Tips For Coping with Anxiety

For people with anxiety disorders, thoughts and feelings of fear, avoidance, and shame can become overwhelming. It’s not just feeling a little nervous when the pressure is really on. People living with anxiety face disruptive levels of disturbance on a regular basis, whether the situation seems to call for nerves or not.

The good news is, anxiety disorders typically respond well to treatment. With the team at VIP Integrative Health Care LLC on your side, you can find better ways to cope with your anxiety symptoms, and even address underlying causes to reduce the intensity and frequency of symptoms to more manageable levels.

At VIP Integrative Healthcare, board-certified psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner Martine Senatus, PMHNP-BC, FNP-BC provides treatment to patients from around the West Palm Beach, Florida area, including via telemedicine. If you need treatment for anxiety or depression, contact us for support.

Here are some of our expert tips on handling anxiety.

Understand your symptoms

There are several different types of anxiety disorders. You could have:

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a condition where you’re haunted by unexplained anxiety
• Social anxiety disorder, a condition that affects your ability to interact with others without becoming anxious
• Specific anxiety triggers or phobias, where places, things, people, or situations trigger intense anxiety

Understanding your type of anxiety is the first step in getting it under control.

Anxiety symptoms throw your physical and mental condition into a whirl. Your heart starts to beat faster, your breath comes quicker, and you may start to perspire, as hormones in your body activate your “fight or flight” response. You might lose track of where you are, or what was really happening, when your anxiety attack struck.

Everyone’s mental health is unique. When you understand your anxiety disorder, you can take actions to regulate your physical and mental condition. Deep breathing, grounding exercises, or extra support in triggering situations can help you reclaim your calm.

Pay attention to physical wellness

While you’re focused on your mental health, don’t neglect your physical self-care. Your mind and body are connected. If you can look after your body well, your mental health also benefits.

Getting regular, moderate exercise can be very helpful for patients with anxiety. You might notice that some foods and beverages benefit your sense of well-being, while substances like caffeine or alcohol might make you jittery or more prone to being triggered.

It’s also important for people with anxiety to practice good sleep hygiene. Anxiety can often worsen in the evening hours, or overnight, and without the right routine your anxiety disorder could substantially disrupt your sleep. When you don’t get enough rest, your body and brain don’t get the downtime they need to recharge. Dealing with anxiety, you need all your energy!

Work with a professional on your care plan

Mental health treatment provides you with the support, guidance, and insight you need to improve your anxiety levels.

Depending on your treatment needs, you might benefit from:

• Psychotherapy to unpack the causes and impacts of your anxiety
• Mindfulness techniques to get you through anxiety attacks
• Medication management to address persistent anxiety
• Practice addressing triggers, including techniques to reduce the intensity of your reaction, with exposure therapy

Approaches like aromatherapy, group therapy, and stress management also work for many people with clinical anxiety.

For the support you need to cope effectively with anxiety, contact the team at VIP Integrative Healthcare today. Schedule your appointment over the phone, or request an appointment online now.