So many people now a days throw around the word anxiety, without fully knowing the effects it can truly have on someone who suffers from it. Many of us are anxious in certain situations and that's normal, but when it starts to affect your daily life, it may be time to seek some help from a trained medical professional. Keep reading below to find out what anxiety may look like for someone who is suffering from it.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is your body's natural response to stress. It's a feeling of fear or panic about what's to come.
Anxiety in Adults
Anxiety in adults presents itself in various different forms, which include:
Physical responses
Thoughts
Emotions
Behaviors
It can disrupt or even stop adults from participating in a variety of experiences, such as attending higher education, pursuing meaningful work, joining social, athletic or recreational clubs, being in relationships, and more. It is this combination of factors that increase the chances of being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Many adults experience anxiety in work environments, if you an expecting or new parent or even being in overwhelming social situations.
Anxiety in Youth
Many youth experience various forms of anxiety, especially when it comes to school, work and other life obligations. Many times, anxiety can be a good thing because it alerts us of dangers that may arise and helps our body prepare to deal with that danger. When does this become a problem? When your body alerts you of a perceived danger, even when there isn't one, when it happens more often than not, the duration of time that this danger alarm happens and if it is causing you to feel distressed to the point where you withdraw from social situations. If you feel like this may be happening to you, here are some tips to help manage that anxiety:
Calm Breathing
Yoga
Exercise
Confidence Building
Take a break - Mentally
Change your thinking
Visualize
Anxiety in Children
Anxiety in children can present in a few different ways. They can be quiet and well behaved, where they go unnoticed or they can act out and present behavioural issues. Just like adults and youth, children experience the same thing when it comes to anxiety. The only difference? They may not be able to communicate their feelings well enough for you to understand that the problem may be anxiety. If they are acting out and presenting disruptive behaviour, a lack of communication could definitely be contributing to the problem. If you notice something different in your child's behaviour, pay attention to any changes that may have occurred in the recent time frame before the behaviour change, do they have a major event coming up or has something changed in their social interactions/situations. You can provide added support to your child by following some of the coping mechanisms listed below.
The most important thing when dealing with anxiety is to see a trained medical professional if you suspect that this feeling is starting to affect your well being and changing your way of life. There is no shame in getting the help you or your child needs or even providing that help to another family member or friend. Especially in today's society, mental health and well being are so important and should be taken care of and nurtured.
Source:
1. Anxiety Canada - https://www.anxietycanada.com/
** The information provided in this blog is for information purposes and is not meant to replace or substitute any advice from a medical professional.
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