Laura L. Smith - Anxiety For Dummies

Be careful if you have triskaidekaphobia (fear of the number 13), because we’re giving you 13 phobias to match!

Answers: 1. E, 2. H, 3. A, 4. K, 5. M, 6. B, 7. D, 8. F, 9. L, 10. G, 11. C, 12. I, 13. J

As we say earlier in this chapter, most people simply choose to live with anxiety rather than seek professional help. Some people worry that treatment won’t work. Or they believe that the only effective treatment out there is medication, and they fear the possibility of side effects. Others fret about the costs of getting help. And still others have concerns that tackling their anxiety would cause their fears to increase so much that they wouldn’t be able to stand it.

Well, stop adding worry to worry. You can significantly reduce your anxiety through a variety of interesting strategies. Many of these don’t have to cost a single cent. And if one doesn’t work, you can try another. Most people find that at least a couple of the approaches that we review work for them. The following sections provide an overview of treatment options and give you some guidance on what to do if your self-help efforts fall short.

Untreated anxiety may cause long-term health problems. It doesn’t make sense to avoid doing something about your anxiety.

Anxiety symptoms appear in three different spheres, as follows (see the earlier section “ Recognizing the Symptoms of Anxiety” for more details on these symptoms):

Thinking symptoms: The thoughts that run through your mind

Behaving symptoms: The things you do in response to anxiety

Feeling symptoms: How your body reacts to anxiety

Treatment corresponds to each of these three areas, as we discuss in the following three sections.

One of the most effective treatments for a wide range of emotional problems, known as cognitive therapy, deals with the way you think about, perceive, and interpret everything that’s important to you, including

Your views about yourself

The events that happen to you in life

Your future

When people feel unusually anxious and worried, they almost inevitably distort the way they think about these things. That distortion actually causes much of their anxiety. In the following example, Luann has both physical symptoms and cognitive symptoms of anxiety. Her therapist chooses a cognitive approach to help her.

Luann, a junior in college, gets physically ill before every exam. She throws up, has diarrhea, and her heart races. She fantasizes that she will fail each and every test she takes and that eventually, the college will dismiss her. Yet, her lowest grade to date has been a B–.

The cognitive approach her therapist uses helps her capture the negative predictions and catastrophic outcomes that run through her mind. It then guides her to search for evidence about her true performance and a more realistic appraisal of the chances of her actually failing.

As simple as this approach sounds, hundreds of studies have found that it works well to reduce anxiety. Part 2of this book describes various cognitive or thinking therapy techniques.

Another highly effective type of therapy is known as behavior therapy. As the name suggests, this approach deals with actions you can take and behaviors you can incorporate to alleviate your anxiety. Some actions are fairly straightforward, like getting more exercise and sleep and managing your responsibilities. You can get good ideas on those actions in Chapter 11.

On the other hand, a more critical type of action targets anxiety directly. It’s called exposure and feels a little scary. Exposure involves breaking your fears down into small steps and facing them one at a time. We cover exposure in Chapter 9.

Some people, with the advice of their doctor, choose to take medications for their anxiety. If you’re considering that option, be sure to see Chapter 10to help you make an informed decision.

Anxiety sets off a storm of distressing physical symptoms, such as a racing heartbeat, upset stomach, muscle tension, sweating, dizziness, and so on. Making a few tweaks to your lifestyle such as increased exercise, better diet, and adequate sleep help a little. But our primary recommendation is to figure out how to approach distressing physical symptoms with an accepting attitude. Chapter 8offers guidance on what’s called mindful acceptance.

We suppose it’s not too presumptuous to assume that because you’re reading this book, you or someone you know suffers from anxiety. And you’d probably like to tackle anxiety. This book is a great place to get started on managing your anxiety.

The good news is that a number of studies support the idea that people can deal with important, difficult problems without seeking the services of a professional. People clearly benefit from self-help. They get better and stay better.

Then again, sometimes self-help efforts fall short, especially when anxiety is moderate to severe in intensity. Chapter 23provides ten critical signs that indicate a likely need for professional help. See Chapter 4for information about finding the right professional for you.

If you do need professional consultation, many qualified therapists will work with you on the ideas contained in this book. That’s because most mental health professionals will appreciate the comprehensive nature of the material and the fact that most of the strategies are based on well-proven methods. If research has yet to support the value of a particular approach, we take care to let you know that. We happen to think you’re much better off sticking with strategies known to work and avoiding those that don’t.

In Chapters 18, 19, and 20, we discuss how to help a child or an adult loved one who has anxiety. If you’re working with a friend or family member, you both may want to read Part 5, and probably more, of this book. Sometimes, friends and family can help those who are also working with a professional and making their own efforts.