Heartland GeoCities
You are about to read about how to let go of the anxiety which is keeping you on edge. If you're suffering from anxiety, your symptoms probably include a stomach that is queasy or has a knot in it, times when you feel shaky or dizzy, a rapid heart beat, and breathing which is faster than normal. And you probably, though not necessarily, worry about things or other people, or put yourself down because you feel you aren't doing things well enough. You want to find something that ends those awful feelings, and you may have already turned to drinking or drugs, or perhaps got a prescription from your physician.
I'll teach you four techniques that WORK! One is a brand new technique with a lot of promise. What I can't do is give you help if you are not willing to do the techniques every day. So if you are willing to actually do something to help yourself, keep reading. If you are hoping this message will give you some magic trick that works by itself, stop now. I don't want you to have a new disappointment in your life.
OK, you're still reading. First, you need to know that anxiety is a lot like fear, except that there is nothing in the immediate location that would ordinarily cause fear, nor is there an immediately present danger. Your body is automatically preparing itself to combat or escape from some danger which it expects is present, based upon the fear. The body doesn't know that there is no immediate danger, so it swings into action, releasing various chemicals, to get the body ready to fight or run. Once these chemicals are loose in the body, what started out as a minor worry or anxiety, can grow out of proportion as your own body's chemicals effect your heart rate, breathing rate, muscles, and blood supply. Your heart may race or seem to skip a beat, your breathing becomes quick and shallow, you may perspire, your mouth may get dry, your hands and feet may feel cold, and you can even feel pain in the chest. When all these symptoms are at the extreme, it is called a panic attack, but at lesser levels, the symptoms cause a jump in your anxiety and tension level. All in all, your body feels like you're driving a car with the accelerator and brake pushed at the same time. People often fear that they are about to have a heart attack, or that they are going crazy. In fact, neither is happening. All the things your body is doing are actually survival reactions. Quite the opposite of dying, your body is configuring itself to survive!
Now before we go on to the four techniques that help, let me say that if you haven't had a regular physical examination by your physician since you started having the symptoms of anxiety, you should do so right away. There are a few, usually relatively minor, medical problems which can cause anxiety symptoms, and you need to get these things ruled out first. This is important -- don't neglect the visit to your doctor if you haven't been. And if you haven't already done this, cut out the caffeine -- coffee, tea, colas, etc.
OK, now here is the first of the four techniques -- I call it the TWO MINUTE DRILL. The reason for the name is that it only takes two minutes to do it, and you can do it as often as you want, but I recommend a minimum of five times a day. Here it is. Take a SLOW deep breath, counting to yourself as you inhale to the count of 7 seconds; then exhale, counting to yourself to the count of 8 seconds. Important: be sure you keep it slow, and count to yourself, 7 inhaling, 8 exhaling. Repeat this 8 times. Both the breathing and the counting are important here. Here is why the actual breathing is important. When people are anxious for long periods of time, their breathing is often shallower than normal, and this effects the oxygen and carbon dioxide balance in the blood. Returning to a slower, deeper style of breathing can return the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels to a more normal balance, and anxiety symptoms are reduced. Here is why the counting is important. Counting both the seconds and the repetitions requires concentration, and this takes your mind away from other concerns for this period of time -- its like a break from your worries. This Two Minute Drill is a very powerful technique and you can use it to help yourself become calmer. Make a new habit of doing it just before going to bed and just after awakening, and also just before each meal of the day. You can also do it at other times, especially if you are feeling anxiety symptoms.
Now here is the second powerful technique. It is a muscular relaxation technique which is effective because of this truth: anxiety cannot exist at the same time that all of your muscles are in a completely relaxed state. Here is how to do it. First, get in a comfortable chair, or even in bed, but be sure that your whole body is supported (including arms, legs, and head). Begin by taking a nice slow deep breath, and letting it out, and then tense the muscles in your toes as hard as you can, count to 6, and then relax your toes. Next, tense your calf muscles, count to 6, and relax your calves. Continue to proceed up your body, one muscle group at a time, tensing for 6 seconds, and relaxing. Move up to the thighs, stomach, chest, arms, neck, and face (yes, it will feel funny at first tensing all the facial muscles). Here are some general guidelines. Breath in while tensing, and breath out while relaxing. Pay particular attention to the feeling of the muscles as they are relaxing -- notice how the muscles feel as they let go and relax. If you have any existing injuries to muscle or bone, of course you should not tense the muscles in that area in a way that would cause you pain or further injury. This muscular relaxation exercise should be done twice a day, and I recommend doing it the first thing in the morning, and just before going to bed (a bonus is that the relaxation often helps you get right to sleep).
The third technique is the one where you use the power of your mind -- it is an imagery technique. Get in a comfortable chair, and begin with a nice deep breath, and let yourself think of a time when everything was wonderful -- some particular time and place that you can remember that gave you good feelings without any hint of worry, fear, or concern. Perhaps it might be a particular scenic view somewhere in your past, or it may be a happy gathering or party. Once you have the picture in your min d of that wonderful and peaceful place, let that picture become brighter and clearer in your mind's eye. Imagine yourself there so you can also hear the sounds of the place, and smell the odors there, and perhaps even feel the pleasurable feelings there. When you are "in the picture" notice how good you feel (and you haven't noticed how the anxiety has melted away, but it has). Let yourself stay in that place as long as you want. Some people, doing this at bedtime, just fall asleep there. But while you are there, think of a "trigger" word for yourself while you are feeling safe, peaceful, and relaxed. A "trigger word" is a simple word that will be a reminder of your relaxed self. Make the word something special to you -- perhaps something you see or hear in your picture. Once you have your trigger word, you can use it at other times to call up the good memories and peaceful, relaxed condition. Just say the word to yourself, and you will become calmer.
Here is the fourth technique -- some late breaking information on another simple technique for those of you who may get that intense form of anxiety called panic attacks. Smell your way out of it! Yes, smell! It seems that by smelling the odor of something from your childhood that reminds you of safety and security, you can reverse the runaway anxiety. For many people, sniffing baby powder seems to have that calming effect, but you can search your own memory for an odor from your childhood -- maybe your mom baked bread everyday, or if you're from a farm, perhaps it would be the smell of hay, or if you're a westerner, it may be the scent of cattle or desert flowers. Think about it and try it.
In closing, let me repeat that you should see your physician if you haven't had a general checkup since the anxiety symptoms started. It would be a shame for you to keep suffering if there were some small and easily treatable medical problem. By getting your checkup you will most likely feel very relieved that nothing is wrong physically.
If you have turned to alcohol or drugs as a way of trying to get yourself out of your bad feelings, you are making an unhealthy choice and digging yourself deeper into the pain. Cut out all alcohol for at least two months, and then if you have been able to do that easily (i.e., you are not an alcoholic), then you could return to one drink per day, maximum. If you have been drinking a lot for a long time, you may have some potentially life threatening problems during the first five days cold turkey from alcohol, so if that is the case for you, get some medical help for this detoxification period. If you are a problem drinker, or if significant people in your life tell you that you are, call your local Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous in your local phone book for some help and the location of meetings near you. If you are not sure if you are hooked, ask a mental health professional for an unbiased evaluation.
There are also relatively safe medications your physician can prescribe for those cases when you just can't get that anxiety under control by yourself, but they can be dangerous if you are also drinking. Tell your physician exactly what is going on. Keep up the hope -- you can do it using the techniques I have described.
Dr. Joe Just, Ph.D., LCSW; Coastal Counseling Center, Chesapeake, VA --804-436-0605