Each person is different, so anxiety can show up differently in everyone. Some people’s symptoms are worse and they even need to resort to medication and some cannot tolerate medication. Even though people have different experiences with anxiety, there are some facts about it, but also there are a lot of myths surrounding anxiety. Over the years anxiety, it’s causes and symptoms have been analyzed everywhere, a lot of the facts on anxiety became distorted, hence there is a lot of false information surrounding it.
The pandemic that has recently swooped into our lives definitely did not help with stress and anxiety. The sense of uncertainty creates tension, strong emotions and even difficulties maintaining attention. Even though social distancing can help fight the virus, it’s far from being a good practice for maintaining good mental health, which in the long term can cause serious problems.
In this article we are going to be talking about some of the myths surrounding anxiety in hopes that they can be pushed out of our society, as they often stop people suffering from anxiety from reaching out for help.
The only way to fight anxiety is medication
Quite often, when a person who is suffering from anxiety reaches out for help, they are prescribed medication and sent on their way. Even though medication does reduce the feeling of anxiety, it does not help with whatever is causing it, so the help that a person receives might be short lived. Of course, we are not saying that medication is bad and people should not opt for it. Medication should be used together with other anxiety relief practices, like cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation, breathing exercises and good quality sleep.
Therefore the myth that anxiety can only be fought with medication should stay a myth.
You can “Outgrow” anxiety
One of the biggest and most harmful myths surrounding anxiety is that it will just pass on its own. This is something that often keeps people from reaching out for help. Anxiety often comes in episodes, sort of like waves in the ocean, so sometimes it can seem like anxiety is reducing with time, but it can always come back even worse than before, therefore even if a person feels better, they should try and seek help. Finding practices that work for you, might help control your anxiety disorder without damaging your enjoyment of everyday life.
Anxiety is just a part of life
Studies show that in 2017 284 million people encountered anxiety, which makes it the most common psychological disorder in the world. In today’s society it is normal to rush around, work as much as possible and improve as quickly as possible. These things are not good for a person’s mental health. This type of lifestyle can make a person exhausted and constantly comparing yourself to others can make you feel like you’re not good enough and make you achievements seem unsubstantial.
Anxiety is just a part of your character
There aren’t two identical people in the world, everyone’s character is different. Some people are more sensitive than others. Some level of anxiety is natural and hard to avoid, but when it becomes so big that it interferes with your everyday life, that’s when it becomes a disorder. Therapy, medicine and alternative remedies can help reduce anxiety even in people, who are naturally more sensitive and anxious than others. Anxiety disorders can cause the most damage when they are neglected, or just written off as a part of a person’s character, in these cases the road to general well being can become long and arduous.
Anxiety is enhanced at night
There are many reasons why anxiety can feel worse at night. Everyday sources of stress, bad sleeping habits, overthinking. It’s paradoxical that anxiety is enhanced by bad sleep, while bad sleep can be caused by anxiety.
Psychologist Nichy Treadway explains that during the day people are distracted and focus more on their work and tasks, because of that, even though they can feel the symptoms of anxiety, they can “run away” from them by focusing on something else. At night all of those symptoms come back and there is nothing to distract you from them, sometimes making a person stay wide awake.
In cases like these there are a few ways to prepare yourself for restful sleep instead of a night filled with anxiety.
In our previous article we discussed some habits that can help you sleep better. One of them – introducing a weighted blanket into your bedroom. A weighted blanket is not only an excellent way to dive into deeper sleep, but also a way to reduce the feeling of anxiety, achieve a sense of security and finally relax.
