Understanding and Managing Anxiety: Coping Strategies & Resources

Anxiety is a normal emotion that everyone experiences. Excessive anxiety is the chief symptom of generalized anxiety disorder. According to the DSM-IV, a person who experiences anxiety for a period of six months along with restlessness, sleep disturbances or irritability may have generalized anxiety disorder (i.e. GAD).

Relaxation

• Take a time out when you feel overly anxious. Visualize yourself in a calm and serene environment where the stress triggers don't exist. Take a nap if at all possible. If you experience anxiety attacks frequently at work, explain to your boss that you may need an extra break every now and then. Avoid stimulants such as caffeine.

Therapy

• Consult a therapist if relaxation doesn't help. Your therapist will help you identify the triggers of your anxiety and deal with them. This may involve exposing you to that trigger until it no longer interferes with your life. The therapist will also be able to differentiate normal anxiety from GAD.

Medication

• Ask your doctor to help you get through your anxiety with medication. There are many safe medications that will alleviate anxiousness quickly. Short term medication may help you to work through your anxiety with the therapist.