Prolonged anxiety is demanding on our bodies and our lives in general. The constant state of “fight or flight” may cause heart palpitations, dizziness, trembling or shaking, increased blood pressure, sweating, choking, high stomach acidity, nausea, chest discomfort, or muscle spasms. We may feel detached or out of touch with reality or think we are dying or going crazy. There is evidence that prolonged anxiety can lead to heart disease and a compromised immune system. It depletes our energy and interferes with concentration. We may become abrupt with other people and engage in emotional outbursts or even physical violence. Our relationships and job security may be jeopardized. People who experience prolonged anxiety are more prone to self-destructive behaviors, such as drug and alcohol abuse, since they may turn to these substances as a form of self-medication.

An anxiety disorder lasts longer than normal anxiety, is more intense, and can lead to fears that interfere with the ability to function in daily life. Here are some of the more common types of anxiety disorders :

    Generalized Anxiety Disorder occurs when a person has endured, for at least six months, a state of excessive worry, feeling on edge continually, sleep difficulty, and finding it hard to experience pleasure and relaxation. The symptoms include restlessness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and muscle tension. This condition is not accompanied by phobias, obsessions, or panic attacks.

    Agoraphobia is the most prevalent of the anxiety disorders. People who suffer from agoraphobia are afraid of finding themselves in situations where escape would be difficult or help unavailable. They may suffer from panic disorders in certain situations and then, over time, develop a fear of finding themselves in these situations. Common situations include using public transportation (subways, airplanes, trains), being at home alone, crowded public places (such as restaurants, grocery stores, etc.), and enclosed or confined places such as tunnels, bridges, or classrooms.

    Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can happen if a person has been through a serious, life-threatening event – such as a natural disaster, war conditions, a terrorist act, a car or plane crash, rape, assault, or other violent crime. Those with PTSD may, for months or years afterward, experience repetitive thoughts about the event (with an attempt to avoid thinking about it), nightmares, emotional numbness, feelings of detachment, flashbacks, an attempt to avoid activities associated with the event, a loss of interest in pleasurable activities, and other symptoms of increased anxiety. Effective techniques are available for dealing with PTSD.

    Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder happens when stress or chaos in one’s world causes a person to think and worry repetitively about something (these are called obsessions) or else to engage in repetitive behaviors, like hand-washing or checking on things excessively (these are called compulsions). Obsessions are recognized by the sufferer as irrational, but they continue to intrude in the person’s thoughts for extended periods of time. Examples of obsessions include images of violence or doing violence to somebody else, as well as thoughts about leaving the lights on or leaving the door unlocked. Compulsions are behaviors that are performed to reduce the anxiety of the obsessions. Examples include excessive hand washing, checking the lights or the stove time and time again, or ritualistic behavior such as counting steps while walking.

    Social Phobia involves fear of embarrassment in situations where others scrutinize or evaluate someone’s behavior. This usually causes the sufferer to want to avoid these situations, although many simply endure the anxiety associated with these experiences. The most common social phobia is speaking in public – in fact, surveys indicate that some people have a greater fear of public speaking than of death! Other forms of this phobia include fear of writing in front of others, fear of crowds, test-taking phobia, fear of spilling food or choking in restaurants, fear of blushing in public, or fear of using public restrooms.

    Phobias are intense fears and avoidances that occur when a person is exposed to a certain type of situation. These fears are specific to the sufferer, usually irrational, and are sometimes unexplainable. Common examples include airplane phobia (fear of flying), elevator phobia, fear of thunder and lightning, animal phobia, acrophobia (fear of heights), doctor or dentist phobia, blood injury phobia, and illness phobia.

    Panic Attacks are described on the back page.

Those who deal with anxiety in a positive way usually have:

• a sense of self-determination
• a feeling of involvement in life’s experiences, and
• an ability to change negative into positive thinking.

    Self-determination refers to a personal ability to control or adapt to the events of everyday living. A great deal of anxiety is perpetuated by how we think about ourselves and even anxiety itself. Is the anxiety in control of us, or can we learn to control the anxiety? Rather than seeing ourselves as helpless in trying to overcome obstacles, we can begin to define ourselves as problem-solvers. We can remember specific times when we have been successful in solving problems and then define ourselves in those terms. We can learn to trust that we will have success in meeting life’s difficulties. When we take this approach, we begin to face problematic situations as challenges which, when resolved, can bring new and exciting opportunities into our lives.

    Involvement means opening ourselves up to the world around us and defining ourselves as active participants in life. It means letting friends and family members into our personal lives and sharing our private experiences with others who can be trusted. Cultivating a social network serves us well when we are dealing with anxiety-provoking situations. Talking our way through a crisis in the presence of a supportive listener, rather than holding it in alone, is one of our best ways of gaining helpful feedback, putting the situation into perspective, and sensing that we are not alone. When we lack involvement with others, we often feel vulnerable and may wonder whether we have the resources to cope with anxiety.

A professional therapist uses many techniques for the treatment of anxiety – talking, reframing the way we see things, prioritizing, learning to relax our bodies, finding peace within ourselves – and the list goes on.

An ability to define things positively is one of the main attributes
of those who deal well with anxiety.

The life process is one of loss and gain – it’s as natural as night and day.
When we trust that our losses will give rise to new gains and life experiences,
the anxiety and worry associated with loss need not be devastating.
For example, the loss of a job can open the door to more satisfying
employment and the opportunity for more fulfilling life experiences. The clue
is to change our negative thoughts about situations into more positive
thoughts – and positive feelings will usually follow a change in thinking.
For example, if a close friend moves away, rather than thinking negatively
about how lonely and devastated you will feel, think about the good
memories you will always have, how your friendship will leave a positive legacy that will always touch your life, how you can still keep in touch and visit, and how you can now spend your time in new and positive pursuits. There really is no need for overwhelming anxiety in this situation.

We can choose to move toward the open doors of life rather than knocking on closed ones.

The clue to handling anxiety well is to acquire the skills we need to feel empowered. This requires a good, honest exploration into our lives. We need to explore the strengths that we already have for coping with stress, as well as to learn new skills. A professional therapist has a number of specific techniques for the treatment of anxiety, as well as overall life strategy plans for dealing with these problems and other life experiences. We need to be able both to comfort ourselves and to let others nurture us as well. All of us can learn, with some healthy exploration, to manage anxiety successfully.

Book Recommendation: Bourne, Edmond J. The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook Fifth Edition. New Harbinger Publications 432 pages, $21.95, 2011 ISBN 978-1572248915