Those who help you with the process of managing your depression could include your partner, a sibling, a parent, a close friend, your counsellor, and even those whom you meeting group support meetings. The roles that they have in the depression management process can vary, but the most important thing is that they are there to provide you with the support and strength that you need to face your depression head on.

Here are a few other ways that you can learn to effectively manage your depression and free yourself from the negativity that depression foists into your life.

Let Go Of Shame

There is no reason to feel ashamed of the fact that you have been living with depression. There is, unfortunately, too much of a social stigma attached to depression. It can often leave us feeling as though there is something wrong with us, something abnormal, and something that we should feel ashamed of. The truth is that with education and knowledge about depression comes a fair amount of knowledge about how this mental illness can affect anyone, from any walk of life.

Letting go of any shame that you feel about your depression will help you to better place yourself firmly on the pathway towards good mental health.

Maintain An Open Mind About Treatment

Just like your depression is unique from the depression, for example, that your neighbor is struggling with, every counsellor and mental health professional will have a different approach to your treatment. It can often take a bit of trial and error in order to find the best treatment and best treating professional to suit your needs. However, by maintaining an open mind about your treatment you’ll be much more receptive to those who can provide you with beneficial depression care.

From medications to meditation, there is a great variety of treatment choices that can help you with the treatment and management of your depression. Keeping an open mind will ensure that you are not excluding that could actually be the right solution for you.
It’s A Journey, Not A Destination

One thing that you should remember about managing your depression is that you very likely will need to stick with your treatments and medications that you are taking to ease your depression symptoms. It is the rare person who finds themselves “cured” from depression. Even if you have effectively removed your triggers and other sources of unhappiness from your life, you are still at an increased risk of relapsing into a depressed state.

What this means for you is that you can’t simply stop treatments, counselling, and medications because you feel much improved. If you are determined to ease up on medications and the frequency of your counselling, then you should do so under the guidance of those who provide your mental health care.

Managing your depression is a journey and a process. There are many things to consider about your treatment options so it is best to work closely with a counsellor you trust. Having that trusted person in your corner, helping you to duke it out with your depression, is going to make you feel much more empowered to take your depression on – head-on.
 

There are many misconceptions about therapy. Unfortunately, these misconceptions can lead individuals to put off getting valuable help from a compassionate therapist. Learning more about the benefits of counselling can help you to better understand how this might be the right choice for you.

There is no such thing as one-size-treats all approach to therapy. Every person and their life experiences make them unique. This means that the approach taken to help you through what you may be struggling with should also be unique and should be customized to meet your needs.

The following are just a few of the questions most often heard about therapy, along with answers you may find helpful.

Will I have to talk about my childhood? Only if you want to! Not all problems stem from issues in our childhood. While some of us most certainly can benefit from an examination of traumas and negative experiences in childhood, the truth is that many of us face problems that are a little bit more recent

Why can’t I just talk to my friends and family? You can most certainly turn to your social and family circles for guidance. In fact, it is highly encouraged to do so as it can prove to be very beneficial to have a good strong support network. However, consider what would happen if they are the primary source of your current stress? Also, some problems are simply beyond the help and understanding of someone who hasn’t been trained in helping with emotional and mental health issues. We all understand the value of advice from our loved ones. But sometimes we need guidance that is completely objective and is not tainted by an emotional history.

Will I always need therapy? Some people find benefit in long-term counselling while others are able to work through their problem(s) and move on in a relatively short amount of time. The length of your therapy will depend entirely on you, your comfort levels and the concerns that you are facing.

What if I have sensitive issues to discuss? Working effectively with a therapist requires the building of trust. It may take a little bit of time for the two of you to form a strong connection, or you may feel it immediately. However, once the trust has been established, you should be able to feel as though you can discuss any topic with your therapist who is now engaged and invested in your good mental and emotional well-being.

Here are just a few of the added benefits that you can find by working with a trained and experience therapist.

Therapists are impartial third parties, which makes the counsellor, impartial and objective.
Your therapist will not judge you for your choices, your lifestyle, or anything else that you may wish to discuss.
A good therapist will understand that some days you feel like talking about stress, life, and emotions, and other days you just want to talk about something else.  Your therapy will move at your pace, a pace that you feel most comfortable with.

You will never be bullied into discussions of difficult topics, you will be allowed to set the tone and the pace for your therapy.

Your therapist will offer you workable methods of coping with life, stress, relationships, and other difficult situations that require working through.

When you feel as though there is no way out of a situation, therapist can often see a little loophole that you could start to work on. That is the key benefit to being an impartial observer!

Your therapist will have undergone extensive training learning the best methods of conflict resolution, relationship counselling, stress and time management, and even working through unresolved PTSD and addiction.

Depressed? Struggling with anxiety? Looking for life direction? Going through a divorce? A therapist can help you to work your way through each and every struggle, using the most effective methods possible.

Learning a few tips for coping with your generalized anxiety disorder can help you to gain back control of a life that has otherwise been out your control. Working closely with your therapist, who can offer you a much wider range of coping skills, you can find the most effective means of coping with this anxiety disorder.
   
Tip One: Relaxation Techniques

When your anxiety symptoms are threatening to take a hold and disrupt your daily routine, you will find that your body has an acute physical reaction.

•    Your heart will start pounding
•    Your muscles will being to tense
•    Your rate of breathing will increase
•    Your blood pressure will rise

Compare these negative and frightening physical reactions to how your body reacts when relaxed.

•    Your heart rate will be steady
•    Your muscles will be relaxed
•    You will be breathing at a steadier rate
•    Your blood pressure stabilizes

By strengthening your ability to relax in response to stress and anxiety triggers, you will be in a better position stave off the symptoms of GAD. Some of the relaxation techniques that you might find beneficial include meditation, deep breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation.

Tip Two: Set Aside Time, Each Day

Every day, try to set aside at least thirty minutes for you to work on your relaxation exercises. The more that you practice your relaxation techniques, the better you will be equipped to swiftly combat the symptoms of your anxiety disorder.

Meditation techniques have shown to be hugely effective at reducing stress and, as a result, reducing the symptoms of anxiety. With regular practice, you will be able to effortless meditate to remove yourself from the anxiety that is threatening to overwhelm you. Anxiety can make your rate of breathing increase. This type of hyperventilation can cause you to feel dizzy, out of breath, light headed; these physical responses can also lead to even further anxiety and panic attacks. By taking steady deep breaths, and focusing on those breaths, you can gradually reverse your anxiety symptoms and find the relaxation you need.

Progressive muscle relaxation will not only help you to ease your muscle tension, but focusing on these types of exercises will help to provide a focus for your racing thoughts. In this technique, you will systematically tense groups of muscles and then release them. As your body gradually relaxes, your mind will be able to follow suite.

Taking a yoga class, or a Tai Chi class, can also help you to learn new techniques for meditation, relaxation, and also how to focus your attention on your breathing. The more positive techniques that you incorporate into your arsenal of coping skills, the better prepared you will be when the symptoms of your generalized anxiety disorder are escalating.

Tip Three: Re-evaluating Your Worries And Concerns

Perhaps the primary symptom of your GAD involves a feeling of constant worry and overthinking every process, every person, and every action. You worry about the people around you, you worry about going to a new place or having to talk to new individuals, you worry about the worst case scenarios that could potentially crop up and cause you no end of additional stress.

In short, you are trying to fix something that isn’t broken, mostly likely won’t break, and if it did break just a little bit, the worst case scenario that you have envisioned in your mind is highly unlikely to become a reality. Constant worrying and obsessing about the “what ifs” is hugely unproductive and can leave you flailing emotionally and mentally in situations that you might find challenging.

Constant fretting about those “what ifs” is not helping. There are much more productive and healthy means of coping with your anxiety and concerns, including the following.

•    Learning how to challenge and face your irrational thoughts head-on
•    Learning how to accept that your life is always going to have a level of uncertainty in it, no matter how hard you otherwise try to control it
•    Learning how to postpone your concerns and anxiety; putting them on the back burner, so to speak

Working with your therapist will help you to talk through the situations and other issues that trigger bouts of obsessive worrying and anxiety.

Tip Four: Calming Yourself, Self-Soothing

Individuals who live with GAD generally aren’t able to calm themselves down when their anxiety symptoms are starting to escalate. Learning more about how to self-soothe can make a remarkable difference in your symptoms and in your overall ability to cope with your anxiety.

One of the most effective methods for calming yourself down from escalating anxiety symptoms is to use sensory-based methods.

The following examples should help you to better understand sensory-based methods of self-soothing.

Sound: Turn on music that relaxes you or otherwise inspires you. Take in the sounds around you, whether it is the sounds of your office printer humming or the soft sounds of the wind brushing through the tree tops.

Smell: Find your favourite smells, the smell of freshly baked bread for example. Light an aromatherapy candle. Take the time to actually stop and smell those roses, or the jasmine!

Sight: Treat yourself to visually stunning images. You can visit your favourite museum or look at photographs from your last vacation, or even taking in the view outside of your home or office.

Touch: Envelope yourself in a soothing bath or wrap yourself in your favourite bath robe. Get a full body massage, or sit in the park or on the beach and feel the grass or sand between your toes.

Taste: Indulge in your favourite comfort foods; they are called comfort foods for a reason! Savour each bite! Cook your favourite meals or simply just enjoy a steaming cup of hot cocoa, tea, or coffee.

Tip Five: Establish Connections And New Healthy Lifestyle Habits

Your anxiety is likely to escalate when you feel alone and feel as though you have no one to connect with. The more that you allow yourself to connect with others, the less anxious and alone you will feel. The downside to connecting with others, and in fact the reason that many try to avoid connecting, is that GAD can be responsible for problematic relationships.

•    Developing your support network of friends and family members is an essential part of knowing that you have someone you can trust to be there for you and help you when you are at your most vulnerable
•    Use your trusted friends and family members to help you regain your balance and perspective when your worries and anxiety are escalating
•    Avoid those who are less than supportive of helping you to break free from your anxiety. If your sister, for example, is likely to dismiss your worries, interject with her own, or otherwise make you feel worse, then she is not a good choice for you to lean on
•    Keeping a healthy body is a key part of keeping a healthy mind. Not only will a healthy diet that is filled with the good stuff your body needs help you feel good, but it can also help to stabilise your blood sugar which, in turn, will help to keep you from feeling more anxiety
•    Remove items from your diet that might contribute to your anxiety, and cause disruptions in your sleeping patterns. This could include caffeine, sugar, nicotine, drugs, and alcohol

Be sure that you are getting a good night’s rest. Anxiety and other mental health concerns can lead towards insomnia; however, a lack of sleep can also make your anxiety symptoms that much worse. It is a vicious cycle that can be ended with getting in your 8-10 a night.

There are numerous effective techniques that your therapist can help you to master. Simple self-soothing techniques that can make a very drastic difference in the way that you manage your anxiety are a key part to gaining control over your life. As you progress, discuss with your therapist the types of techniques that have been effective so that you can continue to work together towards the goal of you having firm control over your anxiety.
 

Working closely with your therapist can help you to develop a set of coping strategies that you can employ when most needed and can give you the support that will help you to face your phobias and ultimately work through them.

Tip One: Facing Your Fears

A person struggling with phobias will, naturally, do their utmost to avoid that which they fear the most. However, in order to successfully overcome the phobia, it is essential that you face your fears. This doesn’t mean that you need to dive right into being confronted by a pit of balloons if you have a fear of balloons! Just as total avoidance is less than effective, full frontal confrontation can be just as damaging.

Remember that the more you avoid your phobia, the bigger and the scarier it will become in your mind as your mind is then allowed to run away with your imagination!

Working closely with your trusted therapist, you will gradually learn to tolerate and expose yourself to those things that strike the most fear in you. Repeated exposure, done gently will allow you to confront your fear, confront your anxiety, and slowly gain more confidence about the situation. The phobia will start to lose the power that it has over you.

Here’s an example of how gradual exposure may work for you, and your fear of balloons. (Or dogs, cats, snakes, spiders, cars, etc.)

1. Your first step is to view pictures of that which you fear the most. Pictures of balloons, for example, can help you to overcome your initial anxiety felt when you first spy a balloon.
2. You should then watch a short video, or even music video, with balloons in it.
3. Viewing balloons from a safe distance should be your next step. They could be in a window display or could be across the park from where you are seated.
4. Gradually moving yourself closer to the balloons is going to be your next series of steps, taken as you feel most comfortable. Across the road, 10 meters, 5 meters, etc.
5. You should end by standing directly next to an individual who holds the balloon, without fear and anxiety rushing through you. You may feel a little bit excitable, but that’s fairly normal and expected
6. Holding the balloon, on your own, and being able to handle it without extreme terror and panic attacks is going to be your ultimate goal and one that you will gradually reach if you allow yourself to work at a steady pace of confronting your fears.

Consider this list as a “fear ladder” with the scariest actions being placed at the very tippy top of your ladder. The first few rungs on your ladder will be things that do make you a little bit nervous but not to the point where you are too afraid to attempt it. The items on the top of your list will be those things that you are simply too afraid to consider confronting at this point in time.

This type of list making can help you to gradually work through every situation that is associated with your phobia; effectively removing the fears, the fear of the unknown, and the anxiety that can accompany each phobia.

Practice confronting each and every step, or rung on your ladder, at a pace that works for you. Don’t rush yourself as this can quickly lead to you feeling overwhelmed and anxious.

Tip Two: Techniques For Relaxation

When you are faced with your phobias, you likely experience a series of physical symptoms that can make you feel even more anxious and afraid. By learning effective techniques for relaxation, you will be able to not only tolerate these physical symptoms, but you will be able to self-soothe yourself quickly to the point that you once again feel calm and in control.

Compare the two lists of physical reactions that you may see both when anxious and when calm and in control.

•    Your heart will pounding uncontrollably
•    Your muscles will tense up
•    You will start to take quicker breaths, almost to the point of hyperventilation
•    Your blood pressure will go up dramatically

Compare these negative and frightening physical reactions to how your body reacts when relaxed.

•    Your heart rate will be steady
•    Your muscles will be relaxed
•    You will be breathing at a steadier rate
•    Your blood pressure stabilizes
 
Practicing relaxation techniques is a powerful way to curb the physical symptoms that your phobias are inflicting upon you.

A Breathing Exercise

Deep breathing exercises can help you to regain control over your hyperventilating, heart-pounding body.

•    Sit in a comfortable chair, with your back upright against the chair’s back
•    Draw in a slow breath, counting to four, through your nose
•    Hold that breath in, counting to seven
•    Slowly but firmly exhale your breath through your mouth, counting to eight. Contract your abdominal muscles and exhale as much air as you can
•    Continue this inhale-exhale cycle as often as is needed for you to feel a lot calmer, centered, and relaxed
The more that you practice this relaxation technique, the better prepared you will be to utilize this method when you are faced with your phobias or are otherwise in a stressful situation.

Tip Three: Challenge Your Thoughts

Those who live with phobias tend to overthink their fears drastically. This means that they very often overestimate just how bad things will be if they are exposed to what they fear the most. The phobia then becomes this nameless, shapeless force that quickly dominates over your life and everything that you try to do.

Challenging your thoughts, and the way in which you approach your negative feelings about the phobia, can help you to better understand why you have this fear. The negative thoughts are generally unrealistic and do nothing but further add fuel to the furnace of your phobia.

Thoughts about phobias can often be categorized, which can also help you with the process of working through them. For example, there are the future predictions: “The dog is going to bite me.” Or “That person is going to make fun of me.” Then there are the overgeneralizations that can grow as much as your fear-fueled imagination allows them to. “A dog barked at me. All dogs are terribly aggressive and dangerous.” Or “That car is driving too fast. All drivers are dangerous; I can’t be on the road!”

The other category includes catastrophizing which means that even the slightest comment or thought can be blown up into a fear and anxiety-filled event. For example: “They turned on the fasten seatbelts sign. We’re going to crash!” Or “If I go on the highway, my car will be hit by a truck and we’ll all be horribly hurt!”

Working with your therapist can help you to come up with an effective strategy that will help you to confront and work through your negative thoughts.

Let’s take, as an example, the fear of a potentially aggressive dog. Look for evidence that contradicts your thoughts of “This dog is going to growl, attack, maul me, and I’ll wind up injured with rabies!”

•    Is the dog truly displaying signs of aggression?
•    Is the dog paying attention to you, or is it distracted by something else?
•    Is the dog on a leash firmly held by its owner?
•    Has this dog displayed aggression to any other people or dogs?

Then ask yourself what options you would have if the dog did decide to lunge towards you. What course of action could you take?

•    Could you politely ask the owner to take a firmer grip on the dog’s leash?
•    Could you remove yourself from the situation?
•    Could you defend yourself against the dog?

Is your line of thinking flawed? Do you have any evidence that this dog is going to attack you and aims to do you harm? Or are you predicting the future using fear-filled speculation? Think about what you may say to a close friend who is simply walking through the park and has a dramatic reaction to seeing a dog on a leash; would you tell them that the odds of the dog attacking them are very narrow? Would you tell them that their fears are unfounded and unrealistic, given that they have no evidence that this dog is aggressive?

Tip Four: Coping Statements

Working with your therapist, you can develop several positive coping strategies and reinforcing statements that will help you when you are confronted with your phobias. Some of these may include the following.

•    I have been in this situation before. It did not feel comfortable for me, but the feelings passed and I wasn’t harmed
•    If I have a panic attack, I can remove myself from the situation, use my breathing techniques, and refocus my mind until I am calm
•    I have been in dozens of elevators and have never once been in danger inside of one. Experience and statistics show that my fears of elevators are unfounded

It may take some time, and much practice, but you can learn how to cope with your phobias. Self-help tips, and working with your therapist, can help you to establish techniques that work best for you and your unique situation.
 

Working closely with your therapist, can help you to work through your depression and learn a set of management skills that will help you to keep your depression at bay.

Tip One: Educate Yourself

This is perhaps the most important tip that you could follow. Educating yourself about your depression puts you in the driver’s seat of control. Your symptoms of depression could be as a result of an underlying medical condition that should be treated prior to embarking on your depression treatment and management. If you are able to rule out medical issues as contributing factors to your depression then you can begin to focus fully on your treatment.

The more that you know about depression and your unique situation, the better you will be able to understand how to work through it. Additionally, by recognizing the situations and other triggers that could be contributing to your depression, you will ultimately be able to remove these factors from your life.

Tip Two: The Right Treatment

It can often take a bit of trial and error in order to find the right treatment plan that works for your unique situation. A huge part to learning how to manage your depression is to understand that your first counsellor might not be the best fit for you. Just as the first anti-depressant medication that you take might not be the best medication for you.

It is important that you don’t lose heart if you find that you don’t click well with your first counsellor or if the first medication you try doesn’t alleviate the symptoms of your depression. A vital part of managing your depression is to learn how to be flexible with your treatment plan. If something isn’t working, you need to feel comfortable in changing things up in order to find the right treatment.

Tip Three: Your Support Network

Depression can make you feel incredibly isolated from your friends and family members. If you are to gain control of your depression and of your life, you cannot do it on your own. The more that you allow your loved ones into your life and allow them to be a part of your depression management, the more you will be able to break away from the feelings of isolation and loneliness that your depression has inflicted upon you.

Your support network should extend past your circle of friends and your family members. Joining a depression support group is an excellent means of adding to your network and it also gives you a safe haven in which you can freely discuss issues on your mind, get support, and even provide support to others in similar situations.

Take up new hobbies, take a few classes, expand your mind and at the same time you’ll expand your social and support network to include additional people who can be there when you need someone to guide you through a difficult patch.
And don’t forget, your counsellor is your best support ally in the treatment and management of your depression!

Tip Four: An Improved Lifestyle

It may seem impossibly simple, but the reality is that good management of your depression can often mean changing your lifestyle for the better. Some of the changes may be drastic compared to your current lifestyle, while others may seamlessly fit into your routine.

Here are just a few of the lifestyle changes that can help you to manage your depression.

Eating a well-balanced diet can make a great difference and not only for your mental well-being. When your body is being fed healthy and nutritious food your energy levels will go up, your mood swings will be minimized, and you’ll soon see an improvement in your overall mental health.

Getting in a good amount of exercise can be a hugely effective part of managing your depression. Exercise doesn’t just do your body good but it can help to boost several chemicals in your brain that can be just as effective as some types of antidepressants. A walk around the block or just taking the stairs at work can make a great difference to your physical and mental well-being.

When you work closely with your counsellor you will be able to identify those things in your life that are causing you undue stress. An excess of stress in your life can have a huge impact on your depression and, in fact, can worsen the symptoms of your depression. Finding the best methods of reducing your stress can be a challenge, especially if it means reducing work stress or stress that is coming from a difficult relationship. However, your counsellor can help to guide you towards the right decisions that work for your unique situation.

Getting a good night’s rest is perhaps one of the best things that you can do for your body and your good mental health. Depression can drastically alter sleeping patterns so it is important that you do your utmost to get yourself into a good nightly routine so that you can get in those 8-9 hours a night! Without enough sleep, you’ll find that sleep deprivation will turn you into a bear – a bear that is moody, depressed, and just downright miserable to be around.

Getting a firm grip over your depression isn’t going to happen overnight. Managing your depression is very likely going to be a life-long journey for you. The good news is that you don’t have to embark on this journey all on your own. With the guidance of your loved ones and the therapist with whom you feel comfortable, you will soon come to an understanding of the best methods of management of your depression. Remember that you’re not just taking control over your depression. You’re taking back control of your life.

The Cost Concern
Cost is always a concern, no matter who you are. However, when you are considering the cost of counselling, you should approach it with this mindset: counselling is an investment in yourself and in your future happiness. It can also be helpful to consider just how much the issue that you need help with is costing you. For example, if you are struggling with depression or anxiety, it could be affecting your job performance. You might be taking time off from work, which could be resulting in lost income. Carefully consider how much your areas of concern are truly costing you. This can make the investment in your emotional and mental health make a lot more sense!

Bad Experiences In The Past

It can often take some time to find the counsellor with whom you click! If you have had a bad experience with another counsellor, you should not abandon your goals to get the professional help that you need. Each counsellor tends to have a unique approach and unique treatment plans. Take the time to research and discuss your situation with several counsellors so that you can find the person who seems like they’ll be the best fit for your unique situation.  Be sure that you always select a counsellor who belongs to a national governing body, like the BACP. This will ensure that your selected counsellor follows a strict code of ethics. Don’t let your negative past experiences cloud your goals of getting valuable therapy that can positively impact your future.

The Social Stigma

There is still, unfortunately, a fair amount of social stigma attached to the need for counselling. However there are increasing numbers of people, from all walks of life, who are seeing the benefit of counselling. There is also an increase in professionals who are referring individuals to counselling, from doctors, insurance providers, workplaces, and even universities. There are even charities that provide counselling to those in need; they have long waiting lists of those who are reaching out for counselling.

The bottom line is that the social stigma is no longer what it used to be. Don’t let a perceived stigma keep you from receiving beneficial therapy.

A Sense Of Denial

All too often, people are in denial about the fact that they have a problem that needs to be addressed in counselling. Being in denial can keep you in a stagnant situation that will not allow you to move forward in a positive manner. By accepting that there is a problem and reaching out for professional care, you will be in a much better position to move forward with a life that is within your control, and a life that will allow you to attain your goals.

Fear Of Counselling

One of the most common barriers that people face tends to be related to their fear about what might be discussed during counselling sessions. Some are concerned that delving into their past will be the primary focus; however, you will have control over what issues are discussed during counselling. Your therapist will have a very unique approach to treatment; however the focus is likely to be on your todays and your tomorrows. Once you enter into a long-term counselling program, your therapist will then be able to help you to find a connection between your past and your current situations.  Keep in mind though that you will have the ability to guide your treatment plans and you will be able to communicate to your counsellor when you are not comfortable with a topic or area of focus.

No matter what reasons are driving you towards counselling, whether because you are under stress, are depressed, or just need help to regain focus on your future, counselling can help you to see an improvement in your self-esteem, your self-worth, and can also help you to make the right choices for yourself – today and tomorrow.

Let’s take a look at some of the best coping tips that you can incorporate into your own life so that you might be able to find a level of relief from this otherwise debilitating panic disorder.

Tip One: Getting Professional Care

When you work closely with your therapist, you will learn several valuable techniques that can provide you with the skills you need when panic attacks are triggered. It is important to note that working with a medical professional who can prescribe beneficial medications should be a part of your treatment plan.

There are several medications, including antidepressants and antianxiety medications that have shown to be hugely promising in preventing and reducing the severity of panic attacks. Working with a psychiatrist can allow you to find just the right medication for your unique needs.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, in addition to beneficial medications, has shown to be incredibly effective at treating panic disorders and panic attacks in general. By focusing on the behaviors and patterns that trigger the panic attacks, you should be able ultimately view your fears in a realistic and logical light. As an example, CBT will have you identifying your triggers and working through just what it is about those triggers that is setting off your panic.

Another aspect to your therapy may include exposure therapy that will directly expose you to the physical sensation of panic that you will experience. Doing so in a controlled and safe environment will give you the chance to develop your healthy skills needed to cope with the panic.

With frequent exposure to sensations similar to panic, you will gradually find yourself better prepared to handle each sensation. This, in turn, will allow you to gain a greater control over the panic.

Tip Two: Recognize And Reduce Triggers

With your therapist’s guidance, you will be able identify the triggers for your panic attacks. The more that you understand about your panic attacks, the more control you will have over them and the way in which they affect you. Remember that knowledge is power! You can gain power over your panic attacks by having the knowledge about why you are experiencing them, how they feel, and how you can work towards breaking free from them.

By recognizing the things that set off your panic attacks, you can also effectively reduce these triggers from your life. Stress can play a huge role in your panic attacks, not just as a trigger for them but also as a contributing factor to the severity of your panic attacks. If you can reduce the stress in various areas of your life, you will be able to control how frequent and severe your panic attacks are.

Tip Three: Relaxation Techniques

By learning techniques to help you relax, you can help to condition yourself to respond in a healthy manner when the symptoms of your panic attacks start to appear. Your symptoms may vary between attacks, just as they may vary greatly between someone else who struggles with them. However, some of the symptoms and sensations that you may struggle with include the following.

• Hyperventilating
• Chest tightness and pain
• Dizziness
• Heart palpitations
• Shaking

Relaxation techniques that include learning how to focus on and control your breathing can help you to get some relief from the above symptoms. Working closely with your therapist, you will be able to learn great techniques that can get you through these oftentimes scary side effects of a panic attack.

Other relaxation techniques can help you to understand what it means to have control over your body. Yoga and meditation, for example, can help you to become mindful of your surroundings while also helping you to connect with yourself. Progressive muscle relaxation, a technique that involves the clenching and released of targeted groups of muscles, can also help you to relieve the symptoms of your panic attacks.

The more you practice your relaxation techniques, the easier it will be to call on them when you feel the first symptoms of a panic attack making themselves known. It may take a bit of time to determine which technique works best for you. Working with your therapist can help you to hone your skills and fine the best methods of relaxation.

Tip Four: To Your Health!

Avoiding stimulants is advisable for someone who lives with panic attacks as they can often be responsible for panic attacks and can also increase the severity of them. Caffeine and nicotine are two stimulants that are often thought of as being relatively safe. However they can provoke panic attacks, which certainly is not helpful for someone who is already susceptible to them.

Illegal drugs should of course also be avoided. Not only because their reaction on your body can sometimes be unpredictable but because they can also kick off a panic response. The same holds true for diet medications and even cold medications.

Eating a well-balanced diet and getting enough exercise, and of course getting adequate sleep, is another way to ensure that you can maintain control over your panic attacks. With the strong connection between your body and your mind, the healthier your body is the easier it will be to have a healthy mind and overall mental state.

Your therapist is going to be your biggest ally in your fight against your panic attacks. From learning how to recognize your symptoms and your triggers to learning how to reduce and remove the triggers from your life, and also how to control and stave off your panic attacks when they are threatening. By placing your trust in your therapist’s abilities, and keeping an open mind about your treatment, you will be able to regain control of your life. A life that is free from the grips of panic attacks.

Social drinking can be extremely pleasurable and, in moderation, may even have health benefits.  One snag is that, although alcohol initially acts as a ‘pick-you-up’ and mood – enhancer, it is ultimately a depressant so a heavy night drinking is likely to leave you feeling worse rather than better.  Also, the more you drink, and the more often you drink, the more of it you need to feel the same effects.  Over a period of time habitual over-consumption can have a wide range of consequences – social, psychological and physical.  Individuals often are not aware how much they are drinking or its impact on those around them.

It has been estimated that on a typical day 10,000 people in the UK seek help for their own, or a friend or relative’s alcohol difficulties.

Measuring your intake

If you are concerned about your drinking or that of a friend, there are simple things that you might want to bear in mind.  Consumption is normally measured in ‘units’. A unit is the equivalent of half a pint of 3.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) of beer, lager or cider. It is also equivalent to a 25ml shot of spirits of 40% ABV, or a small glass of wine at 9% ABV.

Provided that you have no liver damage, it will take about an hour for your body to break down and metabolize one unit. However, the concentration of alcohol in the bloodstream at any one time is dependent on many factors in addition to the amount you drink, such as body size, weight, stomach content, and rate of drinking. Women have consistently higher blood alcohol levels for the same amount ingested because of their lower body water component.

Safe Limits

It is generally believed that alcohol is safe to drink at levels of up to 2-3 units per day if you are a woman, 3-4 if you are a man (i.e. up to 2 pints a day). There is an increasing risk to your health if you are consistently consuming over these levels. After a period of intoxication, it is strongly advised that you avoid alcohol completely for at least 48 hours to allow time for liver damage to recover.

Binge drinking, i.e. drinking a great deal in one evening or over a short period such as a weekend is regarded as particularly hazardous to health.

Problems with Drink

Most people who drink at all will have experienced at least one episode of alcohol self-harm – a hangover! If you consistently drink fairly heavily, your tolerance to alcohol’s effects will increase and you run the risk of developing dependency. This may be physical, psychological, or (most commonly) both.

If you recognize the presence of two or more of the following, it is time to do something about it:

• Your drinking is occasionally out of control and becoming more so
• You are regularly drinking beyond safe limits
• You may be drinking more to achieve the same effect, or in the mornings, or on your own
• Your work may be suffering with difficulties in concentration, mood swings and having to contend with feelings of guilt
• Relationships with others may be dwindling, and your outlook and lifestyle restricted by a need to consume alcohol
• When you try to reduce intake you recognize sweating, tremors and anxiety.
• Most drinkers stop well short of dependency.

Attitudes to alcohol

Much of your drinking behaviour is dependent on context and environment.  Alcohol can readily become associated with some of the issues and transitions that you are trying to deal with at the time. Its ability to help you to relax, to reduce tension and to dis-inhibit, lends itself to being used to avoid or manage some difficult situations. Some of the issues involved may be loss, separation, sex, relationships, and responsibility. Drinking in the pub may give you a relaxed sense of community, but habit may make it hard to relax without it.

If you grew up in a family where alcohol was regularly misused, you will have experienced at first hand many of its ill effects. You may now find yourself experiencing feelings of alienation, dissatisfaction, or apathy. These may be related to the way you survived a possibly chaotic situation at home, and these feelings may resurface in an environment in which drink is so freely available.

Reducing or limiting intake

Here are some ideas that may help you to cut down your intake:

• Keep a diary of intake in units to clarify your pattern of use and quantities. Cutting down works best if you set limits for yourself that you feel you might reasonably stick to.
• Identify those occasions, times of day, companions, or moods when you are prone to excessive use.
• Rather than just focusing on reducing your alcohol intake, think about increasing some other activity. There are lots of different and novel opportunities to do something different whilst you are at university – use them; you may uncover an unknown aspect to your personality.
• The influence of others can be powerful, so use it to support yourself; friends may well have been concerned about you for some time.
• It can be helpful to write up a balance sheet of the pros and cons of drink, in order to clarify whether you are really determined to cut down.
• Drinking with food rather than instead of it can be important.
• It might also help to try to cut down your intake with the support of a group.

Helping Others

It can be extremely distressing if someone you care about is drinking at levels that give rise to problems for themselves or others. Although you can encourage and support them to make changes, it is they themselves who must ultimately decide (and be prepared) to do the changing. If you are particularly sensitive about alcohol (e.g. because of related problems in your family) it may be helpful to bear this in mind.  Some suggestions to help are:

• Allow space for them to talk about anything that may be bothering them
• Rather than labeling them, focus on the effects drink is having on others, as well as on themselves
• Make clear what behaviour is unacceptable to you and avoid arguments
• Do not cover up for them
• Ensure that the burden of support does not rest only on you, and that you have time for yourself too.

Seeking help

Reading this, you may begin to recognize aspects that are relevant to your present situation or to a situation into which you fear you may be slipping. Sometimes it helps to talk things over with someone else such as a counsellor, family member, friend or your doctor in order to disentangle your thoughts, feelings and actions.
Counselling – This can provide you with time and space away from normal day-to-day demands to explore what is going on for you and what could be the best way forward.  This can also help you to understand your own grieving process and look at ways to help you to cope and manage.

Useful organizations:

Alcoholics Anonymous

http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/

Al-Anon
http://www.al-anonuk.org.uk/
Offers support to relatives and friends of problem drinkers.

Causes of anxiety

Anxiety can occur in people from all backgrounds, any occupation, and at any time of life.  There is no one cause for anxiety for some people anxiety begins after a long period of stress that has gradually built up. Other people may feel they are not in control of certain aspects of their life, and may develop a general anxiety about the future.  Some people may have experienced stressful life events in the past and become anxious about encountering similar experiences in the future.  Some people appear to have a genetic predisposition towards anxiety; certainly there is an increased risk of developing anxiety problems if there is a family history of anxiety.  There is also evidence that anxiety problems can be caused by physical factors such as over-activity of the thyroid gland and can also be caused as a side effect of certain drugs including commonly prescribed antidepressants.  Anxiety is also a common symptom of withdrawal effects such as benzodiazepine and some recreational drugs.

Symptoms of anxiety

Anxiety can affect you both physically and mentally.

Psychological symptoms

Anxiety can cause a change in your behaviour, and the way that you think and feel about things.  Some psychological symptoms are:

Restlessness, Feeling ‘on edge’, Difficulty concentrating, Irritability, Easily distracted.

Physical symptoms

Anxiety can also affect you physically these can include:

Dizziness, Lethargy, Palpitations, Muscle aches, Dry mouth, Sweating, Shortness of breath, Stomach ache, Diarrhoea, Headache, Excessive thirst, Difficulty in falling, or staying, asleep.

What sort of help is available to me?

Most people diagnosed with anxiety are treated by their doctor, although a small minority of people may be referred to a psychiatrist, or a member of the local Community Mental health Team for more specialized help. Depending on your symptoms, the severity of the anxiety, and your circumstances, the doctor may suggest some form of talking treatment or medication or a combination of these treatments.

Anxiety treatment options

Medication – A variety of medications, including antidepressants and anxiolytic drugs, also known as minor tranquillizers, can be used to ease the symptoms of anxiety.  For some people medication is all that would be needed for others a better outcome is reached through a combination of medication and therapy.

Talking treatments – Talking treatments alone can be effective in treating anxiety for some people, for others a combination of talking treatments and drug treatment may be the most effective treatment. Talking treatments aim to help people recognize the stress factors in their lives, and work out coping strategies in order to be able to deal with these. A wide variety of talking treatments are available, ranging from counselling and psychotherapy to cognitive behaviour therapy.

Relaxation techniques – When practiced regularly, relaxation techniques such as meditation, muscle relaxation, controlled breathing, and visualization can reduce anxiety and increase feelings of relaxation and emotional well-being.   See my self-help guide for a Daily Relaxation Technique

Distraction Techniques – Anything that focuses your thoughts from feeling anxious can be a wonderful relief.  For example:  puzzles, crafts, gardening (even just pulling weeds), video/P.C games, light reading, TV, exercise and even housework.

Physical Activity – Many of the physical symptoms of anxiety can be attributed to an excess of hormones, such as adrenalin, in your system. Although it may be difficult finding the motivation to exercise, it can be very therapeutic to take part in physical activities. Jogging, swimming, sports; even brisk walking can help to use up any excess adrenalin.

Care for yourself – You will feel better if you are able to eat properly, if you don’t over do alcohol or drugs.  Keep in touch with family and friends.

Complementary therapies – The following are non-medical treatments that some people find helpful.  Massage can help to alleviate stress and anxiety making make you feel better.  Some people benefit from meditation, yoga, homeopathy and acupuncture.

Useful Organizations

SANEline
www.sane.org.uk
SANEline offers emotional support and information to those experiencing mental health problems, their families and carers.

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
web: www.bacp.co.uk
Directory of Counsellors and Psychotherapists.

British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP)
web: www.babcp.com
Directory of psychotherapists.

No Panic
web: www.nopanic.org.uk
Information and support line for people experiencing anxiety problems.

Find a quiet room where there are no distractions and there will be no interruptions.  You may wish to do the following exercise with some relaxing much such as classical or meditation music however you may prefer to do this exercise in complete silence.

Abdominal breathing:

Breathe in through your nose slowly to the count of five (count slowly as you inhale).

Pause and hold your breath to a count of five.

Breathe out slowly through your nose or mouth to the count of five (or more if it takes you longer). Be sure to exhale fully.

When you’ve exhaled completely, take two breaths in your normal rhythm, and then repeat steps one through three above.

Keep up the exercise for at least three to five minutes. Allow yourself to count higher as you go on, if this occurs naturally. If you start to feel light-headed, stop for 30 seconds and then start again.

Throughout the exercise, keep your breathing smooth and regular, without gulping in breaths or breathing out suddenly.

Optional: Each time you exhale, you may wish to say “Relax,” “Calm,” “Let go,” or any other relaxing word or phrase silently to yourself. Allow your whole body to let go as you do this.  If you keep up this practice, eventually just saying the relaxing word by itself will bring on a mild state of relaxation.

Muscle Relaxation Technique

1.    Sit comfortably in a chair with your feet flat on the floor slightly apart and your hands resting on your knees (if it is more comfortable, lie on the floor in the relaxation position, which is: lying flat on your back with your arms beside and a small distance away from your body, palms facing upwards, your legs straight and a little bit apart, feet falling outwards, chin tucked in a little so your nose is not sticking up in the air and your neck is straight, mouth closed and tongue resting behind your teeth with your eyes closed.

2.    Work your way through your body tensing and relaxing each part – beginning with your hands.

3.    Clench your left hand into a fist as tight as you can and hold it for a few seconds. Relax the clenched hand so it feels floppy. Tense and release your forearm, and then your upper arm the same way.

4.    Tense and relax your other hand and arm the same way.

5.    Move through each body part, tensing and relaxing each of your muscles (some parts will be easier to tense and relax than others).

6.    When you have tensed and relaxed all of your muscles, lie quietly for a moment and take several deep breaths with a long slow exhale.

7.    Wriggle your toes.

8.    Stretch your arms and hands.

9.    Blink and open your eyes.

Enjoy this feeling of relaxation.

Take your time before you resume your usual activities.