ANXIETY & STRESS

Beverlee Brownlee

Undergrad & Graduate students

WHAT IS ANXIETY? Anxiety is defined as painful

uneasiness of mind or abnormal apprehension and fear accompanied by physiological signs of doubt about the nature and reality of a certain fear or self-doubt.

Stress and anxiety are not the same thing, however they reinforce each other.

Stress causes one to become anxious and anxiety causes stress levels to increase. It’s a never ending cycle.

TYPES OF ANXIETY DISORDERS

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) Social anxiety disorder Panic disorder Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) Phobia

GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER(GAD)

Characterized by excessive and often time exaggerated anxiety and worry about everyday life for no obvious reason

Tend to always expect disaster Can’t stop worrying about health, money,

family. and work/school Becomes constant state of fear, worry and

dreadand worry about everyday life events with no obvious reasons for worry

SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER Also called social phobia;

anxiety disorder in which a person has an excessive and unreasonable fear of social situations

afraid that he or she will make mistakes and be embarrassed or humiliated in front of others

Lack of social skills and/or experience in social situations

See phobia

PANIC DISORDER

Different from normal fear and anxiety reactions to stressors

Can strike without reason and warning

Usually do ton out of proportion response to a fear that has little or no danger

Develop a constant fear that can interfere with everyday life

Trigger stimulus

(Thoughts or feelings)

Perceived threat

Physical sensation Anxiety catastrophic

(why me? It’s always me)

Physiological sensations

(sweating, palpitations)

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER(OCD)

Potentially disabling illness that traps people in endless cycles of repetitive thoughts and behaviors

Plagued with recurring thoughts, images and fears that one cannot control

May make ritual go away temporarily but once the fear or thought comes back, the cycle begins all over again

PHOBIAS A lasting and

unreasonable fear caused by the presence or thought of a specific object or situation

That usually poses little or no actual danger

Can significantly interfere with the person's ability to function

SIGNS & SYMPTOMSEmotional Physical

Trouble concentrating Feeling tense & jumpy Irritability Restlessness Anticipating the worst

Insomnia Fatigue Muscle tension Sweating Headaches Shortness of breath

TREATMENT OPTIONS Moderate

exercise/dietary changes

Breathing techniques Cognitive behavior

therapy Mindfulness meditation Hypnosis Progressive muscle

relaxation

BREATHING TECHNIQUES The key to deep

breathing is to breathe deeply from the abdomen getting as much fresh air into the lungs

This decreases shortness of breath and tension to subside

Steps used: Sit comfortably, back

straight, put one hand on chest while the other is resting on your stomach

Take it easy and breathe

BREATHING TECHNIQUES CONT’.

Breathe in through your nose while your hand on the stomach is gently rising and other hand is slowly rising off chest

Exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting your abdominal muscles

Push out all negative thoughts when exhaling

COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY ( CBT)

Widely used treatment amongst professionals

Addresses negative thoughts that attribute to anxiety and stress

Ultimate goal of CBT is to identify and correct negative thoughts and beliefs

Three steps used: Identify negative thoughts: some situations are

perceived more dangerous than in realityChallenge those thoughts: question the evidence for

your frightening thoughts; analyze unhelpful beliefs and test out the reality of negative predictions

(CBT) CONT’.Replace negative thoughts with realistic

ones: after identifying irrational predictions and negative distortions replace them with new thoughts that are more accurate and positive

DIET & EXERCISE Exercise is a natural

stress buster and anxiety reliever

30 minutes of exercise three to five times a week can provide significant anxiety relief

Along with exercising daily eating a well-balanced diet provides relief for both stress and anxiety

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION

Involves focusing mind on the present without judgment

Observe thoughts as they enter the mind and let go as quickly as they enter

Thoughts become temporary pulses in the mind

Reduces tendencies to automatically assume thoughts are facts

Nice happy

thoughts

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION CONT’.

Tips to effectively use mindfulnessTake time to sit somewhere quiet & slowly

relax breathingAllow your self to accept the present: focus

on the world around you Release negative thoughts and replace with

more positive ones

HYPNOSIS Hypnosis is sometimes

used in combination with cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety.

While you’re in a state of deep relaxation, the hypnotherapist uses different therapeutic techniques to help you face your fears and look at them in new ways.

PROGRESSIVE MUSCLERELAXATION(PMR)

Technique for reducing anxiety by tensing and relaxing the muscles

Developed by American physician Edmund Jacobson

Entails both the physical and mental components

The physical part involves tensing and relaxing the muscle groups of legs, abdomen, chest, arms and face

done for approximately 10 seconds and then released for 20 seconds before continuing with the next muscle group.

PMR CONT’. The mental part focuses on the difference

between the feelings of tension and relaxation

one is forced to concentrate on the sensation of tension and relaxation

MORE INFO For more info on medication and

treatment options available go to: treatment options and info

anxiety disorders

Now go relax