Anxiety: The Place Where Stress feels Normal

Summer is a time to enjoy pool parties, outings, family, cookouts, adventures, and vacations. It is supposed to be a time of relaxation and fun. Summer, for individuals that experience anxiety, can instead be a time of increased symptoms and a time of year that is tolerated instead of enjoyed.

Anxiety is defined by American Psychological Association as “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure.” The thought process can be described as a feeling of a record being played over and over again on a record player that keeps getting stuck and seems to only increase in volume the longer that it plays. If the thought process was not enough to deal with, add the physical symptoms that your body experiences such as: dizziness, tiredness, strong, fast or irregular heartbeat, muscle aches, tension, trembling, dry mouth, excessive sweating, and shortness of breath.

Add to these already deliberating experiences, those who also experience an anxiety attack which can seem to come out of the blue and hit a person like a brick wall causing the individual to experience increased levels of stress, survived in life one thought at a time.

Anxiety is something most people experience on an occasional basis. Most feel a sense of worry about people or circumstances lasting a short while that has minimal impact on daily living, however for some individuals, anxiety is a constant state of being that makes even the smallest of tasks seem nearly impossible. Anxiety symptoms can be triggered by several things such as: caffeine intake, not taking care of oneself, not getting enough sleep, stress, money issues, social situations, work environment, relationship stressors, a messy room or area, or even loud noises.

Dealing with high levels of Anxiety can be a place where constant stress feels normal to those who have been living with it for a long period of time. The good news is that it does not have to be! There are several interventions which can reduce the effects of anxiety such as: journaling, affirmations, routine, deep breathing, Yoga, or exercise. An individual can learn to cope and effectively manage anxiety symptoms through treatment options of medication management, therapy, and/or working with a case manager to help reduce triggers or barriers that increase a person’s symptoms. Choose no longer to just survive but let us help you thrive. Visit us:

Northwest Behavioral Health Services
2392 N. Edgewood Avenue
Jacksonville, Florida 32254
904-781-7797