Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

June 29th, 2010 | Author: Barry Joe McDonagh

If you’ve been diagnosed by your doctor with general anxiety disorder, don’t convince yourself that you have a clinical illness—you don’t. This disorder doesn’t mean that you have a physical or mental illness. Your brain is fine, and your body is fine. You’re suffering from a sensitized, anxious state.

You have probably come across this list of generalized anxiety disorder symptoms many times before.

• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Exhaustion
• Vision problems
• Cramps
• Intrusive thoughts
• Feelings of unreality and depression
• Sleep disturbance
• Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank

But what do these symptoms really mean?

When talking generalized anxiety disorder symptoms, we are really talking about fear manifesting in different forms. Fear cuts us off from life. It takes us out of our natural God given flow and into a stagnant state where we feel removed from the world around us.

Imagine life as a fast flowing river heading towards the sea. Fear is an obstruction in that river causing stagnant pools of water, where life no longer flourishes. The manifestation of that fear can be generalized anxiety disorder symptoms.

In order to end these symptoms, you need to remove those obstructions from your life and restore your natural flow.

Things that hold those obstructions in place are things like overreacting to the symptoms of anxiety. Panic Away will teach you exactly that. The more you can learn to not react to the symptoms the more you find yourself in that flow. It involves making very small changes in key areas of your life that will nudge you from fear, back into life.

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Blood Sugar Levels and Anxiety

March 12th, 2010 | Author: Barry Joe McDonagh


Do you wake up in a highly anxious state? Is it hard for you to focus and get control over your thoughts after a meal?

If the answer is yes, one of the critical links related to your anxiety could be traced to your diet and your blood sugar levels throughout the day.

If you have a history of diabetes or other health conditions that cause low blood sugar, you may be more vulnerable to high anxiety, stress and even a panic attack at certain times of the day.

Many people who are suffering from hypoglycemia experience anxiety on a regular basis because their blood sugar levels are too low. Low blood sugar levels can trigger a number of responses in the body including inability to focus, nervousness, trembling, dizziness and racing thoughts.

Sound familiar?

If so, you may need to be tested for hypoglycemia and diabetes, and take a close look at your diet.

Many people get a lot of relief from anxiety simply by changing their daily diet and eating more nutritious, wholesome foods that don’t negatively affect their blood sugar levels. I talk more about this in my book Panic Away. Simple diet modifications such as eating oatmeal with milk for breakfast, eating more protein-rich foods at each meal, and eating smaller meals throughout the day can help keep blood sugar levels in check and keep anxiety levels under control.

If you experience frequent mood swings and anxiety attacks that you can’t trace to any particular source, take a close look at your diet and lifestyle and see if your mood tends to change after a meal. This can be a good indicator that your blood sugar levels are out of balance, so it’s important to have that checked and start making the necessary changes in your diet.

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Reduce Stress and Anxiety with Morning Pages Exercises

February 22nd, 2010 | Author: Barry Joe McDonagh

Alleviating mental anxiety you experience upon waking isn’t always easy. How often do you get up in an anxious state? Do you feel calm and well-rested when you first wake up, or is your mind just reeling with thoughts and ideas?

If you suffer from frequent anxiety attacks and panic attacks, it’s likely that you experience a high level of stress and anxiety shortly after waking. The good news is, you can use this energy in a positive way and clear out those mental blocks before you tackle the day ahead.

Julie Cameron talks about writing “Morning Pages” in her book, The Artists Way. She encourages people to set aside about 30 minutes in the morning and write down the first thing that comes to mind.

I explain how to do this in my book Panic Away, and it’s one of the most effective ways to clear out anxious thoughts and get your day off on a positive start.

Just start each day by writing down the first thing that comes to mind. You don’t have to worry about grammar, spelling or even the format. Just jot down your thoughts, even if you have no specific thing to think about.

The goal is to continue writing and writing until you’ve filled about three pages. You want your mind to be free, to just ‘spill out’ all those disorganized thoughts so you’re not holding them in your head.

Use a pen and paper – the old-fashioned writing style seems to be more cathartic for most people – and keep the pages in a notebook or folder. These are strictly your Morning Pages , so you don’t have to worry about sharing them with anyone.

This is a really great technique from Julie Cameron. Do this regularly, and you’ll soon realize that you have greater mental clarity and can focus and concentrate better throughout the day.

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Morning Anxiety? How to Enjoy an Anxiety-Free Morning

February 2nd, 2010 | Author: Barry Joe McDonagh

Many people who suffer from panic and anxiety attacks on a regular basis find that the simple act of getting up in the morning starts the cycle. The reason for this is because your body is coming out of sleep and any feelings of anxiety are exaggerated.

Most of us are not ‘morning’ people, so when you add anxiety to the equation you can see why mornings are usually the most anxious time of the day for people with an anxiety disorder.

Desensitizing your body from being in an anxious state takes a lot of time and patience, and there are several things you can do first thing in the morning to get your day off to a great start.

If you start your day off right, you’ll notice that your anxiety levels are much lower than usual for the rest of the day. A few simple things is all it takes to reduce anxiety naturally.

One of the first things to do when you get up in the morning is to undertake a light stretching session. Breathe deeply and gently stretch out your arms and legs. This increases circulation throughout your body and freshens up your mind. It’s best to avoid checking your anxiety level at this stage, and try and stay focused on the movements you are doing.

Another simple exercise is to set your alarm clock about twenty to thirty minutes earlier than usual so that you can spend some time alone. You can release worries by taking some time alone to write down what is on your mind. Writing your fears down in a worry diary is one of the quickest ways to release them. Creating this extra space for yourself in the morning allows you to feel more in control of the day rather than always running to catch up.

You can also organize your day the night before so you’re not waking up rushed. Set aside fifteen to twenty minutes each night to pack your bag, choose your outfit and handle other details that often preoccupy your time each morning.

Don’t be afraid to be selfish with your time. Regardless if live alone or have a big family to look after, you owe it to yourself to take control of your day and get every day off to a great start!

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