In the grips of anxiety

You may or may not have seen a video I posted on Facebook a couple of weeks ago in which I spoke about my experience of anxiety.

Anxiety is the strangest of experiences. It can take over your life and turn you into someone you just don’t recognise. Those around you may find it difficult to understand, particularly if they have never experienced anxiety themselves.

You yourself may find it baffling and try to tell yourself you need to “man or woman up”, to think logically, to just get on with it because you’ve got nothing really to complain about.

But those strategies just don’t work. If you’ve suffered from, or are currently suffering with anxiety, you will know only too well that you can have good days and bad days. You can have moments when you feel you’ve got on top of it, only to be followed by many more moments when you are gripped by irrational fears and panic again.

There are many causes of anxiety and many reasons why a person may find it appears in their life.

Sometimes those causes are obvious and therefore it maybe easier to treat the cause so that the anxiety goes away. However, often the cause is not so obvious. It might be something deep rooted or there be may be a number of issues that have built up over time that have caused the anxiety.

So what can be done to help someone who is living with anxiety?

There is the obvious help that can be sought from a GP in the form of anti-anxiety medication. This is a common treatment and it can help people to get on with their lives so that anxiety isn’t ruling them. However, medication is not for everyone.

GPS may also refer a patient for talking therapies which can really help people to understand where the anxiety is stemming from, help them to work through the causes and give them techniques to help them manage or alleviate the anxiety completely.

There are also many complementary therapies such as reflexology and aromatherapy which can help to calm and slow down the mind, and to provide relief from the over thinking and fear that people with anxiety can experience.

Often there is no one solution to anxiety. It can take time, patience, understanding and lots of support. A therapist such as myself will offer that as part of an on-going treatment package to help a client understand, manage and hopefully resolve their anxiety over time.

Reflexology helps by balancing the body’s systems, regulating hormones, de-stressing the client and allowing them time to talk and to be listened to.

Aromatherapy, which I offer alongside reflexology, uses a bespoke blend of essential oils to enhance the reflexology treatment further. The essential oils are blended for the client’s specific needs to provide emotional and physical support depending on what is required.

There is no overnight cure for anxiety but there are many things you can do for yourself to help to manage or alleviate the symptoms altogether. If you are looking for strategies to overcome anxiety, be patient with yourself.

Seek support either from a GP and / or a qualified therapist who can help you to find the solutions that are right for you. Complementary therapies can work on their own or alongside conventional medicines so don’t worry about combining the two if that’s what feels right.

If you would like a confidential chat please feel free to get in touch by text or calling me on 07766 701479 or emailing gayle@theuniversaltherapist.co.uk.