking for a quick fix. The best therapy is one that has the client actively participating, taking full responsibility for their treatment, and looking to their therapist for guidance to take control of their life rather than expecting it to be done for them.
3. Create a toolbox of strategies to draw upon. Therapists can help their clients put together a bag of tools that they can pick from when they feel anxiety coming on and can teach their clients how to identify their triggers. Through meditation or guided imagery techniques, clients can learn to lower their levels of anxiety before they escalate out of control. Deep breathing techniques forces us to slow down and focus on the here and now rather than ruminating about past events or worrying about possible future catastrophes.
4. Learn to channel the anxiety without letting it rule your life. By teaching and allowing clients to acknowledge that they have anxiety, they give themselves permission to feel it. The key is learning to channel it. When they are able to say out loud “OK, I am feeling panicky right now. I have anxiety, and that is ok. But I am not going to let it take over my life. I am going to go about my day regardless of the thoughts in my head.” In this situation, clients learn to not let the anxiety rule them, but at the same time they are not denying to themselves or to anyone else what they are feeling and experiencing.
   
5. Track your triggers. Often, our triggers are at their most powerful when we have not slept well or have not eaten properly. A good night’s sleep and a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and protein significantly lower the frequency of a panic attack as well as its severity. Clients can learn from tracking their triggers. Does their anxiety escalate at any particular time during the month? Are they hungry? What else is stressing them out which could contribute to the degree of their anxious experience? I encourage my clients to keep a visual calendar to track their experiences and attempt to identify for themselves any patterns.

Keeping all this in mind, treatment for anxiety takes time and is hard work. Real change is slow and it all right to be patient with our own emotions.