Anxiety Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Louisville Health and Healing

Being Consciously Grateful

May 10, 2022/0 Comments/in Anxiety, Creativity, Louisville Health and Healing News, Mental Health, Recovery, Spirituality/by Louisville Health and Healing

None of us like to think of ourselves as an ungrateful person. You probably often feel
thankfulness and appreciation for rain after many hot summer days, for help from your
friend when you needed a ride, or even towards yourself and the skills or insight you
used in a specific situation. Feeling thankfulness or gratitude indicates that we
acknowledge the positive impact of something or someone – but the important step we
often forget is actually taking a conscious moment to acknowledge and express that
gratitude.

Many of us feel thankfulness, but let that feeling pass quickly without doing much of
anything with it. To those in our life, and even to our own subconscious self, this can
begin to convey that we do not acknowledge or appreciate the things that have been
done to help us. The good news is it’s an easy fix! This easy fix has two parts:

1. Take an internal moment to pause and truly recognize the appreciation or
thankfulness you are feeling.
2. Take a moment to actively express that thankfulness.

Taking an internal moment to recognize your feelings of gratitude is an exercise in
mindfulness. You may have worked previously on increasing your awareness of internal
negative thoughts or feelings you have, to help change your behaviors or challenge
your negative self-talk – but the awareness can’t stop there. It’s just as important to
acknowledge the positive thoughts and feelings we have too!

Taking a moment to actively express your thankfulness may look different depending on
who you feel grateful towards or what you are grateful for – but that’s a beautiful space
to flex your creativity and love!

Maybe you feel grateful towards yourself for staying patient and calm in a situation you
would have previously blown-up during. You could say to yourself, “I’m really proud of
myself for acting this way and grateful that I chose to be patient in this situation”. Taking
a moment to note our self-gratitude is easy to forget, but also easy to start doing. Doing
so can help build positive self-talk and encourage our own strengths. Doing something
similar out loud for those in your life that you feel grateful towards can similarly build
them up. Our loved ones need to hear we are thankful for their specific strengths,
actions, and ideas, too!

Some people find it uncomfortable to express their feelings out loud to others, especially
gracious and loving feelings. But remember – it’s not uncommon that the things that are
hardest for us to do, show us the spaces we have for growth in our life. It’s also
important to remind yourself that something uncomfortable may only be uncomfortable
because it is unfamiliar – practice makes us comfortable!

Try making a goal for yourself this week to actively and specifically express your
gratitude at least one time a day! Even if it’s about something small. You may find that it
not only makes those in your life feel more valued and genuinely seen, but that you may
also start to see the love and growth in your life more clearly – and who wouldn’t want
that.

What is EMDR Therapy?

May 3, 2022/0 Comments/in Anxiety, depression, Mental Health, Recovery/by Louisville Health and Healing

You may have heard of the term ‘EMDR’, but may not really know what it is or even if
you have the letters in the correct order. That’s okay! It’s a rather new but remarkably
helpful therapeutic tool.

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy. It is a
rather new, innovative approach that therapists can use to help clients process trauma
or distressing experiences, especially distressing beliefs or memories that are buried
deep but that continue to impact the client’s mental health. Even though it is a newer
approach, EMDR is extensively researched, and is shown to be effective in
reprocessing trauma and distressing experiences. This makes it a powerful tool in a
therapist’s toolbelt!

Therapists that are trained and certified in EMDR can use it with children and adults of
all ages. EMDR can be helpful to address a variety of concerns that individuals may be
experiencing, such as: depression, anxiety disorders, chronic illnesses or conditions,
eating disorders, grief, personality disorders, PTSD or other trauma or stress disorders,
sexual assault, substance abuse or addiction, and violence and abuse. And more!
Maybe you have experienced traditional talk therapy before and find yourself
wondering, “Well, how is this different from traditional therapy and what does it even
do?”.

As an approach in therapy, EMDR does not seek to change the negative thoughts or
feelings that result from a trauma or distressing life event, but works to allow the brain to
reprocess the traumatic event itself. This allows the brain’s natural healing process to
resume again.

Our brain naturally will manage and respond to a traumatic event – the ways we adapt
and continue to ‘manage’ that distress/trauma may look different for every person, but
often it can play a role in the development of negative thoughts, feelings, and/or
behaviors in our life. Though our brain and body will naturally respond to trauma, our
brain does not always get an opportunity to truly process the trauma. EMDR helps our
brain reprocess these traumatic or distressing events, to allow for healing to take place
where it may not have been able to happen previously.

If you are interested in EMDR, make sure to seek out a therapist that is trained and
certified in EMDR. You should not go to a clinician that has not received proper training
– it could end up being more harmful than helpful to you. The good news is that here, at
Louisville Health & Healing, we have multiple therapists that are trained and certified to practice
EMDR with you! Give us a call or ask your therapist to learn more!

What is art therapy?

April 19, 2022/0 Comments/in Addiction Treatment, Adolescence, Anxiety, art therapy, depression, Louisville Health and Healing News, Mental Health, Psychedelic Support, Recovery, Spirituality/by Louisville Health and Healing

Art therapy is a true gift to the service of healing and does not require any artistic skill whatsoever; art therapy focuses on the process, not the product. The quality of a client’s art is not the focus, as the experiences and insight gained through the exercise is what informs progress.

Art therapy has been proven to be an extremely effective modality for individuals of all ages, with varying presenting issues. Some issues that art therapy works to treat include, but are not limited to, those actively processing trauma, behavioral/emotional issues, anger/aggression, addiction, grief/loss, depression, anxiety, and ADHD. A major benefit to this expressive modality is that it will often elicit responses that have been challenging to obtain independently or through other therapeutic techniques. An art therapy session can look many different ways. Whether it be painting, wood-working, drawing, sculpting, or any other media used, the creative process offers new perspectives and catharsis that can be paramount to an individual’s treatment.

We have a licensed art therapist that works with children, teens and adults. If your tired of traditional talk therapy, then give art therapy a try! Reach out today. 502.208.9927; [email protected] .

The Very Big Question of “Who am I and who do I want to be?”

April 3, 2022/0 Comments/in Anxiety, Creativity, depression, Louisville Health and Healing News, Mental Health, Spirituality/by Louisville Health and Healing

By calling attention to this question, by no means do I want to encourage any feelings of “I’m not
good enough”. The fact that any of us has space to grow is not a bad thing in and of itself. If
anything, identifying space for change can be a great thing. Being aware of who you are, how
you act, and how you want to change can be helpful in giving new thoughtfulness and purpose
to your days. Awareness is key to change and change can be good, but change can also be
slow and tiring at times – and that’s okay.

I have been thinking a lot about this idea of how my self, my self perception, and who I want
to be align or maybe don’t align – trying to find room for growth and space to understand myself
better. I recently saw a post on social media where someone said “Be the person you needed
when you were younger”. Wow – what an interesting thing to consider.

Thinking about what our child self or younger self needed from others but didn’t receive, can be
a difficult or even painful thing to recall and think about. But maybe it’s something you’ve never
really thought about in a concrete way before or allowed yourself to consider. I know I hadn’t.
Thinking about this, I have found that the answer has not come to me easily and may take time
for me to truly understand – but I feel like it’s worth it. My child self / younger self deserves that
consideration. And yours does too!

So what about you? What did younger you need? What kind of person would have made a
difference for them? Maybe start by listing words, or thinking about feelings that come up for
you. Once you start to have an image of this “person”, start to consider what needs to change
for you to reflect that “person” better in your life. Maybe the change necessary requires some
healing on your part, first. Maybe it requires some playfulness that you feel out of touch with.
Maybe it requires a community or some structure. Whatever space for change and growth you
see, know that making that change happen is a process and give yourself compassion. Being
patient and encouraging with ourselves can be hard. But we have the ability to grow within us!
All of these things may be easier to consider and work on with some extra support.

Whether that’s from family, friends, a bigger community – or your therapist! Make sure to let your therapist know what your goals are – we are here to support you through your healing and growth!

“I Want To Be More Creative, But I’m Just Not…”

February 26, 2022/0 Comments/in Anxiety, art therapy, Creativity, Louisville Health and Healing News, Mental Health, Spirituality, Uncategorized/by Louisville Health and Healing

Feeling intimidated by the idea of trying to be “creative” can be hard for many people, especially adults. As we get older, it can become harder for some of us to get in touch with that joyful, curious, less judgemental part of ourselves – our inner, free child. To some, this inner child may be seen as ‘not appropriate’, or for others it may be perceived as a long-gone fond memory that “I’ll just never be able to go back to”. This inner child is our first source of creativity.

Culturally, we value efficiency, production, and profit, which shapes the way we engage with self-care, fun, and with this idea of creativity or art. It can be hard to take the time to do these things or value them without some ‘perfect’ and concrete ‘end-product’. We deny ourselves the opportunity for fun or growth, when we avoid doing something purely on the grounds of thinking that it’s only worth doing if it ends up being ‘perfect’ or ‘good enough’.

How many times have you said or heard someone say, “Oh, I can’t make art, I’m just not good at it”. But, I ask, good at what exactly? Creativity can be so many things – kids know that so well! Our child self was so good at just scribbling lines for the joy of the movement. We once loved the feeling of squeezing playdough and making strange blob-forms out of the colors, with no expectations or worries about the end result. Viewing art-making as having to look a certain way creates a divide between us and the very natural part of our human self that wants to make, be curious, and explore! The making-of-things, or art-making, is one of the oldest human activities and defining human traits that we all share. We are separated from many other animals for our ability to make tools – to create and be creative!

You do not need to make things for others, you can make things for yourself, just because it feels good to do so. So, let yourself make strange things! Or ugly things! Or boring things! Or beautiful, lovely things! I find it helpful to focus on the joy of the process, and then when you are eventually faced with your product, try to look at it with curiosity instead of judgment. Be curious about yourself and be patient with yourself. Getting comfortable with making things can be a process, but you can do it!

Here’s an art directive that may be helpful to start with:

Go to the store and buy a notebook (or make one), ideally one that you like to look at. Cheap ones are okay, but finding one that you really like helps instill worth and sincerity in what you put into it.
Warm-up to your relationship with your notebook by collecting things you like to look at. Experiment! Tape in fabric scraps, leaves, cut outs from the newspaper or magazines. Maybe step on a page and leave a boot print. Dribble some coffee on a page and see what shapes it makes.
Find what you enjoy and play! After this experimentation, you may have found something you liked doing or seeing. Make more of it! Maybe you liked the shapes you saw in your coffee dribbles and want to make more – drawing faces and places into them, like staring up at clouds. Perhaps you liked the repetitiveness of cutting out images from magazines and finding interesting ways to tape them onto a page together – making collages!
You can always take this a step farther and start to fill the pages of your sketchbook day by day – almost like a journal to reflect on what’s happened or what’s been felt that day. I find this to be calming and grounding. Your visual journal can even be a tool to help notice things about yourself over time. Following up with your therapist can be helpful!

I hope you’re able to find some courage and start experimenting with your art-making! If you find art-making and creating to be interesting or fun you may even want to look into expressive therapies in the future – specifically Art Therapy!

Transforming Your Negative Thoughts

February 19, 2022/0 Comments/in Addiction Treatment, Anxiety, depression, Mental Health, Recovery/by Louisville Health and Healing

Having insecurities, worries, or self-doubt is a rather universal experience. Those negative thoughts may look different for each person, but we are not alone in facing them. Whether we find ourselves thinking negatively often or rarely, it can take a toll on our self-image and motivation – and our overall mental health. Learning to consciously engage with these thoughts can transform them into a powerful tool for self-growth and accomplishing our goals – big or small!

Many of our negative thoughts and insecurities are tied to something that we would like to achieve or something we value. For example, feeling nervous and insufficient at a new job might reflect the goal or desire to be successful at your job, to be capable, or to have the respect of those around you. Thinking about problems in our lives or negative self-feelings, especially if there are patterns in them, can help us realize our personal goals and values.

Once you identify the root value or goal at the core of a negative feeling, take a moment to visualize that goal. What might that really look like for you to achieve? Let yourself live in that moment of positivity.

Then, ask yourself, “what might come in the way of me achieving this?” – is it self-doubt? Lack of focus or procrastination? Someone in your life? Something someone told you in the past that you just can’t stop repeating to yourself? Take a moment to sit with this and work through the possible obstacles to your goal. And afterward, consider ways you could overcome each obstacle. Think specifically about when and where you might encounter or experience these obstacles. Create a plan for each possible “what if” – “If ___ happens, then I could ____ to help myself overcome it / refocus on my goal / feel worthy in the face of it”.

By giving our negative thoughts sincere attention, we can learn a lot about our values and goals – and develop more helpful and concrete plans to achieve them! Especially if you are a person who experiences many negative “what if” thoughts, this can be a truly transformative way of engaging with those thoughts and using them to your benefit.

If you have questions about this or find this overwhelming, reach out to your therapist for guidance! We are here to support you!

Meet Your Mood: Yogic Techniques for Mood Management

January 25, 2022/0 Comments/in Anxiety, Creativity, depression, Spirituality/by Louisville Health and Healing

Changing your entire mood state will not likely happen from just making use of breathing
techniques or yogic practices, but these can be tools to help you better manage mood states
that feel overwhelming. Getting a handle on your mood lays the foundation for you to then take
other steps to help yourself, whether that be: talking with your therapist, reaching out to a friend
or family, doing something that brings you joy or confidence, etc.

It is suggested that when you are in an overwhelming mood state, you should start by meeting
your mood. This begins with growing and developing your awareness of when you are in such a
moment, so that when you are, you can ask, “Am I feeling high or low?”. Are you feeling
heightened stress, anxiety, fear, a rapid heart rate and breath? Or are you feeling low
motivation, low energy, sadness, and apathy? The answer to this question let’s you know what
breathing or yogic techniques to use to best help yourself in that moment.

In yogic philosophy, a person’s psychological state can be understood as the result of the
interplay of the proportions of the three guṇas within them. The guṇas are: sattva
(enlightening, harmonious, uplifting), rãjas (exciting, stimulating, active), and tamas (heaviness,
eveloping). An important part of this, is an understanding that the three guṇas exist inside all of
us and work together to help us achieve a more healthy way of being – or in other words, it is
natural for our lives to be a mix of mood states. It’s a matter of gaining awareness and balance
in navigating them that helps us feel healthier and happier.

“I’m feeling heightened”: Rapid Breathwork

If you find yourself feeling heightened (anxious, stressed, panicked, manic), it could be said you
are in a predominantly rãjasic state. Instead of trying to downplay your mood, meet your mood
with kapālabhāti breath, or ‘skull shining breath’. Meet your inner intensity with energy and
then later move on to calming techniques!

● Sit in a grounding pose – sit cross legged on the floor. Support yourself against a wall, if needed.
Ideally, close your eyes and keep your spine straight and tall.
● Take a shallow breath in through both nostrils.
● Exhale forcefully through both nostrils – feel your stomach move inward toward your spine.
● Repeat this quick breath, aiming for one breath per second. It will sound like a dog panting. This
breath can be difficult for beginners, so start where you can. Practice makes perfect! Keep your
inhale shallow and exhale forceful.

After meeting your body at its heightened state, try to transition into other calming or
self-soothing or self-care tasks/techniques. What might those look like for you?

“I’m feeling low”: Slow, Building Breathwork
If you find yourself feeling low (depressed, apathetic, fatigued, unmotivated), it could be said
you are in a predominantly tamāsic state. Meet your mood with slow breathwork and an active
grounding pose called tādāsana, or mountain pose. Meet your mood with gentleness and
move towards energy slowly!
● Stand tall with your feet below your hips (hip’s/shoulder’s width apart), stretching your toes out flat
on the floor. Stretch your arms out at your sides, with palms forward and fingers out-stretched.
Focus on the feeling of the ground beneath your feet.
● Tighten the muscles in your legs and hips. Feel the energy and strength in your legs. Make sure
not to lock your knees.
● Keep your stomach pulled inward, your chest forward (not in a hunched over position), and
stretch your spine tall. Feel the vertical stretch and remain connected to the strength in your feet
and legs.
● Stand actively in this pose for a few minutes while doing slow repeated breathing (breathe in for 4
counts, hold for 4 counts, breathe out for 4 counts, and hold for 4 counts, repeat).
If you feel you could benefit from some extra invigoration after this, move into ‘bellows breath’.
● Standing in mountain pose, inhale for 4 counts as your raise your arms up over your head. Hold
this for 4 counts and exhale for 4 counts as you bring them out wide at your sides.
● Inhale and raise your arms up again, and exhale while folding over your torso, bending at the
waist, bringing your face down towards your thighs. Loudly say, “HA!”.
● Repeat this at least 10 times and end in mountain pose with your eyes closed. Focus on the
changes you notice in how your body feels.
If you attempt these or other meditative practices and find that it is difficult for you because it
creates a mental space for negative self-talk, speak with your therapist about other coping skill
recommendations or possible alterations!

References:
1. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Samkhya. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from
2. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Samkhya.
3. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). The Samkhya-Karikas. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Indian-philosophy/The-Samkhya-karikas.
4. Horovitz, E. G. (2021). Head and heart: Yoga therapy and art therapy interventions for mental health. Handspring Publishing.
5. Horovitz, E. G., & Elgelid, S. (2015). Yoga therapy: Theory and practice. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
6. McCorry, L. K. (2007). Physiology of the autonomic nervous system. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 71(4),
78. https://doi.org/10.5688/aj710478

To Medicate or Not to Medicate….

August 8, 2021/0 Comments/in Anxiety, Louisville Health and Healing News, Mental Health/by Louisville Health and Healing

People who are struggling with mental health conditions often find it difficult to navigate their treatment. That’s because it can be tricky to understand how, when and where to get help. For example, a lot of people don’t know the difference between a therapist, a counselor, a psychologist and a psychiatrist. We could break that down further and it gets even more confusing. So, one can imagine the difficulty in deciding what to if you or a family member is battling depression, anxiety, ADHD and so on. Here are some basic things to know and some guidelines to follow. However, the first step anyone should take is to talk to their doctor and seek out the help of a mental health professional such as a therapist or counselor.

The first thing to understand is that there is no one size fits all formula about when and who should utilize psychotropic medication to treat mental health. That’s because mental health originates from a myriad of sources including genetics and environment. For example, someone may be battling depression because their lifestyle is unsuited for their well-being. Another person may be battling depression because they have unresolved childhood trauma, while yet another may have a genetic predisposition toward depression. Finally, someone may have some combination of all these issues. To complicate matters more, if someone is using any type of alcohol or other substance then the situation is further compounded, confounded and needs a professional intervention to determine the most effective and safest way to get help.

“So, what does all this mean,” you say, “I’m more confused now than a minute ago!” Precisely, but the point of all this is to say that whether one chooses to use medication or not has a lot to do with what, why, and how the mental illness is presenting itself. Sometimes, therapy and improving coping skills can do wonders to help someone feel better. However, there are times when therapy isn’t very helpful until medication is introduced. All of this is dependent upon the originating factors contributing to the issue.

As a therapist, the philosophy is to dive deeper into the etiology (origins) of the mental health issue. This process of investigation begins with a thorough intake and is further explored in ongoing sessions during therapy. After a therapist gets more familiar with the patterns and etiology of the mental health condition, they can help a client decide if it would be worthwhile to speak to a medical provider.

Once the decision is made that it’s time to seek medical guidance, the therapist can provide referrals to the client. These medical referrals can consist of psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, addiction psychiatrists and sometimes even a primary care doctor. All these professionals are trained and licensed to prescribe medications, but there are some nuances to be aware of.

Psychiatrists are medical doctors with a specialization in prescribing psychotropic medications to treat mental illness. Psychiatric nurse practitioners can also prescribe like a psychiatrist, but they are not medical doctors. However, their knowledge and education are expansive, and they are wonderful resources for the mental health community. To learn more about the differences between the two, you can read more here https://nursejournal.org/careers/psychiatric-nurse/psychiatric-np-vs-psychiatrist/. Finally, a primary care doctor, or family doctor, can also prescribe some psychotropic medications. They will typically only write scripts for more generalized mental health conditions such as SSRIs for anxiety or depression. In some cases, they may only provide a prescription for a short period of time then ask the client to follow up with a psychiatrist for the future of their mental health treatment. Another scenario is that the primary care doctor may only prescribe a medication if the client is actively in therapy as well. For situations where the mental health issues are more severe, they will typically not prescribe anything and require a client seek a psychiatrist for their prescription. Finally, an addiction psychiatrist is just like a mental health psychiatrist, but they have the added specialization of treating substance use disorders. Your therapist should be able to help you navigate the best option for your circumstances.

If you are considering medication for mental health treatment, it is important to remember that professionals are here to help you. Most important, if you begin medication, you should follow your doctor’s guidance. Should you desire to make changes, you need to let your doctor and therapist know. Medications often take time to work, and they can have an impact on your physiology and mood; so, you don’t want to make snap decisions to quit or re-start medications without medical guidance. Finally, it is a well-researched fact that psychotropic medications are most effective when combined with psychotherapy; which means the gold standard of mental health treatment when medications are being used to treat a condition is to pair it with good therapy.

You can go here to read more on this topic https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Treatments/Mental-Health-Medications

Gratitude…Not Just a Trend

May 29, 2021/0 Comments/in Anxiety, Louisville Health and Healing News, Mental Health, Recovery, Spirituality/by Louisville Health and Healing

Practicing gratitude sounds like a difficult task if you feel down, or worse…depressed. The last thing you want to do when you feel dejected and unhappy is hear someone tell you that “You should be thankful for…”

You might think, They don’t understand. It’s not that easy. You may even feel angry or betrayed by that person just for making the suggestion. These are normal thoughts to have when someone tries to shift your focus during a painful moment. Gratitude is going to make me feel better? The truth is, no. And yes.

During the onset of difficult emotions, it would be challenging to channel that energy into something positive. It would be like trying to pretend 20 degree weather felt like 75 degrees. However, the notion that positivity in the form of gratitude can make you feel better is equally true. It’s a matter of timing.

Gratitude is something that you practice daily. It’s something that you do so often it becomes an automatic thinking pattern. Over time, this practice re-trains your brain to focus on positive aspects of your life; particularly the small things that usually go unnoticed. Gratitude is not an In the moment quick fix to numb pain. In fact, when it comes to emotional pain, we actually need to feel it rather than numb it; but that’s a different conversation. The point is, Gratitude is something you do in preparation for the dark times. Practicing Gratitude is Preventative!

Does this mean practicing gratitude will prevent sadness, fear, anger, worry? Absolutely not. To be human is to feel those emotions, which is in truth a gift. Nevertheless, gratitude practices can reduce the impact of these emotions, meanwhile improving your ability to tolerate them. Imagine having the flu. Now imagine that if you did 10 jumping jacks per day–every day–you would minimize the symptoms of the flu and reduce its duration. Would you be motivated to do 10 jumping jacks per day? I guess it depends on whether or not you’ve ever had the flu.

But the fact remains, consistent practice of gratitude packs a huge punch when it comes to healing the mind. “The effects of gratitude, when practiced daily can be almost the same as medications. It produces a feeling of long-lasting happiness and contentment,” says Chowdhury, M.R. (May 26, 2021) The Neuroscience of Gratitude and How It Affects Anxiety and Grief, PositivePsychology. Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson (2005) explain that daily gratitude journaling reduces stress and improves sleep quality.

In fact, there are innumerous articles based on research across the world demonstrating the positive effects of gratitude. Some of which include being more optimistic, better decision making, improved physical health, better sleep, improved mood, and improved relationships.

So maybe you wouldn’t do 10 jumping jacks per day just to reduce the duration and intensity of flu symptoms–but would you write 1-3 things per day that you appreciate if it could actually make you … Happier?

Anxiety Counseling, Louisville Health and Healing

A is for Anxiety

October 26, 2018/0 Comments/in Anxiety, Mental Health/by Louisville Health and Healing

It’s that time of the year: The holidays are upon us.; the end of the school semester is upon us; daylight Savings Time is upon us. We are in the last quarter of the year. Do you feel it? Do you feel the anxiety of it all?

More Americans experience anxiety more than any other mental health disorder and that number is climbing. Maybe you experience anxiety daily or in certain situations. Or maybe you don’t. OR…maybe you don’t know if you experience anxiety.

For me, I’ve always had this unsettled part of me that is chomping at the bit for more. The anxiety I experience is a subtle gnawing at my unconsciousness that is very restless and unsettling. I’m generally anxious at any given time during the day (or night). My dentist said that I grind my teeth which means I have anxious energy that I am trying to release while sleeping. I believe that I used substances for the longest time to compensate for the anxiety I’ve had. I have never quite fit into my own skin. There is somewhere that I always need to go. Now, I have been better and more responsible at how I manage and decrease my anxiety but it still shows up randomly throughout my day and week.

What the hell is anxiety?

Excessive worry that is difficult to control
Could show up as perfectionism and the need to control situations
Restlessness or feeling on edge
Being easily fatigued
Difficulty concentrating and mind going blank
Irritability
Muscle tension
Sleep disturbance (trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or unsatisfying sleep)

Some of these symptoms come from The DSM-5. More than likely, if some or most of these symptoms resonate with you then you may be experiencing anxiety. Most of us experience some form of anxiety with varying intensity, frequency, and duration. Social anxiety is also very common and can lead to obsessive-compulsive behaviors like using alcohol and drugs to alleviate anxiolytic symptoms. It’s not uncommon for dependency on alcohol and drugs to develop as a result of self-medicating.

What if I have anxiety? I will offer a list of options for overcoming the anxiety that does not include medication. Most medications for anxiety only address the symptoms of anxiety. Plus, a lot of anxiety meds can be easily abused and can lead to addiction.

Try Neurofeedback
Mindfulness meditation
Low to moderate exercise
Limit caffeine and energy drinks
Avoid stimulants
EMDR therapy
Simple breathing exercises
CBD/hemp oil
Lower expectations for self and others
Try being playful and have fun

These are a few things that can have an impact on relieving symptoms of anxiety. Also, stop taking yourself so seriously and laugh a little! Laughter is good medicine.