Anxiety Psychological Services Calgary Helps You Deal With Anxiety Disorder

By Karyn Shields


Anxiety is a condition that ails many people. For starters, anxiety is not bad in itself. It is a perfectly normal reaction to situations worth the reaction. The problem starts when it is so excessive that it takes control of your life. Usually, it is a symptom; muscles feel tensed, state of panic etc. At this point, it is wise to consult anxiety psychological services Calgary for professional help.

Anxiety disorders come in several forms. Phobias are a fear of events, things or situations which never go away. Post traumatic disorder develops following a terrifying event causing victims to constantly relive the trauma through recollections and nightmares when they sleep. Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by excessive worrying, lasting at least six months long and accompanied by fatigue, restlessness and insomnia.

Prolonged uneasiness is generally characterized by excessive worrying. A lot of people worry about money, work, school, health etc even when there is nothing really to worry about. Another symptom is avoidance. Patients tend to avoid situations which cause them to become anxious which does not help. Patients may also be irritable, suffer sleeplessness, fatigue, trembling and headaches. Other people may find their muscles tense or urinate more frequently than normal.

If you have any of the above symptoms, consult a psychologist. Once you do so, an appointment will be scheduled and during the first session, you will be required to describe your symptoms. Based on the symptoms, the doctor will diagnose your condition appropriately and offer help. The psychologist may prescribe medication or psychotherapy sessions or both.

Medication is given if the disorder is mild or to support psychotherapy sessions. Medicines do not get rid of the anxiety as they do not get to the root of the problem but help alleviate the symptoms as psychotherapy is sought. Medicines should be prescribed only by your doctor and include antidepressants, SSRIs and beta-blockers.

Other cases demand psychotherapy sessions to explore the cause of the disorder. Psychotherapy is therapy in form of dialogue with a trained professional to discover the cause of the mental disorder and deal with the symptoms. Such therapies include Cognitive-behavioral therapy which helps patients change their way of thinking and how they react to situations that cause them to become anxious.

There are other effective skills a patient may employ to help deal with the condition. Self care and self help skills are important. Self care includes adequate sleep, exercising and eating healthy. Self help skills include proper time management, meditation, communication and positive self talk. For example, preparing adequately for a school test that may cause you to be anxious helps prevent the condition.

In the event of an anxious episode, take deep breathing and constant reassuring yourself that you can handle it. Try to focus on other things and not yourself and also the times when you dealt successfully with the situation at hand. This does not always help but a professional like a psychologist always helps. Their training is focused on helping patients deal with such episodes. Over time, after a successful therapy, the attacks become rare and may also go away for good.




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