Anxiety is an extremely common phenomenon. If you look around, though on the face of it everyone is smiling somewhere along the line there is some or the other form of negative emotion hidden behind the smile and the laughter.
From stress to grief to anxiety to phobia these negative emotions are limitless. They say unless you see the bad how will you value the good. More often than not these emotions are hidden away. In fact, they are almost considered something to be ashamed of!
We as human beings are required to remain happy at all given times. The negative emotions come to the fore only in closed rooms. People shout, shriek, cry, get upset, and angry only when they are alone or only when they are with someone who they feel will not judge them.
Then there are those who are fortunate enough to understand the need of professional help. For such individuals their emotional challenges come out in the confines of a therapist or a psychiatric ward. Again, these clients are assured of strict confidentiality. Why? I wonder. Is it a crime to suffer from mental stress?
At PAS we want to challenge this belief. We want to let you know that you can share with us what you feel and we will not judge. So let us get you started with the answer to your question. (Julian, L.J., 2011)
The simple answer to your question is yes it will go away with the right guidance. There are however two aspects to this question. One is do you mean a singular episode of anxiety or constant recurrent anxiety? Since you are asking this question, I am assuming you mean recurrent episodes of anxiety.
Your recurrent episodes of anxiety will go away if you treat it and if you believe it will go away. It is a vicious cycle. Before moving on, there are some other questions to which you need to have a response. Only then, you will be able to break this cycle. So here we go:
Anxiety is an uncontrolled spiral of negative thoughts. These thoughts go on and on and do not stop.
The primary difference between anxiety and anxiety disorder is that in the case of anxiety disorder, there is no real, legitimate reason for the anxiety.
In the case of anxiety, the underlying reasons are real. For example, your loved one may step out of the home and you get a call stating there has been a minor accident, now this is a real cause of worry.
On the other hand, for the same situation your loved one has stepped out for a routine errand and you worry that they may encounter some problem along the way. Now, this is actually an anxiety disorder.
Why? Because in this second case there is no legitimate reason to get anxious. So to begin with you need to find out if you are just anxious or you actually have an anxiety disorder. The treatment for both however is more or less the same. (Morissette, S.B., Tull, M.T., Gulliver, S.B., Kamholz, B.W. and Zimering, R.T., 2007)
There is a big misconception about thoughts. A lot of people, especially those who do not suffer from any form of psychological issues believe that it is very much possible to control your thoughts.
Quite to the contrary, issues like anxiety, depression, and stress emanate from constant thoughts followed by a constant need to control these very thoughts. This becomes a never ending story.
As if that is not bad enough, this can also lead to physical illnesses such as blood pressure, stomach upset, nausea, headaches, body ache and so on. Some of the latest studies also state that cancer is also a manifestation of psychological stress.
It is hence important to nip the problem in a bud. The best way to do is through mindfulness. Mindfulness is a practice that involves observing your thoughts and accepting the same.
Let us say that you are wondering if you will get sleep at night and you keep trying to control this thought, you try to sleep, you dont get sleep, you start feeling anxious, you wonder how your next day will go.
This cycle repeats. You get frustrated, anxious, angry and stressed. The best way to handle such a situation is by not challenging the thoughts. Accept your thoughts. Try observing each thought as an outsider. This practice is known as mindfulness. This can really help in ending your anxiety altogether.
Just like physical ailments your mental issues are also a form of ailment that may need professional intervention. There are several occasions where people feel conscious in going and meeting a therapist.
The mind too is finally an organ only. Why should you think twice before visiting a psychotherapist? So, do visit once and it will definitely make a difference. Also, do note a visit to a psychotherapist does not necessarily mean medications.
There are several techniques that a therapist such as guided imagery, talk therapy, will use besides medications to fix your problems. Psychotherapy gives you tools that will help you get rid of your anxiety. Psychotherapy involves a certain number of sessions.
Moreover, even if you are given medications, keep in mind it is not permanent in nature. It is generally for a certain period and then over a period of time they are phased out. Do note that these medications are not OTC medicines.
They should be taken under proper guidance. They are to be started slowly and stopped just as slowly over a period of time. Take active steps to tackle your anxiety. Dont think what others are thinking. Rather set an example for others.
To conclude, I would like to tell you, once again yes, anxiety will go away. With the right techniques you will learn how to tackle anxiety and make it go away on its own!
