Anxiety and what to do about it

Anxiety and what to do about it

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness or unease, often about an uncertain outcome. Some common symptoms of anxiety include feeling restless or on edge, having difficulty switching off, and ruminating or mulling over a problem beyond what is constructive.

When is anxiety warranted and when is it not?

Certainly there are times when anxiety is warranted, for example when awaiting the results of an important medical test, or learning the outcome of an important matter. However, people who suffer anxiety are in a state of heightened alertness and worry on an ongoing basis. For instance, a person may worry about saying the wrong thing at a social event, they worry that their friend did not text them back in a timely fashion. It may feel that while the context changes, the state of worry is nearly constant. This worry may also significantly deter from being able to function fully in life. For example, an anxious person may avoid a feared situation such as a gathering for fear of scrutiny, may lose sleep due to worry or feeling mentally unable to ‘switch off.’

Who gets anxiety?

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. Women are more likely to experience anxiety than men. One in three women will experience anxiety at some point in their lives compared to one in five men. While anyone can get anxiety there are some personality traits such as perfectionism (wanting to do everything right) that can make an individual more prone to anxiety. Individuals who are prone to having ‘busy mind’ (a ruminative thinking style) are also more likely to experience anxiety.

When does anxiety arise?

Anxiety increases in the face of uncertainty. It may increase during times of stress such as facing financial hardship. It may also increase during a time of transition for example starting a new job or becoming a new mother.

When to worry about worry?

While many people worry it becomes problematic when it is difficult to control and when it decreases a person’s quality of life.

How do I prevent anxiety?

The things that will keep your body well will also help to keep your mind well. These include getting a good night’s sleep, regular exercise at least several times per week and healthy eating including 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables per day and vigorous exercise. In addition to this, remaining active through engaging in meaningful activities such as work and engaging in enjoyable activities (e.g. a Pilates class) can help reduce levels of anxiety. As well, staying connected socially and investing in good relationships can help you to feel less vulnerable and in turn less anxious.

What do I do if I have anxiety and the preventative strategies are not working?

If you’ve tried addressing the lifestyle factors that can exacerbate anxiety but these have not worked, it may be time to seek professional assistance from a registered Psychologist. Treatment from a Psychologist can help you to understand the underlying reasons for the anxiety, as well as why the anxiety perpetuates. In my practice, I assist clients to identify these factors by taking a detailed history of the anxiety and understanding the factors that maintain the worry. As well, I negotiate treatment options with the client to ensure they suit them.

What are the treatments for anxiety?

Common treatment for anxiety includes Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy assists clients to challenge and change the thinking that leads to distressed feelings and worry. Acceptance and Commitment therapy teaches clients skills to manage distressing thoughts so that they can focus on leading richer and more meaningful lives.

In addition to this, I also conduct lifestyle assessments to ensure that factors such as sleep, poor diet, and low levels of exercise and activity are not contributing to a client’s distress. These factors are very important because they have a significant impact on a person’s mood and are some of the building blocks to good mental health. Where individuals identify that their diet may be contributing to their psychological distress I refer to the knowledgable and accredited dietitians at Nutted Out Nutrition.

How can seeing a Psychologist help?

While you can obtain some information from the Internet about managing anxiety a Psychologist can assess the individual factors that underlie and maintain your anxiety. As well, treatment can be tailored to suit you and adapted to obtain the best results. Psychologists are also trained to rule out other disorders that may be contributing to anxiety.

How do I learn more about anxiety?

You can learn more anxiety at Beyond Blue Australia (www.beyondblue.org.au) or from the Australian Psychological Society (www.psychology.org.au)

Article written by Tena Davies, Psychologist. The aim of this article is to give you ideas on well being. Please note this article is not intended to replace therapy.

Tena Davies is Psychologist based in inner city Melbourne. Tena has expertise in psychological counselling with adolescents and adults. She also works as a cyber expert providing cyber safety education to schools and professionals. As a Psychologist, Tena believes in helping clients to gain insight into their difficulties and teaching them new skills to grow and thrive. Please see www.tenadavies.com for more information.

The most important factor in therapy

Often when we think of seeking help from a Psychologist, we think of finding someone qualified, knowledgeable and recommended. These factors are essential because having the right training increases the Psychologist's level of expertise and makes it more likely that they will know how to address your problem in an ethical and competent manner. However, there's another factor that is just as important, which is called the "therapuetic alliance" or the relationship between the therapist and client. This intangible quality is one of the most important factors in predicting whether the therapy will be beneficial for the client. A good therapuetic alliance enhances the trust between both parties. This trust is essential because the client often comes to therapy during a particularly vulnerable and often times painful time in their lives and therapy involves talking about painful experiences and having the courage to make changes.

Client's seeking psychological services sometimes ask how they will know if a Psychologist is the right fit for them. I think the best way to establish this is to meet the Psychologist and see if you feel that they are someone you can trust. If you don't feel comfortable, don't pursue it much longer, try someone else who might be more suited. Seeing a Psychologist should feel right and you should feel heard, understood and see your therapist as empathetic.

As a clinician, I always hold the "therapeutic alliance" at the forefront of my mind when I give clients feedback, challenge their thinking, or make recommendations for changes I think will benefit their mental health. I also seek regular feedback from clients on "how we are going" to address any possible ruptures in the relationship and ensure the treatment plan is on target. I see working with clients in therapy as two people working as a team to bring about better well being for the client. In my role of Psychologist I am often a coach, a mentor, a change advocate, and an empathetic being. Having a good therapeutic alliance facilitates these roles and allows the work of therapy to have the desired effect.

Article written by Tena Davies, Psychologist. The aim of this article is to give you ideas on well being. Please note this article is not intended to replace therapy.

Tena Davies is Psychologist based in inner city Melbourne. Tena has expertise in psychological counselling with adolescents and adults. She also works as a cyber expert providing cyber safety education to schools and professionals. As a Psychologist, Tena believes in helping clients to gain insight into their difficulties and teaching them new skills to grow and thrive. Please see www.tenadavies.com for more information.

The stigma of depression and anxiety

Depression and anxiety are common

The lifetime incidence of depression in Australia is 45%. This means that nearly one out of two of us may experience a period of depression within our lifetime. In any given year, up to 1 million Australians will experience depression and two million will experience anxiety, according to Beyond Blue Australia. Despite this, the stigma of mental illness remains real for many. This stigma can lead to those suffering distressing symptoms to remain silent and in doing so increase their sense of isolation. This sense of being alone with one's pain can perpetuate the distress. 

The value of diagnosis 

Years ago, when I was in the early days of studying psychology I asked a professor what the merit was of giving someone a label of depression. Wouldn't branding them with something make them feel worse about themselves? The answer was that a diagnosis informs the treatment path. If you know a diagnosis, it informs what you do about it. A diagnosis is merely a cluster of symptoms and not a label for life. 

As a clinician, understanding if a client qualifies for a diagnosis of depression or anxiety certainly does inform my treatment plan. However, I am aware that giving a diagnosis can increase a sense of feeling less than and can be disempowering. 

This is why, I always explain that a diagnosis is temporary, that we have pinpointed the problem and I communicate my plan to address the issue. I am hopeful that giving a name to the symptoms helps the individual make sense of it, and that having a plan to address it makes the individual feel empowered. 

Hope with effective treatment 

We are in living in an exciting for the treatment of common conditions such as depression and anxiety because treatments including CBT, ACT and behavioural activation can be highly effective. Additionally, anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication can further assist. 

 It is my great privilege as a Psychologist to support people through vulnerable times and to empower them with the right tools to improve their wellbeing. Often times, after a course of treatment and the implementation of changes on a client's behalf the diagnosis is no longer 'active' or is reduced in severity. 

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression rest assured that with the right intervention from a qualified and empathetic professional that the diagnosis may be ameliorated or at least better managed. Know that there is hope with effective treatment. Most of all know that you are not your diagnosis and that it doesn't define you-even if it feels that way at times. 

If you'd like to read more about depression and anxiety visit beyond blue: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts

Article written by Tena Davies, Psychologist. The aim of this article is to give you ideas on well being. Please note this article is not intended to replace therapy.

Tena Davies is Psychologist based in inner city Melbourne. Tena has expertise in psychological counselling with adolescents and adults. She also works as a cyber expert providing cyber safety education to schools and professionals. As a Psychologist, Tena believes in helping clients to gain insight into their difficulties and teaching them new skills to grow and thrive. Please see www.tenadavies.com for more information.

Behavioural Activation for Depression

Behavioral activation which involves increasing pleasant and meaningful activities such as meeting up with friends, exercising or working is a well established treatment for depression and helpful for other mood disorders as well. The benefit of this type of intervention is that it is often low in cost and easy to do on your own.

As a clinician, I make it part of my client assessment to understand if behavioural activation would beneficial for them. I have started to do this because Individuals who are depressed and may have withdrawn from their usual meaningful activities such as seeing friends, being creative, exercising etc. While, behavioural activation is only part of the treatment for depression, it is important and an easy step clients can take on their own. It also helps to support the other types of therapies that I use such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. 

Here's an article with some ideas on using behavioural activation to improve your mood. Please note that this type of therapy has limitations and that it is best used alongside a comprehensive assessment and treatment plan from a Psychologist.

Article written by Tena Davies, Psychologist. The aim of this article is to give you ideas on well being. Please note this article is not intended to replace therapy.

Tena Davies is Psychologist based in inner city Melbourne. Tena has expertise in psychological counselling with adolescents and adults. She also works as a cyber expert providing cyber safety education to schools and professionals. As a Psychologist, Tena believes in helping clients to gain insight into their difficulties and teaching them new skills to grow and thrive. Please see www.tenadavies.com for more information.