Anxiety: The Place Where Stress feels Normal

By: Heidi L. Fretheim, BA, MACC

Summer is a time to enjoy pool parties, outings, family, cookouts,

adventures, and vacations. It is supposed to be a time of relaxation and

fun. Summer for individuals that experience Anxiety, can instead be a

time of increased symptoms and a time of year that is tolerated instead

of enjoyed.

Anxiety is defined by American Psychological Association as “an

emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and

physical changes like increased blood pressure.” The thought process

can be described as a feeling of a record being played over and over

again on a record player that keeps getting stuck and seems to only

increase in volume the longer that it plays. If the thought process was

not enough to deal with add the physical symptoms that your body

experiences such as dizziness, tiredness, strong, fast or irregular

heartbeat, muscle aches, tension, trembling, dry mouth, excessive

sweating, and shortness of breath. Add to these already deliberating

experiences those who also experience an Anxiety Attack which can

seem to come out of the blue and hit a person like a brick wall and you

have an individual having increased levels of Stress who survive in life

one thought at a time.

Anxiety is something most people experience on an occasional

basis. Most feel a sense of worry about people or circumstances lasting

a short while and has minimal impact on daily living. However, for

some individuals Anxiety is constant state of being that makes even the

smallest of tasks seem nearly impossible. Anxiety symptoms can be

triggered by several things such as caffeine intake, not taking care of

oneself, not getting enough sleep, stress, money issues, social

situations, work environment, relationship stressors, a messy room or

area, or even loud noises.

Dealing with high levels of Anxiety can be a place where constant

stress feels normal to those who have been living with it for a long

period of time. The good news is that it does not have to be. There are

several interventions which can reduce the effects of anxiety such as

journaling, affirmations, routine, deep breathing, Yoga, or exercise. An

individual can learn to cope and effectively manage Anxiety Symptoms

through treatment options of Medication Management, Therapy,

and/or working with a Case Manager to help reduce triggers or barriers

that increase a person’s symptoms. Choose no longer to just survive,

but let us help you thrive:

Northwest Behavioral Health Services

2392 N. Edgewood Avenue

Jacksonville, Florida 32254

904-781-7797