ANXIETY BY NKECHI IKOH

Health Edition

Dear readers, have you ever been in any situation that caused you anxiousness? Have you bulged a lot or found your palm sweaty  and your speech stammered? It is called Anxiety!
Anxiety  is an unpleasant emotional state characterized by physical arousal and feelings of tension, apprehension and worry.

It often hits during a personal crisis telling us something is not quite right. When it alerts one to a realistic threat, it is adaptive and normal. For example anxiety about losing a loved one may make you to keep him or her at all costs. It shows one either to devalue or value a person or a subject. 

Anxiety has both physical and mental effects.
Physical effects are; sweaty palms, dizziness, confusion, stuttering, being unable to sleep

Mental effects are, passing out gas often at midnight, bulging often, extreme mania ( unusual excitement).

Anxiety can be in fact normal! A groom watching his bride walk down the aisle is sure to sweat , perhaps cry a little, just  at the sight of her. It is a show of anxiety mixed with excitement, he is unable to hide his joy.

Anxiety is a disorder when, it begins to affect everyday living. It is maladaptive when one's reaction to anxious situations is out of proportion to the actual importance of the situation. 

Some situations in which anxiety could arise are :

*When a family man has no money.

*When a Jambite awaits his or her result. 

*When a graduate finishes school and finds that a lot of industries have no vacancies for him or her. 

*When a man wants to propose to his girlfriend. 

*When a secondary student is being bullied by His or her mates 

*When a student does not know math like the others. 

*When a single mother or father does not know where the next meal will be coming from

*When an individual cannot handle colleagues at work due to inability to relate with them. 

*When an individual cannot understand others rapport and gets attention through anger or silence.

These situations cause a generalized anxiety disorder, which means worrying about anything and everything. People with this disorder are constantly tense and anxious.

Ways of coping with Anxiety

* Eat well-balanced meals. Do not skip any meals. Do keep healthful, energy-boosting snacks on hand.

* Limit alcohol and caffeine, which can aggravate anxiety and trigger panic attacks.

* Do your best. Instead of aiming for perfection, which isn't possible, be proud of however close you get.

*Accept that you cannot control everything. Put your stress in perspective: Is it really as bad as you think?

*Welcome humor. A good laugh goes a long way.

*Maintain a positive attitude. Make an effort to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

* Recognize false alarms:
The fear of your boyfriend leaving: so you get pregnant, the fear of failing an exam you have to pass to graduate: so you cheat, the fear of relationships: so you get extremely careful with male friends, that their invitations to events are turned down,: are all false alarms.

OK, take a deep breath, these false alarms are only the body's natural response to fear or love arousal. You will eventually fall in love with a male friend.

The exam isn't all that difficult. If you read, cheating should be unnecessary .

That boyfriend may not or may be in love with you, why don't you let him give you a hint. This worry is a threat as you have consciously realized, so let them all pass. 

*Breath it out:
You may notice that when your body is tense, you hold your breath. Where is your breath? In the wind? Where is your mind? In your worry? Bring them together, listen to the sound and movement of your breath. Call it back if wandered somewhere else. Concentrate on breathing in and out.

*Make peace with time:
When you are a worrier, all is an emergency. Listen: the anxious arousal is only temporary. Every feeling of panic  comes to an end and eventually wears itself out.

Have a blessed day dear readers