Anxiety Self Help

In recent years, anxiety has proven twice as likely as depression to strike adults. Anxiety occurs in varying degrees, from small, situational outbreaks, to serious mood disorders. The numerous types of anxiety are reflected in a nearly equal amount of treatment methods. Severe, prolonged anxiety that occurs as part of a mood disorder is treated through medications and therapy, just like major depressive disorders. Smaller, less debilitating forms of anxiety can often be countered with more simple methods, including self-help.

Anxiety self help can be administered in several forms. Just as with antidepressant medications, specific treatments may have more favorable results with one individual than with another, so experimentation may be necessary in order to find the best technique for the individual. However, all forms of anxiety, from common to severe, share at least one important self-help technique: maintaining the proper perspective. Anxiety and related mood disorders can cloud an individual’s self-perception, causing them to inadvertently sabotage their treatment by downplaying the positive results.

Self-Hypnosis as Anxiety Self Help

An increasingly popular method of anxiety self help is self-hypnosis. Self-hypnosis has shown to be effective in some cases in the overall reduction of anxiety symptoms. It has also helped many practitioners alleviate the symptoms of panic attacks. The actual process of self-hypnosis is similar to meditation, combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy. An individual focuses on repetitive prompts designed to strengthen the effect of the mind on the body. These prompts reinforce the individual’s control over the symptoms of anxiety. Ideally, self-hypnosis assists the individual to maintain this perspective, even when experiencing the symptoms, thereby preventing the symptoms from triggering additional stress.

Another type of self-help for anxiety involves repeated exposure to fears that may trigger the anxiety. This is done when an individual forces herself to confront her fears, whether physical, emotional, or psychological, in gradual, measured increments. The structured focus on specific anxiety-inducers desensitizes the individual, allowing her to gain a better degree of control over the symptoms.