7 Habits That Conquer Anxiety and Depression

Considered by many to be the most pressing mental health problem of our day, anxiety disorders affect nearly twenty percent of the U.S. population. Their close connection with depression makes treating these often chronic illnesses even more challenging. Arguably the most effective form of treatment is one that helps patients manage their symptoms over an entire lifetime. As such, these plans often include many different tactics for dealing with anxiety and depression. Here are seven that should help.

1. Speak To A Therapist

The more you think about your illness, the more anxious you become. Why is this? It may be because anxiety has no single, simple cause. As a result, it is impossible for us to ever fully understand it. What we can grasp, however is, are the things that are likely to exacerbate our symptoms. A trained psychotherapist is an expert at helping patients identify and cope with daily stressors. He or she can give you the tools you need to take control of your life, one day at a time.

2. Write It Down

Writing in a diary or journal can give you greater insight into your disorder. Not only will it help you relieve stress by getting things out in the open (at least with yourself), it can also help you identify unhealthy patterns of behavior. For example, you may notice that you get more anxious or depressed the day after a heavy drinking session. Writing also helps you express things you might be too embarrassed or ashamed to share with a therapist.

3. Stick To A Schedule

For obvious reasons, uncertainty is one of the most common triggers for anxiety. Sometimes simply thinking about the unknown is enough to cause a full-blown panic attack for some anxiety sufferers. The only proven way to reduce this risk is to maintain a healthy, regular routine. Your daily routine should include exercise, socializing, and other enjoyable activities that take your mind off your problems.

4. Depend On Friends

One of the most common mistakes anxiety sufferers make is hiding their illness from others. As you might expect, this often makes them more anxious because they worry about being "found out." Although there are some thing you might choose to keep to yourself, talking with friends and loved ones about your disorder is often a good idea. You might also consider joining a support group if you want to talk with others who know what you're going through.

5. Catch Some Z's

Probably the most common symptom of both anxiety and depression is that people either get too much sleep or not enough. As a result, they often feel tired, run-down, and drowsy all day long. Sleep problems also tend to exacerbate the most aggressive symptoms of both disorders, including anger, irritability, self-loathing, appetite loss, and reckless behavior. A healthy sleeping pattern, on the other hand, has been shown to boost your mood by promoting feelings of well-being.

6. Sweat It Out

In addition to its numerous health benefits, exercise offers real and impactful emotional benefits. These are so helpful, in fact, that some anxiety sufferers are able to manage most of their symptoms through daily exercise. This is particularly true for people who engage in socially active forms of exercise such as aerobics, yoga, or Pilates.

7. Find Safer Medications

Most anxiety sufferers take pills to help them manage the most unpleasant symptoms of their disorder. Unfortunately, many of the top names cause as many problems as they solve. This is particularly true if a person is struggling with both anxiety and depression. In this instance, they often have to take several prescription pills, each with its fair share of side effects. Tianeptine solves this problems in a single pill. What is it?

If you haven't heard the name before, you're not alone. Made in France, Tianeptine is a prescription medication that treats both anxiety and depression. It is also one of the only proven antidepressants that does not have sedative properties. As such, you can safely take it at anytime. Widely available online, the drug is high effective, yet strangely underused.

By Brandon Kamins

7 Habits That Conquer Anxiety and Depression 2015-06-11T16:30:00-07:00 Rating: 4.5 Diposkan Oleh: Admin