Better Sleep Lower Blood Pressure
“Eight days without a drink and I feel incredible. I woke up this morning and was just so happy to have no head pounding, no sweats, no guilt, no “Can I make it the four hours until liquor stores open?” feelings.”
“Haven’t listened to the little voice. Thinking about all the money I’m saving. The only issue besides the little voice is insomnia, but getting some sleep. One very positive thing is that my blood pressure and heart rate have come down to just about normal.”
“My first three days, my worst symptoms were: nausea, sweating, shaky hands, insomnia . Day 4 felt better, woke up on day five and my head felt really clear then got to work and had a huge bout of anxiety all day . Day six and seven much better. Slept like a baby, pulsing in left leg decreased.”
“Physically I feel fine now, but I still crave alcohol like crazy. That’s going to be the worst part.”
“Am on day eight and feeling great. My skin is clearing up, I am not anxious, paranoid, fearful, shaky, nauseous, instead, I am feeling clear-headed, stronger, my appetite has increased majorly. I have money in my pocket, my house is clean, already my relationships are better with my girlfriend and mother. The urge is still there but it comes and goes.”
“I feel great, although today is anxiety-ridden and sleep is still a problem because I think that the bottle or two of wine trained my brain to get sleepy early and I am trying to rewire it so that I can sleep. I get sleepy at 7PM and then am awake all night.”
Symptoms Of Anxiety Disorders
It may not always be easy to tell if your everyday anxiety has become an anxiety disorder. Anxiety can manifest in many forms, and diagnosis can take time. However, if you experience any of the following symptoms regularly, you may want to chat with your doctor:
- Restlessness or feeling wound-up or on edge muscle tension
- Fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating or controlling fear, worry or paranoia
- Irritability
- Sleep disruption
- Sudden and repeated attacks of intense fear
- Fear or avoidance of places where panic has occurred
- Cold, sweaty, numb or tingling hands or feet
- Heart palpitations
Stop An Anxiety Attack With Belly Breathing
Feeling short of breath is a hallmark symptom of an anxiety attack. But you can make the feeling worse by taking short, shallow breaths. Try belly breathing instead to stop the anxiety attack.
Carbonell compares the type of breathing youll need with the breathing of infants, whose bellies rise and fall with each inhale and exhale. When an anxiety attack starts, exhale deeply, loosen your shoulders, and focus on some longer, deeper inhales and exhales that let your belly rise and fall. Place one hand on your belly if you need to feel this happening.
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Shakes Numbness And Rashes
“At day 11, I still suffer from insomnia and itching, but the rashes are clearing, sweating nearly stopped, shaking almost gone, and my head seems a bit clearer too.”
“There are still some tiny tremors in my hands, and the neuropathy is down to just the toes instead of half of each foot.”
“I needed professional help as I had severe withdrawal symptoms of a DT nature with hallucinations, a possible seizure, and fear I would fall over dead any second. I went to ER and detoxed 5 days in the hospital.”
How Can I Best Cope With An Anxiety Disorder
There are several steps you can take to cope with anxiety disorder symptoms. These strategies can also make your treatment more effective:
- Explore stress management: Learn ways to manage stress, such as through meditation.
- Join support groups: These groups are available in-person and online. They encourage people with anxiety disorders to share their experiences and coping strategies.
- Get educated: Learn about the specific type of anxiety disorder you have so you feel more in control. Help friends and loved ones understand the disorder as well so they can support you.
- Limit or avoid caffeine: Many people with anxiety disorder find that caffeine can worsen their symptoms.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: Your provider is your partner in your care. If you feel like treatment isnt working or have questions about your medication, contact your provider. Together, you can figure out how to best move forward.
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Does Anxiety Ever Go Away
There is no absolute way to end anxiety. People cannot fix how their brain operates with a procedure the same way someone can cure a broken bone, a torn ligament or a weak heart.
Someone may experience severe anxiety during certain events of their life, like during pregnancy. Anxiety is usually caused by a combination of genetics and environmental factors, with the latter being the primary cause of the disorder. Since environmental factors are difficult to control, anxious symptoms can remain prevalent for long periods of time.
How To Calm Anxiety And Get Better Sleep
Although the impacts of anxiety disorders can be substantial, they are one of the most treatable mental health disorders. This doesnt mean that reducing anxiety is always simple, but there are treatments that can help.
Any person who has persistent or significant anxiety and/or sleeping problems should talk with a doctor who can best assess their situation and discuss the benefits and downsides of the potential treatment options in their case.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a common treatment for anxiety disorders. It is a type of talk therapy that works to reorient negative thinking, and it has had success in decreasing anxiety. Studies have found that CBT can often reduce anxiety even in people who have insomnia. Addressing anxiety can pave the way for better sleep, but severe cases of insomnia may persist after CBT for anxiety. CBT for insomnia may be a useful next step in these cases.
Several different types of medications are approved to treat anxiety disorders including anti-anxiety drugs, antidepressants, and beta-blockers. These medications are intended to mitigate symptoms rather than cure the underlying anxiety.
Because of the multifaceted relationship between anxiety and sleep, getting better rest may help combat feelings of anxiety. Building healthy sleep habits can make going to bed a more pleasant experience and facilitate a consistent routine to enhance sleep.
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Eric Suni
Staff Writer
Alex Dimitriu
Psychiatrist
Eric Suni
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How Can I Start The Day Without Smoking
Many smokers light up a cigarette right after they wake up. After 6 to 8 hours of sleep, a smokerâs nicotine level drops and the smoker needs a boost of nicotine to start the day. After you quit, you must be ready to overcome the physical need and routine of waking up and smoking a cigarette. Instead of reaching for your cigarettes in the morning, here are some tips:
- The morning can set the tone for the rest of the day. Plan a different wake-up routine, and divert your attention from smoking.
- Be sure no cigarettes are available.
- Before you go to sleep, make a list of things you need to avoid in the morning that will make you want to smoke. Place this list where you used to place your cigarettes.
- Begin each day with a planned activity that will keep you busy for an hour or more. It will keep your mind and body busy so you donât think about smoking.
- Begin each day with deep breathing and by drinking one or more glasses of water.
To Relieve Anxiety Talk Out Loud To Yourself
Give yourself permission to have an anxiety attack by saying the words out loud. Remind yourself that the attack will end, and it wont kill you or cause you to faint.
Carbonell says that understanding the physiology of fainting and reminding yourself of it is important. People faint when their blood pressure drops. A anxiety attack can make you feel like youre going to faint, but you wont because your blood pressure doesn’t drop during an attack. Remind yourself out loud of truths like these to counter your fears.
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You Can Manage Your Anxiety Disorder
Second thing: you can manage your anxiety effectively so that you arent bothered by it as often. Imagine your anxiety as a person living upstairs in your brain with a loud bullhorn. He is constantly shouting in your ear with a never-ending prattle of your most anxious thoughts and worries. Ignoring your anxiety doesnt make it go away the relentless thoughts just continue.
So what do you do? You have several options to manage your anxiety. Some treatment options include mindfulness exercises, therapy , medication , or an adolescent mental health treatment center that specializes in anxiety disorders.
After treating your anxiety, imagine the person in your head gradually shrinking down to a tiny little speck on the horizon. Now, they arent yelling anymore. Theyve been reduced to a whisper, which does come in handy every once in a while In this way, your anxiety is being effectively managed.
Can The Symptoms Of Vertigo Be Confused With The Symptoms Of Other Diseases Or Conditions
Yes, this is a common occurrence. Usually they are mistaken because of use of the word dizziness. Dizziness can refer to lightheadedness, which is not vertigo and is commonly produced by vascular problems. Dizziness also can mean vertigo, and there are very few causes of vertigo that do not come from the inner ear. Occasionally, rare types of strokes can cause vertigo, but these are usually associated with other neurological symptoms as well.
Read Also: How Are Anxiety And Depression Related
Gad Symptoms In Children
In children, excessive worrying centers on future events, past behaviors, social acceptance, family matters, personal abilities, and school performance. Unlike adults with GAD, children and teens often dont realize that their anxiety is disproportionate to the situation, so adults need to recognize their symptoms. Along with many of the symptoms that appear in adults, some red flags for GAD in children are:
- What if fears about situations far in the future
- Perfectionism, excessive self-criticism, and fear of making mistakes
- Feeling that theyre to blame for any disaster, and their worry will keep tragedy from occurring
- The conviction that misfortune is contagious and will happen to them
- Need for frequent reassurance and approval
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How Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome Related To Anxiety Disorders
Some people feel the effects of stress in their stomachs. People with IBS have uncomfortable problems with digestion, including stomach pain, constipation and diarrhea. They also frequently have anxiety and depression, which can make symptoms worse.
The connection between IBS and anxiety comes from the nervous system partly controlling the colon. The nervous systems response to stress may affect the stomach. Among people who get treated for IBS, anywhere from 50% to 90% may also have an anxiety disorder or depression. Treatment for IBS may include stress management and psychotherapy to relieve symptoms.
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How To Tell If Your Shortness Of Breath Is From Anxiety Or Coronavirus
Heres a peek into my nights lately: Its past midnight, and Im in bed having yet another panic attack, gasping for air, wondering if this is it. Is tonight the night that my worst nightmare comes true? Does my shortness of breath mean something is physically wrong with melike having the new coronavirusor am I yet again dealing with anxiety? Will the ambulance get here in time? Would there be space at the hospital for me if I needed to go? What if theyre out of ventilators? It feels like my throat is closing up my lungs arent working. Im going to die, and my funeral is going to have to be a Zoom meeting.
These kinds of thoughts arent anything new for me. Ive had anxiety since I was 12 and have experienced more nights like this than I can count.
When I first heard that the new coronavirus was spreading in China, I took notice but wasnt too worried about my own personal safety. But as days went by and I couldnt go on Twitter without seeing headlines about death, and as the outbreak officially became a pandemic, my health anxiety came flying out of the gates. It got even worse when every article I read about the new coronavirus mentioned a symptom I know all too well: shortness of breath. This is the main way my anxiety manifests physically. One day, I texted my sister, How the hell am I supposed to know if my shortness of breath is from anxiety or the coronavirus? If youre wondering the same thing, welcome to the extremely not-fun club.
Stay In The Moment To Relieve Anxiety Attacks
Although your gut response might be to leave the stressful situation immediately, dont. Let your anxiety level come down, advises Carmin. Then you can decide if you want to leave or if there’s a way to get back to whatever you were doing when the anxiety attack started. Staying in the moment will help you overcome anxiety, but its hard to do this at first.
Its one of the things I respect the most about people I work with, that they are taking the leap of faith and willing to do the things that terrify them,” Carmin says. “That takes a lot of courage.”
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How Can I Resist The Urge To Smoke When Im Having Coffee Or Tea
You may be used to smoking when drinking coffee or tea , and you may associate good feelings with drinking a hot beverage. When you give up smoking, expect to feel a strong urge to reach for a cigarette while drinking coffee or tea. Although you do not have to give up coffee or tea to quit smoking, you should expect that coffee or tea will not taste the same without a cigarette.
Here are some tips:
- If you used to smoke while drinking coffee or tea, tell people you have quit, so they wonât offer you a cigarette.
- Between sips of coffee or tea, take deep breaths to inhale the aroma. Breathe in deeply and slowly while you count to five, and then breathe out slowly, counting to five again.
- Try switching to decaffeinated coffee or tea for a while, particularly if quitting has made you irritable or nervous.
- Keep your hands busy by nibbling on healthy foods, doodling, or making a list of tasks for the day.
- If the urge to smoke is very strong, drink your coffee or tea more quickly than usual and then change activities or rooms.
- When you quit smoking, drinking coffee or tea without smoking may make you feel sad. Focus on what youâve gained by quitting.