Imparted Wisdom Blog

How to deal with severe anxiety and depression…

June 24, 2022 /By: Tina Martin

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Whether you’re dealing with an anxiety disorder or with stressful elements in your day-to-day life and it’s stunting your personal and perhaps professional growth, you may be looking for alternative ways of managing anxiety attacks. Anxiety can be triggered by many different worries or experiences.

And when anxiety becomes a full-on anxiety attack, it can be debilitating, and significantly reduce the quality of your life. The Imparted Wisdom Blog provides a few helpful tips and suggestions for helping you manage anxiety in your daily life.  

Here are some tips on how to deal with severe anxiety and depression:

Understanding Anxiety Attacks

HelpGuide.org explains that an anxiety attack is more than just general stress and worry, though stress and worry can certainly provoke these attacks. Anxiety is distinct from panic in that it is usually directed at some real or imagined event the subject fears will happen. It can often come with a general sense of doom and hopelessness.  It may, like panic attacks, be accompanied by physical symptoms.  Such symptoms include increased heart rate, palpitations, and even chest pain. 

Sometimes an anxiety attack can even make you feel that you are going to pass out. While there are certain situations in which anxiety is an understandable response to a dangerous situation, having anxiety attacks on a regular basis is something you should try to find a holistic treatment for.

The Importance of a Support Network and Antidepressants

One of the best ways you can manage or prevent an anxiety attack is to reach out to a support system, notes University at Buffalo’s School of Social Work. This could be friends and family, or it could be a professional counselor or therapist.

Even if you don’t have loved ones you can talk to close at hand, social media networks can also sometimes provide you with support and encouragement that will help you get through your anxiety.

Part of your support system can include online professionals as well. Today, it’s possible to optimize telehealth for finding the best antidepressant for anxiety and depression.

Consult with an online therapist first to determine whether you’re a candidate for prescription medication.  If so, they will refer you to a board-certified, online doctor who can officially diagnose your condition and prescribe appropriate antidepressants – all online. Many major healthcare plans help cover this service too.  This is a wonderful and effective way to receive treatment in the comfort of your own home.

Making Lifestyle Changes Is One Way to Deal With Severe Anxiety and Depression

One difficult reality for those who suffer anxiety attacks is that it can be tempting to seek relief by pursuing certain habits that ultimately won’t be helpful, such as drinking to excess, or smoking. While these actions may provide a temporary escape from anxiety, they can make you more prone to anxiety over time.

It’s not always easy to give up these habits if you’ve become mentally and physically dependent on them- especially if life is throwing you a lot of challenges. If you can find methods that will help you become less reliant on these habits for anxiety relief, this will likely also lead to a less stressful and anxious mindset overall.

Identify What Might Be Stressing You Out and See If It Can Be Changed

Sometimes, your anxiety may be in response to a situation in your life that is genuinely causing you stress. This could be an unhealthy relationship, a financial situation, or a toxic work environment.

If it is possible to make substantial and concrete life changes that would remove the cause of stress, this could be ideal. For instance, it might be possible for you to go back to school and train for a new career.  This is especially if you consider an online degree in something like cybersecurity, or business administration.  This would allow you to set your own schedule and study from home.

Finding Practices that Reduce Anxiety

Some activities that some people find helpful regarding how to deal with severe anxiety and depression include exercise, getting out in nature, and meditation. If one of these doesn’t work for you, that’s fine.  You can always try something else. For instance, many people find that meditation decreases anxiety, but occasionally some find that it makes it worse. 

So give meditation a try. If that doesn’t work for you, sample a session of cardio to see if it helps shake off the anxiety. Or perhaps try a walk outside in a park or forest. Or you could work with a coach who specializes in PTSD trauma recovery to help motivate you to be physically more fit and mentally more confident.

If none of these techniques work, or if you keep experiencing debilitating anxiety, it’s a good idea to reach out to a professional.

Again, what works for one person may not always work for the next, when it comes to anxiety management. But if you have access to a variety of different techniques, including online treatment for antidepressant prescriptions and making lifestyle changes, you may find several that make a real difference. And you will find yourself better able to cope with the anxiety when it does come. 

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