7 Tips for Learning How to Treat Severe Anxiety
Living with anxiety can be challenging and daunting. There are many different types of anxiety and no two people will respond to their anxiety or general health concerns in exactly the same way. From generalized anxiety disorder to phobia-specific anxiety disorder, there are a number of reasons a person may experience some level of anxiety.
With that in mind, learning how to overcome severe anxiety and improve your mindset is a great goal.
Consider using some of the following tips to learn how to treat severe anxiety:
- Limit Alcohol and Caffeine Intake
For those who drink alcohol or love a good cup of coffee, consider reducing your intake of these substances. Both alcohol and caffeine are known to aggravate panic attacks or heighten anxiety, so reducing these substances will also reduce the likelihood of feeling as severe anxiety as you normally would.
Try healthier alternatives for energy boosts and aim to swap out alcohol for healthy amounts of water daily.
- Get Enough Sleep and Be Sure to Exercise
Getting at least eight hours of rest per night is quite important for reducing anxiety and stress. Additionally, taking just 20 minutes a day, at a minimum, to either get outside or go to the gym is a great way to get your endorphins pumping. Both these actions can help to reduce anxiety, stress, and other side effects of mental health issues.
- Practice Breathing Exercises
For those who live with panic or anxiety attacks, shortness of breath immediately before and during the attack is quite common. Learn breathing exercises that can help you control your heartbeat and regain control of your breath. Simply learning to lengthen your exhale, breathing out of your mouth slowly, rather than your nose, is one such way to improve your breathing.
- Identify and Learn to Manage Your Triggers
Everybody who lives with severe anxiety may have different triggers. In fact, there are a number of different types of anxiety, ranging from generalized anxiety disorders to phobia-specific anxiety disorders. Due to this, there are also a wide range of triggers that may cause an episode of anxiety in a person.
Learn to spot your own triggers before they occur so that you can either remove yourself from a situation or prepare yourself with breathing exercises. By doing this, you can prepare your mind to confront your trigger and hopefully reduce the effect of an anxiety episode.
- Consider Supplements or Diet Changes
While exercise and sleep are certainly important, so are supplemental and diet changes. Reduce junk food or processed food and try to replace it with superfoods, foods high in antioxidants, and leafy greens. Additionally, as mentioned earlier, be sure you are drinking an adequate amount of water for your weight and height each day.
- Speak with a Professional
Above all, those who are experiencing severe cases of anxiety should seek out help from licensed therapists or counselors if they cannot control their anxiety on their own. These professionals are experienced and well-versed in the different types of anxiety, and they can help anybody identify their triggers and teach them more methods for overcoming anxiety.
- Discuss Medicine with Your Healthcare Provider
Finally, speak with your healthcare provider about the intensity of your anxiety and discuss carefully whether or not medicinal treatment is right for you. Provided both you and your doctor or therapist agree, there are anxiety centered medicines that may help.
Learning to treat anxiety can seem challenging at first, but with the right methods and understanding of the causes of your anxiety, anybody can improve their mental health. For those living with extremely strong anxiety, it can also be beneficial to reach out to licensed professionals to seek treatment and help before the anxiety becomes worse.