Understanding and Overcoming Anxiety

By Maria O’Driscoll

Life can throw curveballs at us and it is how we cope with unpleasant unexpected events that shapes our personality and decision-making. For a person living with anxiety, those situations which others take in their stride seem horrendously overbearing, to the point that anxiety forces people into being reclusive and excessively self-critical.

Anxiety is often compounded by a lack of effective treatment. Some anxiety sufferers might decline treatment or, upon seeking treatment, be told that they are exaggerating their problems.

This ignorance from medical professionals is inexcusable in an age where mental health issues have become so prominent, especially amongst teenagers and young adults.

It’s important to recognise the distinction between everyday anxious feelings and deep-rooted anxiety. It’s standard for people to feel worried about situations such as money issues, preparing for important events or making a fool of themselves in front of an audience.

The person with anxiety becomes so stressed about everyday situations that they shy away from completing what seem to be basic tasks. The person with anxiety feels so daunted by social interaction, even in informal settings, that they do all they can to avoid interacting with others, which can trigger a life of isolation and depression.

If you suffer from anxiety and you summon the courage to speak to just one person about it, that could be the difference between overcoming this horrible psychological disease and being overcome by it. Talking to someone about your anxiety allows them to support you in your fight to conquer your problems, while they could offer a fresh perspective that enables you to look at life in a very different way.

The infographic below from Union Quay Medical Centre outlines the main warning signs and reasons for anxiety, plus advising on how you can deal with anxiety problems in a constructive manner.

Sourced from http://www.unionquaymedicalcentre.ie/health-screening.html

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About The Author

Defying Mental Illness

Chuck and Zoe are the founders of Defying Mental Illness (DMI), a Community Interest Company. Guest bloggers have played a very enriching role in making this website a highly recognized website for mental health advocacy. To contribute a blog, please contact us.

Defying Mental Illness – Put a Full Stop, is an organization with a mandate to reach out to those faced with mental health challenges to help them not only defy the disease, but also put a full stop to the stigma and discrimination. Chuck and Zoe are often invited to speak on various platforms including radio and television.

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