Living with anxiety disorder in a peaceful and manageable way is possible with treatment and a commitment to recovery. If you’re living with anxiety, you might identify with some of these common struggles.
- Not Sleeping: Anxiety involves a lot of thinking. For those who live with an anxiety disorder of any kind, it can feel like too much thinking. Ruminating thoughts about the future, distressing thoughts about the past, and general extreme worrying or concern are common with anxiety. An overactive mind can lead to many sleepless nights spent tossing and turning trying to turn the brain off. Having a solid sleep routine and taking self-care measures to get ready for sleep can help ease the effect of anxiety.
- Social Anxiety: Not everyone who lives with an anxiety disorder will experience social anxiety specifically. Anxiety can come from any type of social interaction or a performance, like public speaking, giving a presentation, or being at a party. Large groups of people, having to perform or be put on the spot in front of other people, can all cause a high level of anxiety.
- Unable To Relax: Anxiety isn’t just a mental health disorder. Anxiety lives in the mind and the spirit as well. Muscle tension, physical stress, high levels of energy, and spiritual dis-ease are common with the experience of anxiety. Feeling anxious, worried, stressed, fearful, and concerned can get in the way of being present and fully relaxed in each moment.
- Low Self-Esteem: Anxiety is full of fear of how others judge or perceive the person with anxiety, which, in turn, causes more anxiety. Guilt and shame commonly accompany mental health disorders like anxiety disorder because someone is ashamed they aren’t “normal” and feels all the overwhelming things they do on a regular basis.
- Going Undiagnosed and Untreated: Unfortunately, many people who live with mental health disorders like anxiety disorders aren’t aware of what they are living with. They resort to simple labels instead of investigating the complexity of a mental illness. Living with undiagnosed and untreated anxiety can become debilitating and disruptive to everyday life. Sadly, many turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms and behaviors like substance abuse, eating disorders, self-harm, or others.
- “Analysis Paralysis”: Being predisposed to chronically over thinking, over worrying and over analyzing can lead to what is referred to as “analysis paralysis”. Being paralyzed by an inability to make a decision can get in the way of making simple choices and major choices in life.
Avalon By The Sea is one of California’s premiere primary mental health treatment centers. Providing luxury residential treatment to both primary mental health and substance use disorder clients, our serene estate is the perfect way to restore serenity and begin the journey to a lifetime of recovery. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call 1 888-958-7511.
