Dear Dr. Norquist:
Can you give me some advice about handling my anxiety? I’ve had anxiety on and off for years, but since 9/11 it’s much worse. It had subsided for a few months last year, but with the threat of war with Iraq this week, it has returned full force. Again, I have trouble sleeping. I’m always on edge, ready for some catastrophe. Because of the threat of terrorism, I’m nervous around planes, in subways, and in crowds. I’ve gained 20 lbs. in the past 1½ years. Mostly, it’s this constant feeling of dread that gets to me. It’s like something constantly hanging over my head, some danger or some disaster continually around the next corner. What can I do to lessen my anxiety?
Dr. Norquist responds:
Managing your anxiety will require making a commitment to certain lifestyle changes and a certain amount of time each day spent on stress management techniques. Space does not allow me to elaborate on many of the techniques. What’s important is that you take some time to discover what works best for you, in terms of its effectiveness for you and the ease with which you can integrate it with your lifestyle.
Ideally, stress management should be addressed on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels. On the physical level, it’s important to engage in some kind of regular aerobic exercise to regulate and express the excess energy that is coursing through your system. Yoga would be an excellent addition as it can be quite aerobic and still let you experience relaxation. Deep abdominal breathing can be practiced daily, and used in moments when your anxiety is mounting. Progressive muscle relaxation (Jacobson’s Technique) is helpful (along with stretching exercises) to prepare your body for restful sleep at the end of a stressful day. Helpful natural sleep aids include melatonin, valerian root and coffee cruda (a homeopathic remedy). The quality of the food you ingest each day (and the state you are in as you eat it) affects your body’s ability to manage stress and anxiety. Caffeine, sugar, and alcohol all have a negative physiological and emotional effect on your stress level. Try to maintain a balance diet rich in whole foods, vegetables, and protein. Acupuncture is also extremely helpful for relieving stress and anxiety.
Meditation, a daily walk, or quiet time observing nature can be helpful in calming the overactive mind – which is such a prevalent and harmful symptom of anxiety. To control your anxiety, it is essential that you learn to tame your mind. If you allow yourself to obsess on thoughts that feed your fears, your body will continue to create the sensations associated with dread. Try to reframe your thoughts, focusing on a realistic, positive, pro-active perspective. Practice letting go of negative thoughts. When you experience bodily sensations that you associate with dread and fear, remind yourself that what you are feeling is just a habitual physical reaction.
On an emotional level, it is important to incorporate play and fun into your life – through activities and through your attitude. Humor is so healthy and health enhancing. Certain Bach Flower remedies (especially rescue remedy and mimulus) are very helpful in relieving anxiety. Bach Flower remedies are homeopathic-type remedies carried by most health food stores. Lavender oil and tangerine oil can be used on the skin or misted in a room to provide a relaxing and uplifting effect on the spirits. And don’t forget to explore music’s ability to affect your emotional state. You can consciously use your favorite music to induce a state of joy, relaxation or inspiration. "Hemisync" music (produced by the Monroe Institute in Virginia) is engineered to induce specific brain wave patterns for deep sleep, alertness or relaxation.
One of the most powerful ways of handling your dread and anxiety is through your spiritual beliefs. We all have a need for a framework with which to understand the world and our place in it. Our spiritual/religious beliefs give meaning to our lives, and encourage the healing qualities of faith, hope and inspiration in your life. If you are unsure as to your spiritual beliefs, this would be a good time for you to explore this aspect of who you are.
If your anxiety interferes with your daily functioning in troublesome ways, if you are chronically sleep deprived, and your efforts to apply some of the above mentioned advice do not provide relief, then I’d suggest that you consult a psychiatrist or your Internist with regard to psychotropic medication. Many people find anxiety-reducing medication extremely helpful in restoring a sense of ease to their lives. This is especially true for those who have a prior history of trauma, a chaotic or alcoholic early family life, or early life physical/emotional safety concerns.
Rest assured that you are not alone in your struggles with anxiety. Because of the current world situation, this is an anxiety-laden time for many, many people. I hope you can experience some solace through incorporating some of the above mentioned anxiety/stress management technique into your life.
(Dr. Sallie Norquist is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice and is director of Chaitanya Counseling and Stress Management Center, a center for upliftment and enlivenment, in Hoboken.)
Dr. Norquist and the staff of Chaitanya invite you to write them at Chaitanya Counseling and Stress Management Center, 51 Newark St., Suite 202, Hoboken, NJ 07030 or www.chaitanya.com or by e-mail at drnorquist@chaitanya.com, or by fax at (201) 656-4700. Questions can address various topics, including relationships, life’s stresses, difficulties, mysteries and dilemmas, as well as questions related to managing stress or alternative ways of understanding and treating physical symptoms and health-related concerns. Practitioners of the following techniques are available to answer your questions: psychology, acupuncture, therapeutic and neuromuscular massage, yoga, meditation, spiritual & transpersonal psychology, Reiki, Cranial Sacral Therapy, and Alexander Technique Ó 2002 Chaitanya Counseling and Stress Management Center