Home | Health & Fitness | Depression
Many people tend to use the terms "stress" and "anxiety" interchangeably, but they are in fact two distinct conditions. Stress is a response to a stimulus, which can be internal or external. You may feel stress when you feel frustrated with something (like waiting in line behind a slow person) or when you are worried that you will not meet expectations (such as missing a deadline at work). Anxiety, on the other hand, is a feeling of dread, or nervousness and fear. It can be caused by negative expectations and thoughts, or as a reaction to stress. You may experience feelings of anxiety all of the time and not know why, or your worry may be a reaction to something you are nervous about, such as an upcoming business trip. Abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain may cause generalized anxiety. Some studies show that anxiety can be brought on by genetics. Anxiety may also stem from environmental conditions, as when a child whose father or mother is often anxious becomes an anxious person by observing the parent. But very often the root cause of anxiety is simply the thoughts that a person is thinking! Anxiety and stress are subjective conditions. Different people may feel stressed about different situations, and different people may react to their anxiousness in very different ways. Symptoms of anxiety can range from the mild, such as sweaty hands and tense muscles, to the severe, such as irregular heartbeat, vomiting, and anxiety attacks. Everyone experiences feelings of anxiety once in awhile. All of us have felt the dry mouth and "butterflies in the stomach" before a public speaking engagement or an exam. But when does it become harmful to your health? Research has shown that prolonged anxiety can lead to sleep disorders, depression, relationship problems, and high blood pressure For sufferers of long-term untreated anxiety, there can be negative health consequences that have yet to be fully identified. Many studies have found a link between chronic anxiety and a number of serious health conditions including heart disease, cancer, arthritis, thyroid disease, and respiratory illness. Chronically anxious people may even be more likely to suffer a fatal heart attack. If you suffer from 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 a person'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 discussion in the medical field. Some medical professionals believe that medication is the best method to handle chronic anxiety. Unfortunately, anxiety medications often produce side effects that are just as bad as or even worse than the initial condition. There are plenty of safe and natural ways to handle negative emotional responses. Exercise is an often overlooked option, but it is highly effective. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which are natural pain-killing and mood-boosting chemicals. With regular exercise, you may begin to experience a decrease in negative emotional reactions to situations that would previously have made you extremely 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 handling day-to-day stress. These techniques can teach you to calm yourself and relieve your tension. You make a conscious effort to slow your rate of breathing, release the tension, and remain in a peaceful state of mind. Meditation is an increasingly popular form of tension control in which you focus on thoughtful relaxation and deep, calming breathing. However, if you seek a proactive method to relieve yourself of anxiety, hypnosis is the best form of treatment. When a person undergoes hypnotherapy, their reactions and emotional responses to events are changed at the core. This permits them to handle common anxiety-inducing triggers without the usual nervousness and fear. Hypnosis is often performed by a licensed hypnotist in a series of regular sessions. More commonly today, hypnosis takes the form of self hypnosis programs which can be purchased in the form of DVDs, CDs, or MP3s for personal home usage. No special skills are necessary to practice self hypnosis. All that you need is a way to play the hypnosis program and a quiet space where you can listen and relax. Another successful method of anxiety treatment is Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP. NLP is a type of therapy that can help you retrain your mind and body to naturally react to situations in a more positive manner. You can consciously decide to stay calm instead of feeling anxious, and consequently, you are always in control of your own emotions. It is evident that it is important to manage our negative emotional responses in order to remain healthy. Mastering techniques to deal with fear and nervousness can even extend your life. To treat long term anxiety, the best treatment option to follow is to participate in hypnotherapy to change your attitudes and reactions at the core. Then, it becomes easy to use stress management techniques as needed to keep calm in everyday situations.
This free Depression article is brought to you by http://www.articlevista.com
Alan B. Densky is an NGH certified hypnotherapist. He offers a complete line of stress management hypnotherapy CDs, and advanced stress management CDs through his Neuro-VISION hypnosis website. You can visit his video hypnosis blog, and download a free MP3. www.neuro-vision.us/ www.neuro-vision.us/Products/AudioStressRelaxationAdancedHypnosisTapes.htm
Click the XML Icon to Receive Depression Articles Via RSS for Free.
^^Back to Top
Powered by Article Dashboard
