Dealing With Anxiety

One of the classical examples of a person's inability to deal with anxiety is the famous painting by the Norwegian painter Edward Munch. Though painted in 1893, the image of hopeless despair and anxiety is as relevant today as it was when Munch painted this classic example of expressionism in art.

Most people have occasional periods of anxiety, which can occur before school examinations, emotional events such as weddings or funerals, being asked to speak or sing in public, etc. The inability to cope with such situations often result in symptoms such as cold clamminess, sweating, nausea, pounding of the heart and shortness of breath, and even numbness or tingling in the hands and feet. Some media personalities and actors have been known to suffer so much from symptoms or chronic and acute anxiety that they literally pass out or vomit prior to performing.

There are several types of anxiety including panic disorder, agoraphobia, social phobia, and generalized anxiety. Each type can have severe effects on a person's ability to deal with reality, this lack of ability makes the situation seem even worse than it may actually be.

Anxiety syndromes have studied by psychologists and related professionals for years, and the general conclusions are that symptoms of anxiety can be treated and even cured if the proper treatment steps are taken. Some of these steps include:

1. Breathing control and relaxation: many attacks of severe anxiety are made worse by deep and heavy breathing which causes as person's lungs to fill with large amounts of carbon dioxide instead of oxygen causing a condition of hyperventilation.
2. Balancing anxious thoughts with more reassuring thinking: Reassuring thinking that the situation is not so bad and can be worked out may actually help this to happen.
3. By facing the things that makes one fearful, and on a gradual basis. It has often been said that the only way to overcome something that we are afraid of is to confront it.
4. Solving the problem that has created the anxiety. This step is crucial as it makes one less fearful and anxious if the problem creating it is taken care of.

Though numerous medications are available to help reduce feelings of anxiety, you can great help in lessening anxiety by engaging in physical exercise, reducing amounts of caffeine and alcohol consumed, and getting plenty of rest. Psychological consultation may also be effective; but first it may be worthwhile to try to reduce the physical factors which contribute to anxiety. If this is done properly, then the emotional factors may prove to be much less severe.