Tools for Anxiety; how to help a loved one

I am excited to share my knowledge with UpJourney on how to understand and deal with anxiety. It was a great honor to be part of this article piece that focuses the growth and mental health of individuals.

The following was my piece:

Everyone experiences anxiety at different points in their lives. Anxiety itself is not inherently bad. For some people, the feeling serves as motivation to complete a task, or others may perceive it as excitement toward a new activity. However, some individuals experience anxiety to a debilitating extent, disrupting their daily lives. Before we discuss methods to help loved ones who struggle with anxiety, it is crucial to recognize the common types and how they manifest.

What are the different types of anxiety, and what do they look like?

• Separation anxiety disorder

Individuals who have separation anxiety disorder experience excessive anxiety or fear when separated from their home or the people to whom they’ve grown attached. People with this concern may withdraw from others, experience sadness, demonstrate a lack of interest, and have difficulty concentrating. However, simply missing someone does not mean the diagnosis is present.

Individuals with this concern illustrate:

• Continuous and excessive distress

• Worry that something terrible may happen

• Refuse to leave the household

• Have nightmares

• Describe physical complaints about separating from the home or to whom they’re attached

• Specific phobia

Individuals with a specific phobia diagnosis experience excessive fear or anxiety when an object or situation is present. People with this issue may engage in avoidance behaviors or experience physical arousal when confronted with the feared object or situation. Nevertheless, feeling scared is normal and part of the human experience. What differentiates people with a specific phobia are that their feelings are severe, their emotions are evoked when presented with the object or situation, the feelings are inconsistent with the actual danger posed, and they may partake in avoidance behaviors.

• Social anxiety disorder

Individuals with a diagnosis of social anxiety disorder experience severe fear or anxiety in social situations where they may be scrutinized or negatively judged. People with this concern may blush, tremble, sweat, or stumble over their words. Alternatively, they may take charge of a conversation, have a rigid body posture, or speak with an overly soft voice. This comment does not mean that people who are introverted, extroverted, or shy have a social anxiety disorder. Instead, people with this diagnosis fear that others may negatively judge them during social situations, leading to their disapproval or accidentally offending someone.

• Agoraphobia

People with a diagnosis of agoraphobia experience fear or anxiety about an actual or possible exposure to multiple situations, including:

• Using public transportation

• Being in open spaces

• Being in enclosed spaces

• Standing in line

• Being in a crowd

• Being outside the home alone, among other situations

Individuals with this concern may find it difficult to leave their homes, rely on others for assistance (i.e., groceries), can feel demoralized or depressed. Some people prefer to stay at home, which is perfectly fine. What differentiates people with a diagnosis of agoraphobia is that they avoid certain situations because they believe escaping from them will be difficult or assistance to leave the situation may not be available.

• Generalized anxiety disorder

Individuals with a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder experience excessive worry or anxiety about multiple issues. Unlike the other disorders where the anxiety could be traced to an object, situation, or individual, in this diagnosis, the anxiety is around most things. People with a generalized anxiety disorder may experience muscle tension, trembling, twitching, muscle aches, soreness, sweating, nausea, shortness of breath, dizziness, stress, and headaches, to name a few physical symptoms. Feeling worried about a job or the outcome of an exam is normal. What differentiates people with this diagnosis is that their anxiety has reached a level of severity that affects their daily lives. Their worry isn’t about one or two things but how they navigate the world around them.

Clinical treatments for anxiety:

Encourage them to undergo psychotherapy with a trained professional

Psychotherapy is highly recommended to treat different forms of anxiety. Therapy involves speaking with a trained professional about the presenting concern and working through the issue in therapy.

One method used in the therapeutic context is psychoeducation which consists of educating the individual about their condition and the physiological symptoms they may experience.

While there are multiple therapeutic approaches to treating anxiety, cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most empirically validated interventions. In cognitive-behavioral therapy, the individual becomes aware of how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected and strives to change one of these three aspects to create an overall change in relation to their anxiety.

Use prescribed psychotropic medications

Psychotropic medication can also be used, depending on the severity of the anxiety and if it’s clinically indicated. The most common forms of medication for anxiety are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRI). However, it’s essential to speak with a psychiatrist or a medical professional to determine if that’s the best option.

How to help someone with anxiety:

Empathize and “normalize” the situation

Witnessing someone experience anxiety from the outside might not make sense. Even if you cannot comprehend them, empathizing makes a difference.

Let them know they are not alone in their struggle

For instance, stating, “What you’re going through must be hard; I’m sorry you’re going through that,” or “If you need support, please let me know.” By empathizing, you are communicating to the individual that they are not alone in their difficulties, strengthening their support system.

Consider sharing your anxiety experience

Another method to empathize is recalling when you experienced anxiety and if you feel comfortable sharing the story. Even though you’re not experiencing the exact emotion, a part of you can begin to understand, which leads to emotional depth and the creation of safety between you and the other person.

Normalization is equally important, but its usage depends on the individual. When you normalize, you acknowledge that the situation or emotion is normal and that other people experience it. For instance, “It’s normal to feel worried.” The purpose of normalization is to help the individual feel less ostracized and alone in their difficulties. However, this technique can also be invalidating depending on the individual. For that reason, I reserve normalization for individuals who negatively label themselves.

Suggest meditation and belly breathing

Advising a loved one to take a couple of minutes from their day is an effective method to address anxiety. Research has demonstrated that meditation reduces anxiety symptoms. It works because it helps people attune to themselves and gain awareness of the present moment. A core issue surrounding anxiety is the inability to stay in the present because the focus is on the future. More often than not, clients that present with anxiety create hypothetical scenarios and act accordingly even though their reality doesn’t reflect those situations. For that reason, the ability to stay present is crucial for people that are struggling with anxiety.

There are also multiple forms of meditation, which includes:

• Focusing on your awareness

• A sensation

• Utilizing a mantra

However, suggesting meditation might not be enough. Instead, offering to practice meditation with the individual might increase their likelihood of trying this technique.

Another way to help a loved one is by suggesting belly breathing or diaphragmatic breathing. When you breathe in deeply, you activate an automatic process within your body called the parasympathetic nervous system, which allows you to experience calmness and relaxation. In turn, this process reduces symptoms of anxiety.

To perform this exercise, you place one hand on your chest and another on top of your stomach, which is under your ribcage. Then you slowly breathe in through your nose. Afterward, you hold your breath for a couple of seconds and breathe out more air than you inhaled. During this process, your stomach should be moving outward, not your chest. It’s a simple but empowering exercise because individuals can learn how to relax their bodies at any time by controlling their breathing.

Use guided imagery and cold water

Another way to help a loved one is by asking them to imagine a place that elicits feelings of peace or calmness. In moments of anxiety, the individual can recall the peaceful place through visualization. In doing so, their anxiety lessens because it’s intended to have a soothing effect. Using cold water is an emotionally regulative tool that can also be applied to anxiety. In a moment of distress, the individual can hold an ice cube for seven to ten seconds or splash their face with cold water. Both exercises aim to decrease your heart rate, regulate your body temperature, and reorient the person to the present. In doing so, the individual won’t have time to focus on their anxious thoughts.

Do exercise in combination with therapy

While the research has demonstrated mixed findings about exclusively using exercise to reduce worry, working out in combination with therapy has decreased anxiety. More specifically, yoga has reduced anxiety symptoms, especially for individuals with more severe forms of anxiety.

Seek professional assistance for moderate to severe anxiety

When you demonstrate empathy, understanding, and support, it helps more than you know. The strategies covered in this article are simple tools that people with anxiety can use or that loved ones can share. However, it’s not intended to replace therapy.

If someone you know is severely or moderately affected by anxiety, please seek professional assistance. There are trained professionals who can help with this mental health issue. Neither you nor your loved one has to be alone in this process.