The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Anxiety
Do you suffer from anxiety? Many people may dismiss the chronic stressors in their lives by focusing on their weekend excursions, having a late night smoke session or glass of wine. But little do they know… chronic stress can easily turn into full blown anxiety if not properly handled. Anxiety is defined by a constant feeling of nervousness, worry or unease. This feeling can be a result of a specific environmental stimuli or it may be imagined. In fact, many people with anxiety have a generalized fear of the future, imagining outcomes that may not even happen!
The National Institute of Mental Health reports that anxiety disorders affect 18.1% of adults in the United States. This includes approximately 40 million adults between the ages of 18 to 54. If you suffer from anxiety and are looking to finally overcome this chronic disease then keeping reading to learn more insight on how to manage or overcome anxiety for good.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is different than stress because with stress, you have a clear sense of the cause whereas with anxiety, people tend to be less aware of why they are so anxious. A combination of genetic factors and the environment contribute to the onset of anxiety. These exposome factors include:
• Trauma
• Work stress
• Financial stress
• Relationship stress (especially a situation of ongoing abuse)
• Stress associated with a natural disaster or accident
• Stress caused by medical factors
• Substance abuse (especially the use of cocaine and amphetamines or the withdrawal from benzodiazepines or
barbiturates)
• An imbalanced nervous system
• Diet and health of the microbiome
• Lack of exercise
• Lack of self-care
• Poor sleep habits
• Chronic inflammation
• An overactive amygdala
• Insufficient Serotonin
Who is Susceptible to Anxiety?
People who are most susceptible to being diagnosed with anxiety include:
• Young people who have a family history of anxiety
• People who have experienced major lifestyle changes, such as a physical diagnosis
• People who are not in the habit of regular self-care
• People who are high achievers and have a Type A, performance-driven personality
Symptoms of Anxiety
The symptoms of anxiety vary based on the type but common symptoms include:
• Feeling nervous, restless or tense
• Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom
• Increased heart rate or respiration rate
• Sweating
• Trembling
• Feeling weak or tired
• Difficulty concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry
• Sleep disturbances
• Gastrointestinal symptoms
• Difficulty controlling worry
• Avoidance of things that trigger anxiety
Anxiety can:
- Effect your confidence and cause self doubt
- Effect your eating habits
- Effect your ability to show up in life and cause you to not react logically
- Effect your productivity at work and increase procrastination
- Effect your relationships with others
- Cause you to engage in bad habits and negative behaviors
- Cause you to resist change
Anxiety typically starts in childhood and can lead to major depressive disorder in middle adulthood if not properly diagnosed and managed. This is what happened to me when I moved to San Francisco, CA and started working a high stress job while juggling areally stressful personal life. I suffered from both anxiety and depression for almost 2 years before taking a holistic approach to manage my mental health. This life experience motivated me to create my Stress Alchemy course in order to help others recover as well.
How is Anxiety Dianosed?
Anxiety disorders can be difficult to diagnose because evaluation is often subjective (even though there are DSM criteria) and various people function differently when they have anxiety. Often, the only way to identify anxiety is through self report questionnaires, which are not always accurate. For example, Beck Anxiety Inventory is a tool psychologists use to identify anxiety.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-V (DSM-V), though heavily criticized, is the only widely-recognized manual to diagnose mental disorders, including anxiety. When it comes to Generalized Anxiety Disorder, a person must have excessive and persistent worry for at least six months, the worry must impair important functioning, and it must be accompanied by at least three of the following symptoms: edginess or restlessness, fatigue, irritability, impaired concentration, increased soreness, and difficulty sleeping.
Different Types of Anxiety
Anxiety look different for everyone and can be diagnosed in a variety of ways including:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
A persistent and abundant worry about common life events that affects 6.8 million American adults. Cognitive distortions, often resulting from past trauma, fuel this disorder. Keep in mind there are many different types of anxiety…
- High Functioning Anxiety Where you are often overwhelmed, over-stimulated and hyper-aroused. You may have constant feelings of restlessness and tension throughout your body. With high functioning anxiety, you may constantly feel wired with shortness of breath due to constant worrying. You may be seen as a perfectionist or overachiever because of your high functioning anxiety. These symptoms may go undetected by others unless you lash out at coworkers or loved ones for no apparent reason.
- Low Functioning Anxiety Individuals with low functioning anxietyhave mild tosevere issues completing regular tasks in daily life due to feelings of constant worry and fea. These symptoms of anxiety are pretty obvious to the person suffering and others due tothis disruption. Low functioning anxiety causes youto feel inadequatte around others, dread giving presentations or you constantly worry which prevents you from being productive.
Panic Disorder
Panic Disorder is characterized by a seemingly spontaneous fear response. People with panic disorder often fear panic attacks themselves and may withdraw from social spaces to avoid being seen during a panic attack. It affects 6 million American adults.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety disorder is a state of hyper-arousal during interpersonal communication. It often accompanies shyness and usually begins during adolescence. It affects 15 million American adults.
Phobia
Phobias are a specific type of anxiety disorder in which the person irrationally dreads a situation, thing, or place. 19 million Americans have a phobia. Common phobias include:
1. Arachnophobia: Fear of spiders
2. Agoraphobia: Fear of places with no escape (crowds, restaurants)
3. Acrophobia: The fear of heights
4. Aviatophobia: The fear of flying
5. Cynophobia: Fear of dogs
6. Claustrophobia: Fear of enclosed or tight spaces
7. Glossophobia: Fear of speaking in front of an audience
8. Dentophobia: Fear of the dentist or dental procedures
9. Hemophobia: Fear of blood or injury
10. Ophidiophobia: Fear of snakes
11. Nyctophobia: Fear of the nighttime or darkness
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that develops after experiencing intense, shocking, or dangerous event or situation. Rape is the most common trigger of PTSD. It affects 7.7 million Americans. In order to receive a diagnosis of PTSD, three symptoms must be present:
1. Re-experiencing of symptoms, reliving the event
2. Avoidance and numbing symptoms, avoiding reminders and locations
3. Arousal symptoms such as anxiety or being on guard
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
A disorder characterized by repeated, intrusive thoughts and fixations (obsessions) as well as ritualized, systematic behaviors (compulsions). It affects 2.2 million Americans.
Medical Treatments for Anxiety
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the mainstay technique to treat anxiety. By some estimates, it successfully treats 80-90 percent of cases of anxiety and depression. Exposure Therapy, in which a client is exposed – either visually, verbally, or mentally – to the situation or thing that triggers panic, is particularly effective of panic disorder and phobias.
Anti-depressants, such as SSRIs, are the predominant psychiatric, pharmacologic intervention for anxiety. Unfortunately, these are not always effective, and they can cause a wide range of serious side effects. To learn more about this, then click here to watch this brief video explanation. Many cutting-edge, integrative therapies – like meditation and mindfulness – are emerging for the treatment of anxiety.
One product that I enjoy and offer to clients who struggle with any type of anxiety CalmiGo the smart calming companion. CalmiGo is a patented technology-based device that provides immediate drug-free relief in moments of anxiety, anytime and anywhere. To learn more about this device, click here. Readers can use code: THESTEWPROJECT to save $30 off the device.
Supplemental Recommendations for Anxiety
In extreme cases, supplemental intervention may be necessary for your body to become nutritionally balanced so you can fully recover from anxiety (and yes, it is possible to fully recover from anxiety because I have successfully accomplished this, but its not easy and the process takes time and patience). If you are interested in using supplements to overcome anxiety then the following supplements may help:
Holistic Lifestyle Changes for Anxiety Disorders
Regardless what type of anxiety disorder you suffer from, there are certain holistic lifestyle methods you can implement to find relief. These include, but are not limited to:
Be Aware of Your Emotions
Take the time to notice what emotion is arising and be with it. Rather than running from it or creating a distraction, see if you can lean into it. Pay attention to it. What does it look like, what does it feel like? How is the body reacting? Is there a real threat or is it just an emotion caused by thoughts, beliefs or memories?
One of the most healing things we can do is to just allow the energy of the emotion to arise…feel it…and then let it go. At first, it might seem like the hardest thing in the world to do, but once you try it and succeed, it gets easier!
Limit Stimulants
Decrease substances that can contribute to anxiety, such as caffeine, nicotine Sugar, refined carbohydrates, and prepackaged foods.
Eat Nourishing Meals
Follow a well-balanced diet that includes whole foods and plenty of pure water. A diet utilizing fresh foods as close to their natural state as possible is recommended. Encourage your clients to eat leafy green vegetables, gluten-free whole grains, fresh fruit, and lean proteins. Other nutritional accomodations to consider include:
- Consume More Omega-3 Fatty Acids Studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids can reduce anxiety so be sureto include food like: cold water fish (salmon, cod, halibut, sardines, mackerel), walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds.
- Increase Your Magnesium Intake Before reaching for supplements, trying getting a healthy amount of magnesium from your diet by including foods such as Nuts, dark chocolate, black beans and green vegetables, as well as foods rich in tryptophan such as organic chicken, turkey, certified gluten-free oats, and sesame seeds.
- Drink Calming Teas This includes teas that have natural herbs such as chamomile, kava kava, oolong, oatstraw, holy basil, lavender.
- Drink Bone Broth Bone broth is rich in amino acids and is a natural source of collagen which has been found to help the body replenish low levels of vital neurotransmitters that contribute to anxiety.
Exercise to Reduce Anxiety
Exercise is an excellent way to help reduce exercise because it help to regulate hormone balance. For the best results, its important that you don’t go more than 3 days without doing exercise and it’s important that you practice some kind of non-vigorous exercise such as swimming, walking, chi gong, or tai chi. For more exercise tips to help you overcome chronic stress or anxiety, click here to read this blog that offers ommon fitness advice people with anxiety should avoid.
Get Proper Sleep
Although natural supplements (such as Kavinace PM, Melatonin, Kava and Valerian) can help people with anxiety improve their sleep, it’s much better to know how to self regulate and relax your nervous system to achieve long term relief from sleep issues. Natural solutions to sleep issues through non-drug therapies such
as meditation, relaxation, and deep breathing have been shown to help. Some suggestions for sleeping despite anxiety include the following:
Read a Spiritual Book Before Bedtime
This will help to get into a relaxing frame of mind before retiring. Did you know that it’s been scientifically proven that reading chills us out? There was a 2009 study at Mindlab International at the University of Sussex that revealed that reading was the most effective way to overcome stress. Reading worked even better than the common practices of listening to music, enjoying a cup of tea or coffee and even taking a walk. Study participants were relaxed in just six minutes (which was measured by evaluating heart rate and muscle tension) once they started reading.
Create a Sleep Routine
When we make sleep a routine, we alert the body and mind that we are slowing down and getting ready for a deep rest. Make a cup of sleepy time tea, rub some lavender essential oil on your temples, and do a mini meditation or deep breathing practice. Try going to bed before 10PM and getting up at the same time every day. Also try to get at least 8 hours of sleep.
Steer Clear of Technology
Stay away from phones, kindles, computers and televisions within an hour of bedtime. If you want to read, use a dim lamp rather than bright lights coming from electronic devices, which signal to the brain that it’s time to rise. Keep televisions out of the bedroom.
Don’t Eat Close to Bedtime
Leave at least 2-3 hours between your last meal of the day and bedtime.
Practice Deep Breathing Techniques
Do some deep breathing before bed. Sama Vritti or Equal Breathing is incredibly calming for the nervous system, increases focus and reduces stress. How it’s done: Balance can do a body good, beginning with the breath. To start, inhale for a count of four, then exhale for a count of four — all through the nose, which adds a natural resistance to the breath. This practice can be done anytime, anyplace, but this is one technique that’s especially effective before bed. If you have trouble falling asleep or falling back asleep, this breath can help take your mind off the racing thoughts, or whatever might be distracting you from sleep.
Make Time for Relaxation Daily
Setting some time aside for you to clear your head is important because it gives your body time to switch from constantly activating your sympathetic nervous system (your fight or flight response) over to your parasympathetic nervous system (your rest and digest response). Bringing in practices such as Meditation, mindful breathing, yoga nidra, and guided imagery, can be life changing in
a good way. They are all deeply relaxing practices that take just a few minutes. The Transformational Trauma Technique is another great way to calm your nerves as well.
Create a Sanctuary
We often take on the energy of our surroundings, so create a healing, beautiful environment in your home and workplace. Some ways to do that are:
• Have fresh flowers around
• Fill your home/workplace with plants
• Paint the walls a soothing color
• Allow natural light in
• Have artwork of calming landscapes
• Create a space for meditation and self care that is free of electronics or distractions
Need Help?
Overcoming anxiety is no easy feat. If you have been struggling with anxiety despite taking medication or therapy and you need a dependable support system to cheer you on as they hold you accountable, then let me know. My Stress Alchemy course’s coaching program offers coaching, nutritional support, supplements and a personalized exercise prescription to help you achieve the healthier and happier life you desire. I hope this helps!
P.S. If you want to learn more about my journey from being a stressed mess to a stress alchemist plus recieve tips to help you do the same, then sign up below to watch my free Stress Alchemy masterclass!
In Good Health,
Amber Stewart BS,
Holistic Nutritionist
Certified Master Life Coach
ACSM Exercise Physiologist,
CTNC Mental Health Specialist
TBMM Corrective Exercise Specialist
Hi! My name is Amber and I’m a Body Goals Builder, Master Life Coach, Certified Health Coach, CTNC Mental Health Specialist, Stress Alchemist & Fear Conqueror
I used to be a people pleasing, work-a-holic who stressed herself out to climb the wellness industry’s corporate ladder, while obsessing over her self image. I soon realized that none of it mattered if I wasn’t happy with myself, inside and out, and surrounded around people who loved and respected me.
I now help individuals who are stressed out, out of shape and struggling to find balance in their lives learn how to ease their worries, improve their health, create 10x more joy in their lives and manifest the life of their dreams. At the STEW Project, we are maximizing our living potential by Simply Taking an Emphasis on Wellness.
