Worry - What Causes It And How To Get Rid Of It
Even though many people use the terms "stress" and "anxiety" interchangeably
, they are in fact two distinct conditions. Stress is a response to a stimulus, which can be external or internal. You may experience stress because you are frustrated with something (like waiting in line behind a slow person) or when you worry that you will not meet expectations such as missing a deadline at work).
Anxiety, on the other hand, is a feeling of dread, or fear and nervousness. It can be caused by negative expectations and thoughts, or as a reaction to stress. You may feel anxious virtually all of the time and not understand why, or your worry may be a reaction to something you are nervous about, such as an upcoming test.
Abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain may cause generalized anxiety. Some studies indicate that anxiety can be hereditary. In addition, anxiety can stem from environmental conditions, as when a child whose mother or father is often anxious becomes an anxious person by observing the parent. But frequently, the root cause of anxiety is simply the thoughts in a person's mind!
Stress and anxiety are subjective conditions. Different people may experience stress during different situations, and different people may respond to their anxiousness in extremely different ways. Symptoms of anxiety can range from the mild, such as tense muscles and sweaty hands, to the severe, such as irregular heartbeat, vomiting, and anxiety attacks.
Everyone experiences feelings of anxiety from time to time. All of us have experienced the dry mouth and "butterflies in the stomach" before an exam or public speaking engagement. But when does it become harmful to your health? Studies indicate that chronic anxiety can make us vulnerable to sleep disorders, relationship problems, depression, and high blood pressure.
For sufferers of long-term untreated anxiety, there may be detrimental health consequences that have yet to be explored fully. Many studies have found a link between chronic anxiety and a variety of serious health conditions including cancer, respiratory illness, thyroid disease, arthritis, and heart disease. Chronically anxious people may even be more likely to suffer a fatal heart attack.
If you experience what seems like an inappropriately high amount of anxiety relative to the circumstances, or if you feel anxious nearly every day, you may actually have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are chronic conditions characterized by an individual's inability to function normally because of frequent anxiety. Anxiety disorders are serious conditions that should be treated to reduce the risk of long-term negative health effects.
Anxiety treatment has long been the subject of much debate in the medical community. Some medical professionals feel that medication is the best method to handle chronic anxiety. However, anxiety medications often produce undesirable side effects that are just as bad or even worse than the initial condition.
There are plenty of safe and natural ways to control negative emotional responses. Exercise is one that is often overlooked by anxious people, but it is very effective in managing stress and anxiety. Exercise causes your body to release endorphins, which are natural mood-boosting and pain-killing chemicals. With regular exercise, you may begin to see a dramatic decrease in negative emotional responses to situations that would have previously made you very anxious.
The best way to cope with worry and tension is to control it from within. Stress relief and stress management techniques are very useful in coping with day-to-day stress. These techniques can teach you to relax yourself and let the tension leave your body. You make a conscious effort to slow your breathing rate, release the tension, and remain in a tranquil state of mind. Meditation is an increasingly popular form of tension control in which you focus on mindful relaxation and deep, calming breathing.
However, if you are looking for a proactive way to free yourself of anxiety, hypnosis is by far the best treatment option. When a person undergoes hypnotherapy, their emotional responses and reactions to events are changed at the core. This provides them with the opportunity to deal with anxiety-inducing triggers without the typical fear and nervousness.
Hypnosis is often performed by a licensed hypnotist in a series of regular treatments. More commonly today, hypnosis can be learned from self hypnosis programs which are available in the form of CDs, DVDs, or MP3s for personal home use. No special skills are necessary to practice self hypnosis. All you need is a device to play the hypnosis program and a quiet place where you can relax and listen.
Another very successful type of anxiety treatment is Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP. NLP is a form of therapy that can help you condition your body and mind to naturally respond to situations in a more positive manner. You can consciously decide to remain calm instead of feeling anxious, which means that you are always in control of your own emotions.
It is evident that it is important to be able to manage our negative emotional responses in order to stay healthy. Mastering techniques to cope with fear and nervousness may even extend your life. To treat long term anxiety, the best course of action is to use hypnosis to change your attitudes and reactions at the core. Then, practice stress management techniques as needed to stay calm in everyday situations.
by: Alan Densky
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