The worst thing to say to someone with anxiety is to calm down or that their thoughts are irrational, telling them to think positively and not to be silly. It's not that we don't think positively. It's just that anxiety overrides it.
DON'T bring up the anxiety often. This is a tricky one - while you want to be there to talk about it, there are some anxieties, like panic attacks, that can be triggered by thinking about it. In other words, if you ask someone "how are your panic attacks?" you may accidentally trigger an attack.
First, you may want to start with a simple deep breathing exercise called the 5-5-5 method. To do this, you breathe in for 5 seconds, hold your breath for 5 seconds, and then breathe out for 5 seconds. You can continue this process until your thoughts slow down or you notice some relief.
gently let them know that you think they might be having a panic attack and that you are there for them. encourage them to breathe slowly and deeply – it can help to do something structured or repetitive they can focus on, such as counting out loud, or asking them to watch while you gently raise your arm up and down.
Do keep lines of communication open. When it comes to helping someone with anxiety, it is important to keep an open line of communication with them. ...
The four levels of anxiety are mild anxiety, moderate anxiety, severe anxiety, and panic level anxiety, each of which is classified by the level of distress and impairment they cause.
Severe anxiety may require a combination of treatment strategies to be successful.
Mild Anxiety. Although often described as sub-clinical or clinically non-significant, mild anxiety can impact emotional, social and professional functioning. ...
If an anxious friend decides to confide in you, show you support them. Validate, rather than minimize, their experience. If you don't have an anxiety disorder, avoid offering advice without listening to your friend. Tell them you're there for them, ask how you can help and listen to what they have to say.
Anxiety becomes more common with older age and is most common among middle-aged adults. This may be due to a number of factors, including changes in the brain and nervous system as we age, and being more likely to experience stressful life events that can trigger anxiety.
Factors that may increase the risk of developing panic attacks or panic disorder include: Family history of panic attacks or panic disorder. Major life stress, such as the death or serious illness of a loved one. A traumatic event, such as sexual assault or a serious accident.
Anxiety disorders are the most common of mental disorders and affect nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lives. But anxiety disorders are treatable and a number of effective treatments are available.
Severe anxiety often causes avoidance, a type of behavior people use to escape uncomfortable feelings. It can mean physically avoiding something, such as crowds, or by declining invitations to events. In some cases, avoidance can lead to life choices like not preparing for a presentation due to feelings of nervousness.
The emotion of anxiety itself is not a mental illness. Most people experience anxiety at different times in their lives. You may experience anxiety before making a presentation at work or school.
Most anxiety attacks last between a few minutes and half an hour. ⁴ They will usually reach their peak in about ten minutes. ⁴ Of course, during an attack, time feels slower, and ten minutes may feel like an hour. There is also the possibility that a person might have several panic or anxiety attacks back-to-back.
An anxiety emergency or extreme panic attack may require an ER visit if the sufferer is unable to get it under control. Extreme cases of hyperventilation can lead to tachycardia, an occurrence where the heart is beating so fast that it is unable to properly pump blood throughout the body.
Hot showers can even help reduce stress and anxiety because the heat can stimulate the brain's release of a hormone called oxytocin, which is known to be correlated to anti-stress effects, or relaxation [1].
