AnxietyHelpOnline

AnxietyHelpOnline Self Help

2008-10-28T15:24:00.003-07:00

Visit AnxietyHelpOnline for Self Help Anixety Tips

Visit AnxietyHelpOnline for Self Help Relaxation Tips

Anxiety Help Online

2006-06-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

Anxiety Tip of the Day

2006-01-20T19:49:00.000-08:00

We all deal with a certain amount of stress and anxiety at our places of employment, it is a normal part of our daily lives. When our anxiety becomes overwhelming our work suffers and self esteem plunges. Most anxiety sufferers I know feel the need to hide their anxiety from others and go it alone. It is difficult to employ most relaxation techniques while on the job. Instead we need to modify our techniques to help us through our anxiety. One of the first things we can do is talk to a supervisor and explain what we are going through. You may not want to do this but it is something that can help. People can't help if they do not know what's wrong. Your supervisor is bound by confidentiality not to disclose health issues to others so this may be a positive way to look at it. The danger with this however is that we may become dependant on co workers too much and it may affect your job performance. You will have to decide whether this is a good choice for you. There are a few other things we can do at the workplace to help with our anxiety. Avoid drinking too much coffee and if you feel the need to drink decaffeinated. Avoid colas for the same reason or find a suitable alternative. We need to prioritize our workload responsibilities , we can't do it all ourselves. Do what needs to be done today. Delegate some of the workload to others. Ask for assistance in completing tasks. Show up for work early and complete some relaxation techniques before beginning. Use this early start to get some exercise before work. Ensure that you are eating a balanced breakfast before work. Blood sugar levels can play havoc on your anxiety for the day. It is best to eat a balanced diet to keep these levels on a consistent basis. Schedule your appointments for the beginning of the day as this is when we are at our best. Ensure that you are getting a restful sleep by organizing everything you need for work the night before so you are not rushing out the door in the morning. With some of these common sense approaches to treating our anxiety we can find relief.

Anxiety Tip of the Day

2006-01-10T15:46:00.000-08:00

January 10/06 Part Two In the last article we were at the point where we completed out assessment and identified problem areas. The nest step we need to take is to prioritize what problems we need to look at first. In our example we can see 4 problem areas. At this point you will have to make your own decision on what problem should be given first priority. For this example we are going to prioritize in this order: 1)current alcohol use 2)chronic stress 3)death of loved one 3 years ago 4) Employment problems. Now we can clearly see some of the causes of our anxiety and can formulate a plan to address these issues. Our first problem we identified is the current alcohol use. For this example we will say that this person is currently consuming 3-6 drinks per day and more on the weekends. Their use has been gradually increasing and it is probable that they have an addiction. Now we have to look at ways to deal with this problem area. There are many options one can look at such as a) Detox b) 12 step program c) Self Help Group d) Medications e) Professional Counseling Service. The key is to tackle one problem at a time. Often dealing with one problem area will help us solve another related problem at the same time. In our example taking care of the addiction will impact the other identified problems and give us a good head start on the total picture. As time goes on we can re organize and re evaluate so that we can achieve optimum wellness. By completing this exercise it will impact us in a positive way and aid us in decreasing our anxiety.

Anxiety Tip of the Day

2006-01-07T21:55:00.000-08:00

January 7/06 Part One Insight into your anxiety is probably one of the most important keys to getting relief. There may be many reasons we suffer from anxiety so we will have to look at all aspects of our lives. Many things can be the cause of this condition such as stress, chronic pain, depression, medical issues, alcohol/drug abuse and traumatic events in our lives. Maybe you fit into one of these categories or maybe a combination of them. It is important to reflect on our current lifestyle and past life experiences to find the answers. So what happens when we find these answers. Well we can use a problem solving approach to deal with each of the issues. How is it done? The first phase is the assessment phase which involves what was just described earlier in this article. We need to look back at our current lifestyle and past experiences. It is very helpful to write down these thoughts for easy reference when moving to the next phase. Once we have completed the assessment phase what do we do with all of this information? The next step in exploring our causes of anxiety is to identify problem areas from this information. You should be able to see the problem areas quite easily. Some areas may be work related, medical, stress load, family, past traumatic experiences etc as discussed earlier. Make a list of these problem areas keeping them as simple as possible. Try to use only a couple of words to identify each problem if possible. So if you complete this exercise properly your list should look something like this: 1)chronic stress 2) Employment problems 3) current alcohol use 4) death of loved one 3 years ago. Of course this is an example and you will make your list out of the problems you have discovered in your assessment phase. This is a good start and may be time consuming to complete so the rest of this article will be posted in upcoming Anxiety Tip of the Day column.

Benzodiazepines-Antianxiety (anxiolytic medication)

2006-01-05T18:46:00.000-08:00

Anxietyhelponline is a website dedicated to fighting anxiety without the use of medications. So why are we talking about medication? It is important to know information about these medications if we decide this is a right choice for us. This is general information regarding this classification of medications and any info should be obtained from your doctor or pharmacist before you start any medication regime. These medications are used to treat symptoms of anxiety. They are not a cure all for anxiety and have an addictive nature to them. A drug tolerance can develop after using these medications for approximately 4 months or they will become less effective. If you find this happening to you, your doctor may slowly wean you off, reducing the dosage a little at a time. These medications are abused by some individuals and the user must be aware of the problems arising from the use of these medications. These medications aid the individual by producing a calming effect and can sedate the person causing sleep. Short term use of these medications is best for treating your anxiety due to their addictive nature and side effects. Some of the side effects you may experience are: drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, slurred speech, muscle incoordination, nausea and heartburn. These side effects do not affect all people and vary in degree. These side effects may disappear with time. If we look at this website and how to treat your anxiety, the goal is to identify the problem areas, formulate a plan to deal with the cause and go forth and fight it. If we can complete this plan consistently our anxiety will decrease without any medications. January 5/06

Anxiety Tip of the Day

2006-01-02T17:48:00.000-08:00

January 2/06 Stress can affect you both physically and mentally. We may feel uptight, anxious, irritable and edgy. Physically we may experience problems sleeping, headaches, indigestion and chest pain or shortness of breath. Why do these things happen? It is our bodies natural response after receiving too much stress that can lead to anxiety. How can we manage our stress? It is not a quick fix but completing some of these activities may help. Some people will look for the quick fix in the form of self medication (alcohol or drugs) There is an article on this site dealing with anxiety, stress, and depression and why self medication with drugs and alcohol is not a good choice. Take some time off work for a short trip or vacation. Take breaks during the day from your work if possible and go for a walk. Talk it out. Access your friends and spend time doing a fun activity, plan a family outing. Don't bite off more than you can chew. Prioritize what needs to be done and what can wait. Learn to say NO. The world will keep on moving whether you take it all on yourself or not. Make time for yourself away from any distractions enjoying your favorite hobby. Keep on a daily routine, even on the weekend. Avoid sleeping during the day as that can throw off your sleep schedule. All of these things are common sense when dealing with stress, anxiety and depression we just need to get motivated or push ourselves to complete them so we can feel better.

Self Medicating and Your Anxiety

2005-12-21T19:00:00.000-08:00

Self Medicating and Your Anxiety

This article is going to talk about self medication with street drugs. Let’s first take a look at the street drugs that people commonly use, specifically pot and alcohol. Marijuana is commonly used by itself or in combination with alcohol. Pot can give you a calming effect after it is inhaled. Depending on the amount and strength it can also have the opposite effect on your physical health. Increased respirations and heart rate can be expected. Mentally, pot use can lead to psychological dependence, paranoia, which in turn can lead to extreme levels of anxiety. The whole idea of engaging in an illegal activity can increase your anxiety and keep it there as long as you are involved in this activity. Getting caught with dope, getting arrested and jailed can increase your anxiety. Does this all sound like common sense? Well yes it is, you don’t need a PHD in psychology to figure this out. Prolonged stress leads to anxiety and it is inevitable it will happen. Think back to when you did something you said you would never do. Likely you had feelings of guilt, worry and that physical rush (pounding heart, inability to concentrate, increased breathing), to conclude this is another reason to stay away from street drugs, it just a poor choice. See how long you can put your body and mind through this and I can guarantee it won’t be long before you are leading a tough battle fighting anxiety not to mention the physical damage you are putting your body through. Sure we always hear about how safe pot is and that it should be legalized, but for an anxiety sufferer or someone dealing with mental health issues it’s a devastating choice.

Now let’s take a look at alcohol and your mental health. In small amounts (1 drink per day) studies have shown alcohol to be beneficial to your general health, but there is a fine line and not everyone can drink alcohol on a daily basis without having physical damage to your body or a psychological problem in the form of an addiction. When first consumed, alcohol acts like a mild stimulant. You may feel euphoric and energetic. As we consume more our body cannot process the alcohol as quickly as we consume it. As the amount increases it begins to depress body systems which ultimately can lead to coma and death. Long term use of alcohol damages organs in the body, creates family issues, employment problems that can lead to poor mental health. Without treating these addictions you will never be able to control your anxiety. Alcohol will make you depressed and lazy. It will make you make excuses for your behavior. Alcohol use will hurt people you love but will mask your guilt and shame. If you have an addiction get treated for it. Stop making excuses and being in denial, you are only putting off the inevitable, a long hard life of mental health and physical problems.

Written by Psychiatric Nurse Web Publisher for the site www.anxietyhelponline.com
December 20/2005

Journaling, Anxiety & Stress

2005-12-17T20:35:00.000-08:00

Journaling, Anxiety & Stress

What is Journaling and How can it help?

Journaling is the practice of writing your thoughts on paper, whatever they may be. It is sort of a freestyle approach to problem solving as it is written only for the writer, free from restrictions as the only person who is going to read it is you. If you are in a treatment program you may wish to share it with your health care proffesional to aid in your treatment but that is completely up to you. You have total control over who reads it (if anyone at all) and what goes into it. It is imprtant to remember that when writing in your journal to write from within and to be totally honest with your thoughts and feelings. If you hold back your thoughts or feelings in anticipation that someone will read it, then you are completely wasting your time engaging in this exercise.

How Do I Write a Journal?

There are no real rules to journal writing. However you do want to be as honest as possible with your thoughts and feelings or you will only be wasting your own time and fooling yourself. It is best to set aside a time and place free from distractions when making an entry. DO NOT write when you are in the same room that you sleep. Why? When writing your journal you may experience an assortment of powerful feelings (sadness,anger, joy). If you make a habit of writing in your bedroom you may associate the place where you rest as a place to deal with your emotions and may start finding it difficult to get some sleep. Make yourself as comfortable as possible in another room, get a cup of tea, put on some music and shut off the TV. It is ok if you don't know what to write about at first, just start writing the first thing that comes to mind and allow yourself to let go from there. At first it may seem a little awkward but with persistence it get's easier. A topic that everyone can start on is writing about your days events. Focus on what you were doing, how you were feeling and thoughts you were having at a particular time. Write only as much as you feel you can handle at any given sitting, but do try and write something daily. If you are using journal writing as an aid to conquer anxiety, try to focus on specific situations that cause you the most symptoms. Focus on the 5 W's, Who, What, Where, When and Why. By doing this you can refer back to any given day and may see what was contributing to your anxiety. You may also see the things that helped you to get through some tough times. You may find things out about yourself that you were unaware of such as stressful areas in you life or things you miss doing. The whole idea of the exercise is to explore your feelings and thoughts no matter what they are, to learn about who you are and grow as a person.

Drug Rehabilitation Before Conquering Anxiety

2005-12-15T20:13:00.000-08:00

Drug Rehabilitation Before Conquering Anxiety
Individuals who suffer from drug addiction most likely have suffered or will develop some form of anxiety in one form or another. Most stimulants, Meth, Cocaine, Ritalin will cause anxiety due to the nature of the drug. Before we can treat anxiety in these situations this addiction has to be addressed. The most successful way to treat this is through Drug Rehabilitation at a Drug Treatment Centre. When do you know it is time to seek treatment? Ultimately you will have to decide. Some symptoms you may be experiencing are:

Thoughts of Suicide

Mood Swings or Depressed Mood

No Interest in activities that do not revolve around drug use

No energy

Irritablility

Poor concentration and Problem Solving

Weight Loss, Poor Appetite

Constant Anxiety, Worry, Agitation

Pounding, Racing Heart

Diaphoresis (Sweating)

Somatic Complaints (Headache, Pain)

Hopelessness

Loss of friends, Family

This is just a small checklist and is not limited to these signs. You will need to make the decision for treatment yourself. You may need assistance from someone you trust. You can access your family doctor for a referral to a Drug Treatment Centre or contact your local Mental Health Clinic. You need to do this to get well, ask for help, you don't not need to do this alone.

Panic, Anxiety and Depression

2005-11-26T18:25:00.000-08:00

AnxietyHelpOnline link
Panic, Anxiety and Depression all seem to go hand in hand. What comes first? What do we treat first? We suffer from stress and general anxiety, possibly we develop panic, and because of it all we become depressed. There are a mountain of medications that treat these areas so which way do we turn? It is important to understand what these conditions are and how they develop. As part of the treatment plan the responsibility is on that of the sufferer to research and learn about their conditions. The medical team is a great resource but at times do not spend the time to explain or answer all questions relating to panic, stress and depression. It is important for the individual to complete this self learning to better understand the condition and medications that are used to treat them. Because of this self learning we are better equipped to speak with the medical team about treatment programs and medications,therefore benefiting ourselves. Take the time and learn about your condition,you will benefit in the end.

Panic Attacks & Thanksgiving with Friends

2005-11-24T19:02:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all. Anytime you can get together with the ones you love can be a stress reliever. The less stress you have the better your panic attacks and anxiety will feel, its not rocket science. Take every opportunity to spend positive time with others and you will reap the rewards in the long run. You may have to force yourself to get out and enjoy yourself and you should, you deserve it!

Depression, Panic Attacks &Your Self Esteem

2005-11-22T12:22:00.000-08:00

Self Esteem for anxiety sufferers can be a rollercoaster ride. When coping with our anxiety well our self esteem improves and when we are not coping it plunges. So what can be done to keep it at an even keel? We need to surround ourselves with positive activities, people, and work whatever that may be. Joining a support group where you can talk to others with the same concerns can help immensely. Volunteering in any capacity can give you that boost you need to feel good about yourself. Excersizing or giving yourself a "makeover" can help change your self esteem proactively. Surround yourself with positive people. Take a self learning class and teach yourself a new skill. There are many places on the net that are available to talk about depression and panic/anxiety related topics. You have to take control of your anxiety and these may be some of the positive activities you can complete to do that.

The Mountain of Fear

2005-11-13T19:33:00.000-08:00

What is FEAR? a feeling of dread that is related to an identifiable source that the person is able to validate. (Mosby's Medical & Nursing Dictionary 2nd Edition)As we all know fear is a common feeling people encounter when suffering from anxiety. The source may be real or imagined such as feeling of doom during a panic attack. Where does this fear come from? When we suffer a panic attack and have symptoms of not being able to breathe, sweating, and increased heart rate we may fear we are having a heart attack. We also know that after we recover from the episode that this is not true.We need to differentiate between what our body and mind is doing at the time of the attack. Our body is in high energy mode or fight response, conserving energy for the fight. Our mind is misinterpreting these changes, telling us we are having a heart attack. Through breathing/relaxation and positive self talk we can attempt to retrain the way we are interpreting the attack to take control of our anxiety. Go to the website anxiethelponline and download the free E-book that may help you to deal with your anxiety more effectively at this link. http://www.anxietyhelponline.com

Top 10 No No's

2005-11-11T22:19:00.000-08:00

In no particular order:

1. Not receiving a Full Medical Checkup
2. Not Following Your Doctors Recommended Treatment
3. Inconsistent Sleeping Pattern (too much or too little, poor routine)
4. Illicit Drug Use (cocaine, meth, pot, etc)
5. Caffeine and other stimulants (coffee, weight loss pills etc.)
6. Stress
7. Inactivity
8. Avoiding activities or situations (isolating self from contact with others)
9. Alcohol
10. Smoking (nicotine)

Medical Advice From Your Doctor

2005-11-11T10:43:00.000-08:00

This is a simple checklist you can use to aid your health care proffesional in treating your anxiety.
1. Symptoms you are experiencing ( frequency, severity, duration, time of day).
2. Current medications being taken.
3. Current Diet (caffiene intake, alcohol, blood sugar levels).
4. Exercise regime.
5. Smoking.
6. Illicit drug use.
7. Current stressors in your life.
www.anxietyhelponline.com

Health and Wellness A Long Road?

2005-11-10T18:30:00.000-08:00

Health
Health and Wellness come naturally to most people without too much effort. Why? What do they know that others dont? We all make choices in our lives. Maybe we let others make our choices. We all want happiness in our lives it's in our nature. So why dont we get it? Life deals us serious blows now and again that we have no control over. Most of the time we deal our own blows in how we live our lives. Some drink, drug, binge, isolate. Ask youself what group you are in. Can we still be happy. I dont think we have a choice, we have to be. We only live one life. Stop hurting yourself. If you need help get it. If you can change something positively in your life then do it, no more excuses. Start small and build on it, brick by brick using any materials you have available. You owe it to yourself.

Alone With Your Thoughts?

2005-11-07T20:13:00.000-08:00

One of the worst things we can do when suffering from anxiety is to be alone. When we are alone our thoughts run wild and increase our symptoms. Did you know a pet can help ease your pain? Having a pet with you can calm your nerves and relieve stress. Pets such as dogs and cats give us unconditional love and acceptance no matter what we are going through so give your pet a hug today!

Anxiety Help Online

2005-11-06T17:19:00.000-08:00

Well the Christmas season is upon us, a time that brings with it good times, family and friends. The season can also bring stress to our lives in many forms. The hustle and bustle of this time of year, financial obligations, and family visits can add pressures to our busy lives. It doesnt have to however, if we have a plan of attack. Important areas to look at are, diet, sleep and excersize. These are simple things we can do to counteract stress. Prioritize what needs to be done now and what can wait. Ask for help from others! After all it is the season of giving but you have to take the first step in asking for assistance. Focus on family, ensure you are spending quality time with the ones you love no matter what it might be big or small. Volunteer to help others! There is no feeling like helping others that really appreciate it. Laugh and have fun!