We all experience temporary "worry/anxiety", it is a part of living. Our worries may relate to finances, school, work, study and relationships. A certain amount of anxiety is essential to motivate us to study for an exam or prepare for a work presentation. When anxiety is excessive and permanent, it can cause significant impairment in our ability to engage in many activities of daily living, impacting on our work, schooling and relationships and resulting in high levels of personal distress.
According to the World Health Organisation, a mental disorder is: "characterised by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotional regulation, or behaviour. It is usually associated with distress or impairment in important areas of functioning. There are many different types of mental disorders. Mental disorders may also be referred to as mental health conditions. The latter is a broader term covering mental disorders, psychosocial disabilities and (other) mental states associated with significant distress, impairment in functioning, or risk of self-harm. " (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders).
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) provides a classification system for a range of mental disorders, to help with diagnosis, treatment, identification of prevalence rates, aid research and contribute to the development of evidenced based treatments (DSM-V; 2013).
There are a range of diagnosable anxiety disorders in the DSM-V, including: phobias; Social Anxiety Disorder; Panic Disorder and Generalised Anxiety Disorder (DSM-V; 2013). According to the National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing (2020-2021); over 2 in 5 Australians between the ages of 16-85 have had a diagnosable mental disorder, with anxiety being the most prevalent disorder affecting 1 in 6 Australians https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/national-study-mental-health-and-wellbeing/latest-release
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a substantial increase in the use of mental health services across Australia, as a result of the pandemic and the restrictive measures to manage COVID. It has had major mental health impacts as well as long-term social and economic consequences (www.aihw.gov.au)
Top Tips to Manage Anxiety
Engage in regular aerobic exercise, for example walking, swimming, running or cycling. It is recommended that you try and engage in 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week (National Institute of Clinical Excellence Guidelines for Generalised Anxiety Disorder, United Kingdom) (https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/generalised-anxiety-disorder/self-help/) Regular exercise will help relieve tension and stress and will also increase your serotonin levels which is good for your mood. Doing exercise with others, may also help you feel more connected and less alone.
Decrease your caffeine intake, as caffeine can increase your heart-rate, thereby making your anxiety worse. It can also impact on your sleep
Watch your alcohol intake, as alcohol may alleviate for example social anxiety in the short-term, but it will exacerbate anxiety, and this is aside from the physical risks of drinking too much
Practice relaxation, which you can do through attending yoga or through breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, visualisation and mindfulness exercises. Beyond Blue has many helpful online resources which you can access here https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/staying-well/relaxation-exercises Headspace also has a number of resources you can access online https://www.headspace.com and search anxiety
Get a good nights sleep, watch this you-tube clip to see why sleep is so important for our mental health and well-being. It also includes incredible tips on how to get a better nights sleep https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbQFSMayJxk Professor Matthew Walker is a psychologist and neuroscientist and has written an excellent book called "Why we Sleep?"
Practice daily gratitude, write down 5 things you are grateful for. They can be small things, for example listening to the birds singing, enjoying the warmth of the sun, taking pleasure in eating something you enjoy. This can go some way in training your mind away from focusing on worrying thoughts to thinking more positively
Reach out to others, to stay connected and to try and reduce your sense of isolation. That could be a family member or a friend. Sharing how we feel can make a difference to our mood and sense of social isolation
Procrastination or avoidance is a key feature of anxiety. Notice how you avoid things that make you anxious and how this may relieve your anxiety in short-term but exacerbates it in the long-term. The old adage "face your fear and do it anyway", is crucial to tackling anxiety and building self-confidence and self-esteem. The only way through a fear of flying is to get on a plane.
These are a few things you can do for yourself. If this alone is not helpful, there are also online self-help treatments for anxiety, based on cognitive behavioural therapy, which you can access and work through on your own and also at times with the support of a therapist. Take a look at this program https://thiswayup.org.au/programs/generalised-anxiety-program/
If you find that your anxiety is not improving you may need to seek help from a qualified professional, for example a clinical psychologist, psychologist or psychiatrist. Prior to commencing medication for anxiety, it is recommended that you engage in a course of evidenced based psychotherapy. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has a strong evidence base for the treatment of generalised anxiety disorder. CBT focuses on how your worrying thoughts exacerbate your anxiety, and impact on your behaviour (avoidance of things that make you anxious). CBT will work on your thoughts and behaviours to help address your anxiety. Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT) has a promising evidence base for the treatment of depression and emerging evidence for the treatment of anxiety (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02668734.2015.1035740) DIT is a 16 session individual treatment approach for anxiety and mood disorders It has been developed to help individuals with emotional and relationship problems which are seen as contributing to their anxiety and depression (https://tavistockandportman.nhs.uk/care-and-treatment/treatments/dynamic-interpersonal-therapy/)
You may find that you would benefit from medication, if psychological therapy alone is not alleviating your anxiety. You would be encouraged to contact your GP and see if medication in conjunction with psychological therapy is required. The more widely used medications are SSRI's. Discuss this with your GP who will monitor you whilst you are on medication.
Where to get help?
You can look on the Australian Psychological Society's website under Find a Psychologist to identify a psychologist in your area (https://psychology.org.au) You can discuss a referral with your GP or undertake a google search.
If you would like to contact me to see if I am best placed to support you with your anxiety, please call me on +61412448626 or email me on monicakpsychology@outlook.com
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