Anxiety is a peculiar feeling, and often people do not take it too seriously. But for some people, anxiety can be a significant problem that causes extreme physical reactions and can prevent a person from living their life normally. Before we investigate if positive affirmations for anxiety help you stop any negative thoughts, we take a closer look at what causes anxiety.
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Separation Anxiety Disorder
We usually associate separation anxiety with pets. If you cuddle your cat or dog like a baby, the animal can become so dependent that when you leave, they can not tolerate your absence. They exhibit extreme signs of stress, such as howling and destroying fixtures and fittings when you leave them.
Children too can sometimes find it difficult to be without a parent. It is normal for a toddler to be anxious and stressed when you leave them at a nursery. And many very young children also find going to school in the first few years to be highly stressful. We can see children with childhood separation anxiety clinging to a parent’s leg and refusing to join in with peers.
However, this can stretch into adulthood for some people. When loved ones are away, they create scenarios of them having accidents and fear they won’t return safely. They can be overbearing with their partners and have panic attacks when alone. Sufferers have difficulty sleeping alone and often refuse to leave the loved one. They can experience panic attacks as well as headaches, physical aches, and pains, and diarrhea when loved ones leave.
Those at risk of this disorder might have lost a loved one. Or, they have had overbearing parents and then find a change to college, for example, difficult to tolerate.
Adults are often diagnosed with a separation anxiety disorder when they have other conditions such as:
- Personality disorders
- Panic disorder
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Social anxiety disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Generalized anxiety disorder (or GAD) is a condition that makes a person worry in an exaggerated way and worry excessively about everyday life. Everyone worries, that’s part of life, but people with GAD worry disproportionately. A small debt might be a nuisance for a healthy person but can be a complete overload for an individual with GAD. Things at work and school make them worry so much that they make their lives a misery and this can affect them socially and their relationships.
Generalized anxiety disorder changes the way a person thinks and leads to several physical symptoms. Symptoms of GAD may include:
- Restlessness
- Being easily startled
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Crankiness
- Trouble concentrating
- Excessive, ongoing worry and tension
- A need to go to the bathroom frequently
- Feeling tired or weak
- Unrealistic view of problems
- Trouble falling or staying asleep
- Feeling of doom
- Trembling
- Sweating
- Feeling tired or weak
- Muscle tension
- Trouble swallowing
- Faster heart rate
- Breathing faster
Risk factors for generalized anxiety disorder can include environmental stress, brain chemistry, and genetics, but the causes are still not fully understood. Individuals with GAD often have other conditions, such as:
- Drug or alcohol misuse
- Panic disorder or phobias
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder,
- Clinical depression
Anxiety chest pain
Anxiety is the response is intended for our bodies to fight or flight a real-life issue, such as coming across an intruder. But it can occur when you don’t want it to happen and the response can be excessive.
Your body may tighten up or grow tense and physical reactions occur, such as sweating and an increased heart rate. In some cases, this can lead to muscle tension, and if it happens with chest muscles, it can be painful.
Anxiety chest pain can be described as:
- Burning, numbness, or a dull ache
- Chest tension or tightness
- Sharp, shooting pain
- Stabbing pressure
- An unusual muscle twitch or spasm in your chest
- Persistent chest aching
The first time a person suffers from anxiety chest pain, it is easy to think you are having a heart attack. Chest pain associated with a heart attack (that differs from anxiety chest pain) is a shortness of breath, constant chest pain, and pain radiating to other areas, including the jaw and the arms. If in doubt, call the emergency services.
Treatment
Treatment for all these conditions can include:
- Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
- Family therapy
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Medications, such as antidepressants, buspirone (BuSpar), or benzodiazepines
- Group therapy
All of these conditions are affected by the individual allowing their thoughts to race and run wild. They can picture terrible things happening to a loved one which then brings on panic attacks and physical symptoms, including anxiety chest pain. But mantras can be an effective remedy.
Do affirmations work for anxiety?
The mind is a powerful thing. However, it is impossible to think another thought when you are saying something out loud. Positive mantras can focus the mind and keep it from wandering to dark thoughts that are unhelpful and trigger physical symptoms.
What is good for calming anxiety?
When anxiety is all-consuming, it’s good to know there are various remedies and things you can do to relieve it. You can relieve anxiety naturally by:
- Staying active
- Stopping smoking
- Stopping drinking alcohol
- Meditate
- Aromatherapy
- Stopping drinking caffeine
- Drinking chamomile tea
- Getting some sleep
- Practicing deep breathing
- Eating a healthy diet
Can you subconsciously have anxiety?
Most of us have daily stress. Traffic, work deadlines, difficult work colleagues, family relationships, health matters, and financial concerns to name but a few. However, these stresses can mount up on a subconscious level. When this happens, we might suddenly feel overwhelmed and become anxious, fearful, sad, and panicky without really knowing what brought on the feelings.
Mantras for anxiety
You can use anxiety mantras in a few ways. Here are some ways to use them:
The easiest way is to get into a comfortable position and take deep breaths. Repeat the mantras as you take each breath, over and over.
Some people use prayer beads. Once again, take deep breaths, repeat the mantra, and then move your fingers onto the next bead, with each breath.
You can say the mantra out loud if you are alone. But if you are nervous and need a positive affirmation for anxiety and stress in your everyday life, saying the mantra subconsciously can be used instead. Here are four of the best simple little mantras that can help calm a panic attack and moment of extreme anxiety.
Positive Affirmations for Anxiety and Stress
Calm down
Tell yourself to calm down as you practice breathing deeply to slow down physiological reactions. Count to four, saying CALM as you breathe out and count to four and breathe in saying DOWN.
This too shall pass.
It’s hectic in a moment of panic. But you know it won’t last, and it’s temporary, so tell yourself this, and indeed it will pass, and sooner too,
All is well
The world has not stopped turning, you just got yourself stressed, so tell yourself that ALL IS WELL as you breathe slowly and deeply taking in lots of air.
Thank you
Anxiety and panic attacks are brought about by concentrating on bad and fearful things. But it is not all bad, you have lots of things you can be grateful for. Breathe deeply and say thanks for all the good things that will take your mind from the bad.
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