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| + | == Treating Anxiety == |
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| + | Anxiety disorders affect millions of people across the country and include disorders like social phobia, specific phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. However, these disorders do not need to rule your life. If you think that you are suffering from an anxiety disorder, it is important to see you doctor right away. Treatment can truly change your life. |
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| + | The first step to treatment is getting diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. There are a number of symptoms associated with anxiety disorders that can also be caused by other medical conditions, and if you want to be get the best treatment possible it is first crucial to diagnose you exact condition. Your health care professional is the person who can do this. Make sure that you tell him or her specifically what symptoms you are experiences, and then you will go through a complete physical examination and testing to see if there are any other medical conditions that could be causing your problems. A correct diagnosis will help you get the best care. |
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| + | There are then a number of treatment options you can use to help you overcome your anxiety disorders. First, you can try talk therapy, also known as psychotherapy. This allows you to tell your problems to a psychiatrist who actually cares about you and wants to help you. There are a number of different talk therapies you can use. For example, some people like cognitive behavior therapy, which replaces old behavior with new behavior slowly with steps. This is often great for phobias. You can also try psychodynamic therapy, in which case your professional will help you to look at the underlying causes of your condition so that you can understand how to better control your life. There are other kinds of talk therapy treatments as well. Choose the one that works best for you in order to get the right help for your condition. Remember, every person is different; what works well for someone else may not work well for your. |
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| + | Medications are also a great step in the right direction for treating anxiety disorders. Meditation can help to block certain overactive inhibitors in the brain that may be causing your anxiety disorder. They can also treat the symptoms that you find unbearable. In general, you should make sure that a medication works for you and your body before taking it on a regular basis. There are side effects to some medications that may hurt your body more than the medication is actually helping you. |
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| + | You can also try non-traditional forms of treatment for you anxiety disorders. Some people can control their bodies simply by learning meditation and doing yoga, for example if you are experiencing panic attacks. You can also try acupuncture and acupressure to deal with your physical problems. Another great type of treatment, especially for phobias, is hypnosis. Your doctor can recommend to you these treatments and give you more information on what will work best for you. |
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| + | == Finding Help for Anxiety Disorders == |
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| + | Anxiety disorder can be very difficult to understand and treat. However, with a bit of help, you can truly overcome any type of anxiety disorder you may have. While it might be impossible for you to fully “cure” anxiety disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or phobias, you can learn how to deal with these medical conditions in order to live a fully normal and productive life. The key to living with anxiety disorders is finding help. There are three main types of help you should get, and luckily this help is readily available to everyone! |
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| + | First, find help from medical professionals. A doctor will be able to diagnose your problem, suggest treatment options, and help you learn to be safe and happy. You may also work with a therapist to talk about your problems and learn behaviors that can help you through the day. Overall, this is the most important type of help you can get because an anxiety disorder can physically be dangerous. Only a medical professional can make sure you get the best care possible. |
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| + | Another crucial kind of support can be found in the form of support groups. Hospitals, religious organizations, and community centers often sponsor support groups, which can be led by professionals are self-led. In both cases, this type of support system allows you to be in contact with others dealing with the same disorders, so you can see that you are not alone. Together, you can also help one another learn tips and tricks to dealing with anxiety. A good support group can really become a second family. |
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| + | However, the third group is your actually family, as well as close friends. When you develop an anxiety disorder, it may be difficult for some people to help you through this rough period of your life. Your true friends will be there, though, to help you through the recovery process and to support your decisions. If you do not find this type of support within your group of friends, they are probably not the friends you should have. When you know someone with an anxiety disorder, your life may be more complicated, but sticking by his or her side can make all the difference when it comes to recovery. |
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| + | Asking for help is a key step in dealing with anxiety disorder. If a disorder is ruining your life, you truly need to find people who can help you overcome the disease and live a happy and healthy life instead. |
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| + | == Anxiety and Suicide == |
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| + | Anxiety disorders affect millions of people across the country, and one of the most dangerous things about these disorders is that they can lead to thoughts of suicide if left untreated. If you are currently having thoughts of suicide, even on an occasional basis, ask for help. You can do this by calling a doctor or just talking to friends and family members who may be able to help you. Anxiety disorders are not the end of your life—you can overcome them. |
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| + | If you’re having thoughts of suicide, there is nothing other people can do to make you feel better about yourself. However, they can give you the tools needed to do that. Lots of people kill themselves every year using suicidal methods like hanging, shooting, cutting, and overdosing, but these deaths are a real shame, since every single person has value in the community. You may feel hopeless right now, but there are people who can show you how to feel better. Although it is very difficult to deal with anxiety, others have gone through the same thing and can teach you methods for overcoming. |
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| + | Call 9-1-1 or your local suicide hotline immediately if you are having thoughts of injuring yourself, for whatever reason. You are not alone in this ordeal, or else these phone lines would not exist. You can call anonymously in order to simply talk to someone about your problems. There is no pressure to do or not do anything—it is simply a tool to talk to someone and hear new ideas. |
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| + | Pain and sadness is normal in every single person’s life, although many people hide it very well. However, if you find that your anxiety disorder is causing too much pain for you to bear, you can do one of two things: work to reduce the pain or work to increase your skills and resources for dealing with the pain. Although you may feel alone right now, millions of people are getting the help they need and living happy lives. |
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| + | If nothing else, take some time to think about things. Even if you’ve had a horrible day, give yourself a few hours or days or even weeks to make a decision on ending your life. In that time, consider all of the options available to you and think about the other people your suicide will hurt. Suicide is not the answer to relief from pain in most cases, so by truly examining your feelings, you can work towards happier days. |
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| + | == Alternative Anxiety Therapies == |
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| + | If you’ve been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, it is crucial for you to seek medical treatment. This is the first step to recovery. Anxiety disorders include medical conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, agoraphobia, and panic disorder. When you talk to your doctor about your conditions, he or she will probably recommend certain talk therapies, in which you work with a therapist and cognitive-behavioral therapy to overcome your disorder. You may also be recommended to take specific medications. However, there are also a number of other therapies that you can consider to help you overcome your anxiety disorder. |
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| + | If you are interested in oral medications, there are a number of supplements that may be able to help with your anxiety. Supplements are generally more naturally than the chemicals found in medications, so you body may be less likely to react to them in an adverse way. However, it is important to remember that supplements can still be dangerous if abuse. Common supplements that can be used to treat anxiety disorders include passion fruit, passionflower, kava, valerian root, St. John’s wort, hops, chamomile, magnesium, and glycine. Your doctor can instruct you taking these supplements in a safe way. |
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| + | If you have very low anxiety symptoms, you can also work by yourself to combat the development of full-blown anxiety disorders. First, get a proper diet. This will include all the nutrients you body needs to stay active and healthy. Reduce the amounts of caffeine and sugar you ingest to help with anxiety. Also make sure that you are getting both sleep and exercise. This can help you manage stress more readily. If you believe you may be developing an anxiety disorder, trying to use stress management skills is very important. |
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| + | Many people also advocate that alcohol is a great tool for combating anxiety. Typically, patients with anxiety disorders feel stimulated, so alcohol, which is a depressant, can really help you to calm down. However, the disadvantage to this is that alcohol also can make you become intoxicated and anxiety is sometimes found in conjunction with depression, which alcohol will only cause to get worse. Therefore, this is usually not a good option, unless your doctor recommends it. |
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| + | Techniques like hypnosis, virtual reality use, acupuncture, and meditation can also help patients deal with anxiety. While these alternative treatment options do not help everyone, they may be able to help you. Be sure to ask your doctor about all treatment options available so that you can make the best choices for your body. |
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| + | == All About Agoraphobia == |
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| + | There are many different anxiety disorders a person could develop. These disorders are usually characterized by intense anxiety leading to panic attacks. Under the umbrella of anxiety disorders fall the category of phobias, which as intense and irrational fears that lead to panic. Agoraphobia is one such fear a person could have, and it is the most commonly treated phobia in the mental health world. It may not be the most common, but its symptoms are severe enough that treatment is almost always necessary. |
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| + | Agoraphobia is the fear of leaving one’s home or safe area and venturing into the outside world. It is also found in combination with other phobias or obsessive-compulsive disorder. People suffering from agoraphobia usually have panic attacks when they feel unsafe, and these unsafe feelings include when the person is trapped, out of control, or too far from a personal comfort zone. Many people suffering from agoraphobia are confined to their homes or even to a specific room in their home. |
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| + | There are many misconceptions surrounding people with agoraphobia. First of all, agoraphobia is not a fear of open spaces, nor is it a fear of crowded spaces. While these conditions may exist within a person as well, agoraphobia is specifically a fear of being too far from a normal area, regardless of the crowd. Many people welcome visitors into their home, even if they themselves do not leave. Agoraphobics usually simply need to be in complete control of a situation. |
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| + | Agoraphobia can affect any person, regardless of gender, age, religion, race, ethnicity, or economic status. The disorder is about twice as common among women than among men, however. The conditions usually begins with generalized panic attacks or slight phobias, and develops into a more and more serious condition. Thankfully, treatment is available. A gradual process of exposure is usually recommended, along with anti-anxiety medication including benzodiazepines like alprazolam. Anti-depressants can also be used. Some therapists will make house calls to help patients with agoraphobia, and alternative treatments like hypnosis are becoming more and more popular in the medical world as a treatment for agoraphobia and other anxiety conditions. |
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| + | A number of famous people have suffered from agoraphobia in the past, including celebrity chef Paula Dean, actress Kim Basinger, director Woody Allen, and Nobel laureate for literature Elfriede Jelinek. The key here, however, is to realize that there is hope. If you suffer from agoraphobia, ask for help and you can begin the healing process. |
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| == Anxiety Disorders and Depression == | | == Anxiety Disorders and Depression == |
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| Remember, depression is a real medical illness. Over 20 million Americas suffer from depression at some point another, and it can affect any age, gender, race, religion, or ethnicity. You can find great treatments to help you with your depression, from medication that inhibits certain receptors in the brain to therapy to help you talk about the things that are making your depressed. | | Remember, depression is a real medical illness. Over 20 million Americas suffer from depression at some point another, and it can affect any age, gender, race, religion, or ethnicity. You can find great treatments to help you with your depression, from medication that inhibits certain receptors in the brain to therapy to help you talk about the things that are making your depressed. |
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− | In the end, it is simply important to realize that you can feel better and there is help. Having depression is nothing to be ashamed about, and modern medicine makes it possible for you to overcome your depression and your anxiety disorders in order to live a healthy life. | + | In the end, it is simply important to realize that you can feel better and there is help. Having depression is nothing to be ashamed about, and modern medicine makes it possible for you to overcome your depression and your anxiety disorders in order to live a healthy life. |
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| == More than a Worrywart == | | == More than a Worrywart == |