Helping sufferers of Anxiety:

General Anxiety Disorder GAD is a long term condition, where one has become anxious about lots of aspects of their life. When suffering from GAD, the person's anxiety is now seriously interfering with their daily life. This can include constant anxiety aswell as suffering from anxiety and or panic attacks.

Tips to help GAD Sufferers

1. It is important they feel supported particularly when suffering an anxiety or panic attack.

2. It is important they understand what is happening. Symptoms such as feeling faint, palpitation and tunne vision is simply the body releasing stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol as it would in a threatening or stressful situation .

3. It is vital they learn to relax. Relaxation Techniques practised regularly over a few months can have tremendous results. If they are experiencing an episode or attack, remind them they are safe and do everything you can to encourage them to relax, get them to imagine a relaxing place and if sitted get them to imagine their body is getting heavier and heavier start with their shoulders and chest.

4. Healthy Thinking and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is extremely helpful in changing negative patterns of thinking that trigger the anxiety response. One often starts to believe many every day generally safe situations as dangerous, expecting the worste case scenario.

Learning to Relax

involves various strategies including therapeutic and engaging hobbies also reduce stress and anxiety, taking your mind away from your worries and problems whilst encouraging the body into a more relaxed equilibrium than the constant mind and body chatter seen in high anxiety.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

CBT is a highly effective form of therapy widely used tohelp treat anxiety, depression and general negative thinking. It involves teaching the client skills on changing negative and ruminative thinking. Sufferers find CBT more effective as a long term solution, as it tends to reduce further relapses.

by Eileen Burns, Stress-Coach www.stress-coach.co.uk  first printed March 6/3/12