By Barbara Stepko — 2021
Symptoms and causes of this common condition and how it’s treated
Read on www.aarp.org
CLEAR ALL
I began having anxiety attacks in high school. The scariest part was that I really didn’t know what they were at first. Because of my personality, which is more Type-A organized, it would have been easy to allow them to take over my life and become debilitating.
Fear is one of the most powerful emotions. It has a very strong effect on your mind and body.
Do fear and anxiety keep you from dealing with unavoidable situations and emotions? These expert tips will help you overcome a paralyzing pattern of behavior.
In 1987 psychologist Francine Shapiro developed a new type of psychotherapy known as EMDR, which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. EMDR therapy has become a more common treatment in recent years as a treatment option for people suffering from anxiety, panic, PTSD, or trauma.
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In many ways, anxiety is a healthy response to an external stimulus. We should be in a heightened or aroused state when we give a speech, fly in a plane during times of intense turbulence, or encounter a potential threat from a neighbor's Rottweiler who has broken lose from their yard.
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Think back to the last time some issue weighed heavily on your mind. Something negative happened, and it triggered a flood of anxious thoughts.
Anxiety can be a sign to pay attention and bring your A-game. You can turn it into drama, a false cataclysmic feeling or you can use it as a performance enhancement tool. Here are the three primary sources of anxiety and what to do about it.
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If your symptoms are interfering in your daily life—sabotaging your sleep, keeping you from getting any work done, or causing you to feel hopeless—it's time to consider that you may be experiencing anxiety or depression (or both, as they often go together).