Managing Anxiety, Adult

After being diagnosed with anxiety, you may be relieved to know why you have felt or behaved a certain way. You may also feel overwhelmed about the treatment ahead and what it will mean for your life. With care and support, you can manage this condition.

How to manage lifestyle changes

Managing stress and anxiety

Stress is your body's reaction to life changes and events, both good and bad. Most stress will last just a few hours, but stress can be ongoing and can lead to more than just stress. Although stress can play a major role in anxiety, it is not the same as anxiety. Stress is usually caused by something external, such as a deadline, test, or competition. Stress normally passes after the triggering event has ended.

Anxiety is caused by something internal, such as imagining a terrible outcome or worrying that something will go wrong that will devastate you. Anxiety often does not go away even after the triggering event is over, and it can become long-term (chronic) worry. It is important to understand the differences between stress and anxiety and to manage your stress effectively so that it does not lead to an anxious response.

Talk with your health care provider or a counselor to learn more about reducing anxiety and stress. He or she may suggest tension reduction techniques, such as:

• Music therapy. Spend time creating or listening to music that you enjoy and that inspires you.
• Mindfulness-based meditation. Practice being aware of your normal breaths while not trying to control your breathing. It can be done while sitting or walking.
• Centering prayer. This involves focusing on a word, phrase, or sacred image that means something to you and brings you peace.
• Deep breathing. To do this, expand your stomach and inhale slowly through your nose. Hold your breath for 3–5 seconds. Then exhale slowly, letting your stomach muscles relax.
• Self-talk. Learn to notice and identify thought patterns that lead to anxiety reactions and change those patterns to thoughts that feel peaceful.
• Muscle relaxation. Taking time to tense muscles and then relax them.

Choose a tension reduction technique that fits your lifestyle and personality. These techniques take time and practice. Set aside 5–15 minutes a day to do them. Therapists can offer counseling and training in these techniques. The training to help with anxiety may be covered by some insurance plans.

Other things you can do to manage stress and anxiety include:

• Keeping a stress diary. This can help you learn what triggers your reaction and then learn ways to manage your response.
• Thinking about how you react to certain situations. You may not be able to control everything, but you can control your response.
• Making time for activities that help you relax and not feeling guilty about spending your time in this way.
• Doing visual imagery. This involves imagining or creating mental pictures to help you relax.
• Practicing yoga. Through yoga poses, you can lower tension and promote relaxation.

Medicines

• Antidepressant medicines. These are usually prescribed for long-term daily control.
• Anti-anxiety medicines. These may be added in severe cases, especially when panic attacks occur.

Medicines will be prescribed by a health care provider. When used together, medicines, psychotherapy, and tension reduction techniques may be the most effective treatment.

Relationships

• Consider going to couples counseling if you have a partner, taking family education classes, or going to family therapy.
• Therapy can help you and others better understand your condition.

How to recognize changes in your anxiety

• Have better concentration and focus. Worry will interfere less in your daily thinking.
• Sleep better.
• Be less irritable.
• Have more energy.
• Have improved memory.

It is also important to recognize when your condition is getting worse. Contact your health care provider if your symptoms interfere with home or work and you feel like your condition is not improving.

Follow these instructions at home:

Activity

• Exercise. Adults should do the following:
  • Exercise for at least 150 minutes each week. The exercise should increase your heart rate and make you sweat (moderate-intensity exercise).
  • Strengthening exercises at least twice a week.
• Get the right amount and quality of sleep. Most adults need 7–9 hours of sleep each night.

Lifestyle

• Eat a healthy diet that includes plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and lean protein.
  • Do not eat a lot of foods that are high in fats, added sugars, or salt (sodium).
• Make choices that simplify your life.
• Do not use any products that contain nicotine or tobacco. These products include cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and vaping devices, such as e-cigarettes. If you need help quitting, ask your health care provider.
• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and certain over-the-counter cold medicines. These may make you feel worse. Ask your pharmacist which medicines to avoid.

General instructions

• Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your health care provider.
• Keep all follow-up visits. This is important.

Where to find support

• Self-help groups.
• Online and community organizations.
• A trusted spiritual leader.
• Couples counseling.
• Family education classes.
• Family therapy.

Where to find more information

• Mental Health America: www.mentalhealthamerica.net
• Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA): www.adaa.org
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): www.nami.org

Contact a health care provider if:

• You have a hard time staying focused or finishing daily tasks.
• You spend many hours a day feeling worried about everyday life.
• You become exhausted by worry.
• You start to have headaches or frequently feel tense.
• You develop chronic nausea or diarrhea.

Get help right away if:

• You have a racing heart and shortness of breath.
• You have thoughts of hurting yourself or others.

• Call your local emergency services (911 in the U.S.).
• Call a suicide crisis helpline, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or 988 in the U.S. This is open 24 hours a day in the U.S.
• Text the Crisis Text Line at 741741 (in the U.S.).

Summary

• Taking steps to learn and use tension reduction techniques can help calm you and help prevent triggering an anxiety reaction.
• When used together, medicines, psychotherapy, and tension reduction techniques may be the most effective treatment.
• Family, friends, and partners can play a big part in supporting you.