Anxiety
Feeling of Anxiety:
The feeling of anxiety can come and go quickly, or even play tricks on you and your feelings. Anxiety can cause feelings of pressure in the chest, reddness in the face, and loss of feeling in the appendages. Anxiety typically manifests as an intensity of emotions and can impact the way we interact with others. Our mental health is very dependent on our ability to regulate and cope with our anxiety. Everyone's individual reasons for having anxiety are personally tailored to the life they have lived. None of us can predict or know the anxiety that someone is experiencing at any given time (no matter time and place).
Anxiety Attacts:
Anxiety Attacks typically effect a person who is having a situational event, however it's important to remember the ways our bodies can store emotions and save them for later. Even if an event or situation seems to be over or you have begun coping, doesn't mean an anxiety attack won't strike. It's important to remember that some people experience anxiety attacks more often than others, and it's not our place to discuss that kind of information. Sometimes anxiety attacks can strike when we aren't feeling any anxiety, making them feel quite scary.
Symptoms of an Anxiety Attack:
Heart Racing
Tight Breathing/ Hyperventilating
Temporary Loss of Feeling in Limbs
Profuse Sweating
Shaking/ Repetitive Involuntary Movements
Crying
Loose the Ability to Stand
If you believe you are experiencing a panic attack, you can choose to do any of the following that you believe you'd benefit from:
Call for Help
Sit down on the lowest ground around you
Regulate your Breathing the best you can
Count to 30 with a deep breath in between every three numbers
Set any boundaries you need with the people present around you
See emergency care if you can not regulate breathing or heart rate
If you are around someone who you believe may be having an anxiety attack do the following:
Make sure they are somewhere that is safe for them to relax and that they are not driving or partaking in any other potentially dangerous or harmful activities
Ask if there is a person or people you can get to assist them, or if they would like to be alone.
Respect their space unless they need / have requested otherwise.
Help them regulate breathing and refocusing of their mental stress.
See our Service Animals Section under Ableism if you'd like to be more prepared for a person who may be accompanied by a Service Animal.
Anxiety Attacks can cause other issues (if any of these occur immediately dial 911 and secure professional assistance) such as:
High Blood Pressure, Seizures, Heart Attack, Unconsciousness, etc.
Facing Our Anxiety
Facing our anxiety and fears can often be even more anxiety producing. It's important that we take a very open mind to who we are and how we go about life. There are mistakes and things we all do by accident. Make sure that when you think about facing your anxiety you first identify how the anxiety effects you. It can be tough to know what our anxieties stem from or how they began to affect us in the first place.
Anxiety first exists to make sure that as human's we don't make decisions that could deeply effect us in the future. But now this anxiety/stress system in the brain is still adapting to the world we live in.
The Social Systems has some gilded ways of protecting it's participatants from daily harm. Yet, we are instructed to act as stable and happy as possible. This is not a system that actually helps or caters to those who are effected by neurodivergence.
This is why we can never really understand the placement of the people around us, and the ways their daily lives are effected.
Finding Healthy ways to Cope:
Finding healthy coping habits can be very difficult to find and maintain. Many people will turn to drugs, big life changes, and increased interest in dangerous activities. While all people approach coping differently, it's important for us to discuss what we are facing with those close to us. Sometimes those who know us best, are the best people to help you find healthy ways to cope with whatever you are facing.
Coping with anxiety can be harder of course, but there are always going to be more personalized ways that you can cope. Going outdoors and interacting with nature is a large way humans have been known to relax and have anti-anxiety experiences. Activities that require physical movement and team work can typically be very supportive to mental stress, but this can be accessibility-based.
This diagnosis can happen when someone is experiencing mid-long term anxiety. Not all anxiety shows through easily, but even seemingly minor anxiety can be dibilitating for some daily tasks. Someone people may experience social interaction anxiety after long periods of being social or in public. Some people may experience anxiety only when they are alone, have time to decompress, and think about how they are really feeling. There are many ways in which anxiety and depression can manifest themselves into a clinical diagnosis. This is not the fault of the person experiencing anxiety, they may just need more professional support. Check out our page on Clinical Anxiety and Depression and Seeking Mental Health Care if you are interested in knowing how to approach that kind of support!
Suicidal Thoughts and Anxiety:
While Suicidal thoughts can come from any source, we want to put in a note here that notices the ways in which our anger can overcome our mind. When we don't understand our emotions, we can become very frustrated or feel hopeless. All of us can struggle with our mental health in times of unknown emotions. It is always a good idea to speak with a mental health care professional if you believe you have trouble regulating your emotions. Take time to discuss any worries you may have with the people you trust, or thinka about speaking with a professional. The way we view others and ourself can be complicated and mental health care professionals are there to help all of us.
National Crisis Hotline: 988