How to Overcome Fear and Anxiety

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    How to overcome ear and anxiety

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    Fear and anxiety

    Fear is one o the most power ul emotions. Ithas a very strong e ect on your mind and body.It tells you what to do in emergencies like a re,or being attacked. It can also kick in when youre

    aced with non-dangerous stu , like exams,public speaking, a new job, a date, or even aparty. Its a natural response to a threat. Anxietyis a word we use or some types o ear, usuallyto do with the thought o a threat or somethinggoing wrong in the uture rather than right now.

    Fear and anxiety can last or a short time andthen pass. But they can also last much longerand you can get stuck with them. In some casesthey can take over your li e, a ecting your abilityto eat, sleep, concentrate, travel, enjoy li e, and

    even leave the house or go to work or school. This can hold you back rom doing things youwant or need to do, and a ect your health.Health problems that are directly based on

    ear include phobias, panic attacks and anxietydisorders.

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    Some people become overwhelmed by ear andwant to avoid situations that might make themrightened or anxious. It can be hard to break

    this cycle, but there are lots o ways to do it. Youcan learn to eel less ear ul, and to cope with

    ear so it doesnt stop you rom living.

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    What makes you a raid?

    Lots o things make us eel a raid. Being a raido some things - like res - can keep you sa e.Fearing ailure can make you try to do well soyou wont ail but it can also stop you doing welli the eeling is too strong.

    What youre a raid o and how you act whenyoure a raid depends on lots o things, likeyour genes, how you were brought up, whatshappened to you in your li e, and the way youlearn and cope with things. Just knowing what

    makes you a raid and why can be the rst stepsto sorting out problems with ear.

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    What makes you anxious?

    Because anxiety is a type o ear, the things wevesaid about ear are true or anxiety. The wordanxiety tends to be used to describe worry, orwhen ear is nagging and persists over time. Itis used when the ear is about something in the

    uture rather than what is happening right now.Anxiety is a word o ten used by health workerswhen theyre describing persistent ear. Theways that you eel when youre rightened andanxious are very similar as the basic emotion isthe same.

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    What do ear and anxiety eel like?

    When you eel rightened or seriously anxious,your mind and body work very quickly. These aresome o the things that might happen:

    Your heart beats very ast maybe iteels irregular

    You breathe very ast Your muscles eel weak You sweat a lot Your stomach is churning or your

    bowels eel loose

    You nd it hard to concentrate onanything else

    You eel dizzy You eel rozen to the spot You cant eat

    You have hot and cold sweats You get a dry mouth You get very tense muscles

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    These are all because your body, sensing ear,is preparing you or an emergency, so it makesyour blood ow to the muscles, increases bloodsugar, and gives you mental ability to ocus onlyon the thing thats scaring you. With anxiety,in the longer term you may have some o theabove eelings as well as a more nagging senseo ear, and you may get irritable, have troublesleeping, develop headaches, have troublegetting on with work and planning or the

    uture, you might have problems having sex, and

    lose sel -con dence.

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    Why do I eel like this when Imnot in any real danger?

    Early humans needed the ast, power ulreactions that ear causes as they were o ten inphysical danger rom big problems like snakesand lions be ore modern living took over. But

    our minds and bodies still work in the sameway and we still have the same reactions tomore modern worries like bills, travel and socialsituations. But we cant run away, or physicallyattack these problems!

    The physical eelings o ear can be scary inthemselves especially i you have them andyou dont know why, or they seem out o proportion. Instead o alerting you to a dangerand preparing you to respond to it, your ear oranxiety can kick in with non-existent or minorthreats.

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    Why wont my ear go away andleave me eeling normal again?

    Fear may be a one-o eeling when you areaced with something unusual, but it can be an

    everyday, long-lasting problem even i youcant put your nger on why. Some people eel

    a constant ree- oating sense o anxiety all thetime, without any particular trigger.

    But there are plenty o triggers or ear ineveryday li e and you cant always work outexactly why you are rightened or how likelyyou are to be harmed. Even i you can see howout o proportion a ear is, the emotional part o your brain keeps sending danger signals to yourbody. Sometimes you need mental and physicalways o tackling ear.

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    What is a panic attack?

    A panic attack is when you eel overwhelmedby the physical and mental eelings o ear the ones listed above under What do ear andanxiety eel like? People who have panic attackssay they nd it hard to breathe and they mayworry that theyre having a heart attack, or aregoing to lose control o their bodies. See thephone numbers to call at the back i you wanthelp with panic attacks.

    What is a phobia?A phobia is an extreme ear o a particularanimal, thing, place or situation. People withphobias have an overwhelming need to avoidany contact with the speci c cause o theanxiety or ear. The thought o coming intocontact with the cause o the phobia makes youanxious or panicky.

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    How do I know i I need help?

    Fear and anxiety can a ect all o us every nowand then. It is only when it is severe and long-lasting that doctors class it as a mental healthproblem. I you eel anxious all the time orseveral weeks or i it eels like your ears aretaking over your li e, then its a good idea to ask your doctor or help, or try one o the websitesor numbers listed at the back o this booklet. Thesame is true i a phobia is causing problems inyour daily li e, or i you have panic attacks.

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    How can I help mysel ?

    Face your ear i you canI you always avoid situations that scare you, youmight stop doing things you want or need todo. And you wont be able to test out whetherthe situation is always as bad as you expect,so you miss the chance to work out how tomanage your ears and reduce your anxiety.Anxiety problems tend to increase i you get intothis pattern.

    Know yoursel

    Try to learn more about your ear or anxiety.Keep a record o when it happens and whathappens. You can try setting yoursel small,achievable goals to ace your ears. You couldcarry with you a list o things that help at times

    when you are likely to become rightened oranxious.

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    ExerciseIncrease the amount o exercise you take. Thiscan trigger brain chemicals that improve yourmood. Exercise needs concentration, and thiscan take your mind o ear and anxiety.

    RelaxLearning relaxation techniques can helpyou with the mental and physical eelings o

    ear. It can help just to drop your shouldersand breathe deeply. Or imagine yoursel in a

    relaxing place. You could also learn things likeyoga, meditation, massage or try the MentalHealth Foundations wellbeing podcasts at:www.mentalhealth.org.uk/relax

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    Healthy eatingEat lots o ruit and vegetables and try to avoidtoo much sugar. Resulting dips in your bloodsugar can give you anxious eelings. Try to avoiddrinking too much tea or co ee as ca eine canincrease anxiety levels.

    Avoid alcohol or drink in moderationIts very common or people to drink when they

    eel nervous. Some people call alcohol dutchcourage. But the a ter-e ects o alcohol can

    make you eel even more a raid or anxious.

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    Complementary therapiesSome people nd complementary therapieshelp, like massage or herbal products.

    Faith/spiritualityI you are religious or spiritual, this can give youa way o eeling connected to something biggerthan yoursel . It can provide a way o copingwith everyday stress and church and other aithgroups can be a valuable support network.

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    Support groups You can learn a lot about managing anxiety romasking other people who have experienced it.Local support groups or sel -help groups bringtogether people with similar experiences sothey can hear each others stories, share tips andencourage each other to try out new ways o managing their worries. Your doctor, library orlocal citizens advice bureau will have details o support groups near you.

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    How do I fnd out more abouthelping mysel ?

    Try these organisations:

    Anxiety UK, ormerly the National PhobicsSociety. Visit www.anxietyuk.org.uk or call their

    helpline on 08444 775 774, open Monday-Friday,9.30am-5.30pm.

    Visit the NHS Choices website or morein ormation www.nhs.uk or call NHS directon 0845 4647, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

    Anxiety Care Helpline: (020) 8478 3400 everyMonday & Wednesday, 9.45am-3.45pm or visitwww.anxietycare.org.uk

    The Mental Health Foundation produces abooklet called Talking Therapies Explained. It is

    ree to download at www.mentalhealth.org.uk To order a printed version call the publicationsline on 020 7803 1101.

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    For in ormation about fnding a therapistyoursel visit:

    The British Association o Behavioural andCognitive Psychotherapies www. babcp.com

    Phone: 0161 797 4484

    The British Association o Counselling andPsychotherapy www.bacp.co.uk Phone: 01455 883 316

    UK Council or Psychotherapywww.psychotherapy.org.uk Phone: 020 7014 9955

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    Mental Health FoundationSea Containers House20 Upper Ground, London, SE1 9QB

    Tel: 020 7803 1100Scotland Ofce, Merchants House30 George Square, Glasgow, G2 1EG Tel: 0141 572 0125

    Registered charity number (England) 801130 (Scotland) SC039714

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    We hope you ound this booklet use ul andin ormative. The Mental Health Foundation is anindependent charity. We rely on the support o people like you to und our pioneering researchand in ormation provision.

    To nd out how you can donate or become involvedwith the work o the Foundation please:

    Call: 020 7803 1121Email: supporter@mh .org.uk Visit: www.mentalhealth.org.uk/getinvolved