A Guide For Managing Anxiety Disorders & Stress

Anxiety disorders are generally regarded as the most common mental health condition in the United States, affecting about 18.1% of American adults. That means that over 40 million people in the U.S. may live with some form of anxiety disorder, which can have effects on their daily lived experiences.

Anxiety disorder occurrence is not just rising in the United States, either. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, more than 264 million people worldwide are thought to experience an anxiety disorder of some kind.

Many treatment options have been studied extensively to help people live well with anxiety, such as online therapy, mindfulness, and other supportive strategies. People can utilize these primary care resources to cope with mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. Read on to learn more about how you can reduce anxiety and anxious thoughts based on your own unique experiences.

Exploring anxiety disorders: What are anxiety disorders like? 

There are several types of anxiety disorders, and each one is generally thought to have its own set of symptoms, risk factors, and treatments. Understanding the possible range of symptoms and anxiety disorder types that can affect a person’s mental well-being can help to make a more informed and empathetic society as a whole. 

We’ve summarized several of the different, most common types of anxiety disorders below: 

Generalized anxiety disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is generally characterized by continuous and intense worry about different aspects of one’s life. It can cause one to worry over normal things that are seemingly not a threat (i.e., one’s relationships, money, job, school, or health). 

With this disorder, one might also experience worries about routine things and experiences (such as driving or going outside the home), possibly thinking that something horrible is going to happen when it likely won’t. Some of the common symptoms of GAD are:

• Dwelling on things that might go wrong

• Nightmares

• Trembling or shaking

• Sweating

• Inability to concentrate

• Difficulty making decisions

• Restlessness

• Extreme fatigue

• Difficulty falling or staying asleep

• Headaches

Social anxiety disorder

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) can show up in adolescence or early adulthood, with 80% of people who are diagnosed with SAD showing signs before they reach the age of 20.

The disorder can be characterized by the intense fear of any kind of social situation, which can include conversations, outings, public speaking, or travel. Some common signs of social anxiety disorder can include:

• Difficulty making friends

• Fear of judgment

• Sweating, shaking, and blushing when in public or in conversation

• Avoiding triggers

• General feelings of nervousness

• Racing thoughts

• Desire to avoid school or work

• Fear of humiliation

• Extreme self-consciousness

• Feelings of nervousness when meeting people

• Fear of rejection

• Persistent worry about social events

Panic disorder

Approximately 3% of adults in the United States experience symptoms of panic disorder. However, this number may be much higher, as many might not recognize the signs of the condition or of a panic attack.

A panic attack can be mistaken for a heart attack due to the possible similarity of symptoms, which can include a rapid, pounding heartbeat, chest pain, and a sense of impending doom. Other symptoms that could be associated with the condition include:

• Racing thoughts

• Nausea or vomiting

• Dizziness

• Feeling very hot or very cold despite weather conditions

• Numbness of extremities

• Headache or migraine

• Lightheadedness

• Shaking or trembling

• Feelings of extreme fear that may be deemed inappropriate for a given situation

Specific phobias

A phobia is generally defined as an intense fear of something that can be so severe that it can affect your daily life. Although fear can be a good thing, the fears associated with phobias may present complications that can affect your career, relationship, or health. Several common phobias include:

• Aerophobia: Generally defined as the fear of flying

• Mysophobia: Generally defined as the fear of germs

• Claustrophobia: Generally defined as the fear of enclosed spaces and small spaces

• Astraphobia: Generally defined as the fear of thunderstorms

• Cynophobia: Generally defined as the fear of dogs

• Agoraphobia: Generally defined as the fear of leaving home

• Acrophobia: Generally defined as the fear of heights

• Ophidiophobia: Generally defined as the fear of snakes

• Arachnophobia: Generally defined as the fear of spiders

• Trypophobia: Generally defined as the fear of a specific pattern of holes (like honeycombs)

Managing anxiety disorders: Techniques for support and relief

Now that we’ve covered the range of symptoms and experiences that anxiety disorders can cause in those who live with them, it’s time to explore supportive strategies that can help enhance the quality of life for many. There are several techniques you can try at home to manage your anxiety. 

Strategies in managing anxiety at home 

Exercise to relieve stress

Exercise has been clinically proven to increase endorphins, improve one’s mood, and relieve stress. You may choose to start exercising slowly and gradually increase your exercise to a level that seems right for your body. If you are so inclined, you can also combine exercise with socialization for an added boost to your energy levels — you might go on a bike ride with your partner or take a walk to a friend’s house.

Nutrition 

Good nutrition can lower overall blood sugar levels and reduce stress by providing the body with essential nutrients that support brain health and control the production of stress hormones that can cause anxiety and panic. Research shows that it may be best to avoid alcohol as well.

Breathing and mindfulness meditation

The act of meditation and focusing on the breath can help center you, possibly decreasing your heart rate and blood pressure, which can promote calmness.

Yoga

The physical, spiritual, and mental discipline that is generally required to practice yoga can help one focus on mindfulness and mental relaxation. As in meditation, practitioners of yoga often breathe deeply, providing oxygen to the brain and potentially counteracting physical symptoms of anxiety.

Music

Recent studies suggest that listening to music can be a helpful way for many to find relief and calmness, even in times of stress.

Journaling

Spending time journaling your thoughts and feelings about work, family, and personal life can help you address your mental health and emotional flow in an effective and healthy way. Journaling can also be a useful way to track anxiety triggers so you can better recognize and cope with them in future encounters. Identifying your common anxiety triggers is the first step toward mastering effective techniques that help you stay healthy.

What about medication treatment? 

There are many different types of medications that can be used to ease anxiety and support those who live with anxiety disorder. We recommend speaking to a licensed medical practitioner to discuss all potential medication options to possibly elevate your quality of life while working to avoid negative side effects as a result of misuse.

How can online therapy with a healthcare professional support you?

Online therapy can be helpful to many who are seeking support for anxiety disorders. Those who live with anxiety disorders might feel scared or overwhelmed by the prospect of leaving their home, possibly creating a barrier to treatment for some. Online therapy can be a helpful and strategic way to support many in treatment from the comfort of one’s home or safe space.

There are many different types of therapy to consider, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, and group therapy, all of which can help people find relief from anxiety. 

Which type of therapy is best for your anxiety disorder?

While each person is different, many people who live with anxiety disorder find success in managing anxiety using CBT. This type of talk therapy can teach many individuals how to recognize and control feelings and thoughts, possibly facilitating true change in their emotions and behavior. 

Elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

• Psychotherapy: In psychotherapy, many clients might directly address the past, possibly helping many to better understand the triggers that may have caused nervous thoughts.

• Behavioral activation: This CBT skill can ease symptoms of an anxiety disorder, possibly helping many to monitor their moods and engage in positive activities to negate the effects of a low mood.

• Interpersonal therapy: This branch of CBT generally offers a 12 to 16-week program that follows a systemic strategy that addresses symptom formation, personality concerns, and societal components that may contribute to the anxiety disorder.

• Exposure therapy: This is generally regarded as a common CBT technique that can be helpful for conditions such as PTSD, OCD, and phobias. Using gradual exposure, the method of treatment generally seeks to reduce nervousness around triggers, physically showing the person that they are not in danger and dampening the fight-or-flight response in a controlled way. 

Is online therapy effective? 

There are many clinical reviews that have been done regarding the efficacy of online therapy, with many finding details that suggest that patients receive comparable results to traditional in-person therapy. A recent review from the National Council on Aging has found that online therapy can be an affordable, effective, and helpful modality for many, offering specific benefits for patients who live with anxiety disorders and depression.