Feeling Anxious*

Everyone gets a little queasy before that big job interview, that test worth half your grade, or that first date with the girl you've been eying since November.

Everyone gets anxious.

But when anxiousness interferes with daily life? Then you've got a problem.

Main way to tell if you have anxiety? Hands up, anyone?
Surprise! It's that you feel....
ANXIOUS!!

Congrats if you got that one right.
(It's a little more complicated than that, but that's why the blog doesn't end here. Read on!)


But hey. This ain't no joke, folks. We may laugh at the kid who pees his pants every time the teacher calls his name, but for that kid, and tons of other people with real anxiety problems, this is a very real thing that needs treatment. Chronic or problematic anxiety is a little more complicated than feeling a little but nervous about that test tomorrow. It's an overwhelming feeling of total uneasiness that compromises your ability to function.

Signs and symptoms of anxiety
The anxiety centre website (at www.anxietycentre.com) has over 100 symptoms listed! The following are just a sample, but I found them to be the most pertinent

Mental symptoms
- General feeling of uneasiness
- Intense fear (ie. dying, loss of control, impending doom, etc)
- Brain fog
- Feelings of helplessness
- Nightmares, insomnia,or poor sleep
- Intensified emotions or blunted emotions
- Mood swings

Physical symptoms
- Ringing in the ears
- Dizziness
- Muscle tension
- Nausea and vomiting
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Excess perspiration (super sweaty)
- Inaccurate depth perception
- Tachycardia (heart beat goes up)
- Numbness and tingling
- Shortness of breath and tachypnea (fast breathing)
- Chest tightness
- Other symptoms associate with stress/ adrenaline reactions (fight or flight)

These and many others can often be the result of somatization, where the brain turns intense emotion into real physical problems

Outward expressions of anxiety
- Crying
- Biting your nails
- Doing nothing at all
- Curling up in the fetal position
- Any other bad coping method can be a sign of anxiety. If you're not coping well with a root problem, you may turn to poor sources to relieve all your uneasy feelings. These may include drinking, drugs, whoring around, or smoking.


Why am I anxious?
Anxiety is not a biologic, chemical, or genetic issue. It is a mental and social problem that has several hypothesized sources, as listed below

Knowing why you feel anxious can often help you to manage your symptoms.

Reasons for anxiety include:
- Phobias (irrational intense fear)
- Schizophrenia or other psychotic mental disorder
- Depression (see blog post from July).
- Social anxiety disorder
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Unresolved feelings
- Ineffective coping methods (I just can't deal with it, man!)
- Inability to deal with stressful or adverse events (which is the same thing as above, I just wanted another item on this list)

Knowing where your problem starts is the first step to fixing it. That and acceptance.

So what do you do if you have anxiety problems?
First and foremost, if you get a little nervous sometimes, you are normal. Everyone should experience these symptoms in relation to anxiety at least once. The problem arises when everyday life is impaired.

If I have butterflies in my stomach about writing a test, I should be able to take a few deep breaths, tell myself that I know the content, and then write the test with minimal issues.
However, if I am terrified of writing the test to the point where my breathing is laboured, I am crying, fearful, and on the floor in the fetal position, then I may be having a panic attack, and will need to work out these issues.

Things you can do to minimize or relieve anxiety
- Avoid the trigger (with caution). This can work wonders if you have a paralyzing fear of bunnies, but not so much if you're terrified of the colour red.
- Relaxation techniques such as massage, deep breathing, or meditation. If all else fails, ativan or valium are relaxation medications, but you will need a prescription for these.
- If your anxiety is the result of an underlying medical or mental issue, resolving the core problem can relieve your resulting nervousness.
- If your anxiety is the result of unresolved feelings, consider journaling, blogging, talking it out with a friend, seeing a therapist, or facing your problem (depending on circumstance) and resolve them feelings!
- Research better coping methods. If you are anxious about that test or that date, getting a drink or a hit or a cigarette will not help the problem. You must face it and move on.
- Replace negative self talk with positive phrases. Remember, we believe in you.
- Take care of yourself. Eat right, exercise, blah blah blah. But also remember to take time for yourself to get a massage, talk to your friends, go for a drive, or take a bubble bath. If long term chronic anxiety is an issue, these relaxing activities can take your mind off your troubles, if only for long enough to wrap your head around what's going on.

Remember that anxiety is not the end of the world, even if it may feel like it in the moment.

So keep calm, carry on, and remember to breathe.