Health Stress and Anxiety

Archive for July, 2008

I noticed many years ago that in the fall season, I always started feeling quite blue for no apparent reason.  I would sleep more at night and feel tired all the time.  I would generally feel morose or sad, but couldn’t quite put my finger on the feelings.  Today they have a name for the disorder.  It’s called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).  It’s a real diagnosis and has very real symptoms.  The interesting thing about anxiety is that it can occur on many different levels.  But if you have another anxiety disorder or depression, SAD can aggravate the situation even more.

Apparently SAD is primarily caused by lack of light.  Sunlight contributes to the production of hormones in the brain.  When you don’t get enough sunlight, the hormone levels drop and you can experience anxiety.  Some people call it the “winter blues” too.  The treatment for this disorder is obviously to get more light by getting outdoors more during the day or using extra indoor lights.  I also moved my reading chair and my desk near a window, and I make sure the blinds are fully open all day long when I’m home.  I’m sure you can think of other things to do that will help you get through the seasonal blues.

I started having trouble sleeping when I reached the age of 45.  There was really no reason for it that I could pinpoint.  I just started sleeping restlessly and for fewer hours.  It made me really tired.  It got to the point where I would have a hard time staying awake at my work computer every day around 2 PM.  The situation worsened though when I began to develop anxiety.  Now I was tired and anxious which made it almost impossible to work.  I realized when my sleeplessness began to interfere with my work I needed to do something about it.

The first thing I had to do was reduce the stimulants in my diet which unfortunately meant giving up most of my coffee.  But I also did a number of other things.  For example, I started exercising more which helped me sleep at night.  I also began a routine at bedtime I follow to this day.  No matter how tired I am or how much I have on my mind, I read right before falling asleep.  But I only do leisure reading.  This helps me clear my mind of the day’s worries.

I have a very mild anxiety condition that doesn’t cause me major problems.  But it does make me uncomfortable at times, and I get tired of worrying about everything.  I just can’t seem to stop.  I started relaxation therapy and am working on my breathing techniques.  The theory is I can use relaxation as a way to find some peace of mind.  I’m also a firm believer in natural healing treatments, so I began taking St. John’s wort.  This is a natural supplement that was used as far back as ancient Greece for several medicinal purposes.

St. John’s wort is sold in health food and grocery stores.  Some research has shown it to be an effective antidepressant in cases like mine.  It works like a prescription medication does – by increasing the brain chemicals that affect mood.  I have found it to be very helpful.  If you’re looking for a natural supplement you can try to relieve anxiety, I would suggest you begin with St. John’s wort.

It’s a fact that a sudden stressful situation can signal the start of panic attacks.  The groundwork has been laid long before the actual attack though.  I had my first panic attack shortly after changing jobs.  I wanted the job and was ready to start the job, but I panicked for no apparent reason.  The point is that that I was experiencing various levels of anxiety up to that point.  I had experienced a lot of nervousness and started worrying about how well I was handling my job and family.  I began waking up in the middle of the night.  But I never had a panic attack until I had to give that speech.

When you are looking at anxiety in your life, you have to look at the big picture.  It wasn’t really the speech that caused my anxiety.  It was the fact I was feeling my life was on the verge of collapse, because I was barely balancing my work and personal life.  Changing jobs added to the worry, because it was so important I do well.  I recommend you don’t do what I did – ignore the warning signs.  A panic attack is just one event away.

When I decided I needed to do something about my anxiety level, the first step was deciding on the first step.  I had spoken once to my doctor about my anxiety, but it’s really very mild so all he could do was make a few suggestions.  When I got home, I decided to do some research and find my own self-help program.  I found a wealth of information in many different forms.  Of course, I began on the internet and there I found books, tapes and videos and web sites.  You can even get online counseling, but I’m not ready to seek counseling yet.  I just want something I can do at home to help me lower my feelings of stress and anxiety.

If you’re looking for some suggestions on how to reduce your stress level, the best place to start is with the internet.  But you need to be careful about believing everything you read on the internet.  You need to only rely on what are known to be dependable sites carrying accurate information.