40 million Americans suffer from general anxiety disorder, but just a third of them receive treatment. How do those with anxiety deal with panic attacks, social uneasiness and other issues that stem from the mental health disorder?
In a HuffPost Live conversation Maria Senise, who suffers from general anxiety disorder, described how she learned to deal with her own anxiety. Senise uses everything from mindfulness to meditation to medication -- all of which help her control her condition.
“I have to do it all and I’m willing to do anything,” she said. “I’m on meds... and the Xanax for me is like a safety blanket. Just knowing that it’s available to me, sometimes helps me calm down in general. But I do use essential oils, aromatherapy, working out -- if I don’t work out, my mind goes haywire.”
Clinical Director for The Anxiety Treatment Center Karen Lynn Cassiday focused on the importance of seeking out a holistic practice to compliment medical treatment.
“A lot of the time, people just have a pill thrown at them,” she told host Alyona Minkovski. “If we look at what really helps, we see that on their own, if people exercise regularly, have good nutrition, learn to do things like tolerate stress, that can have an effect."
Cassiday advised those suffering from anxiety to deconstruct the reasons behind their feelings with exposure practice and acceptance.
“We know that the best treatments are ones that teach people to face their fear,” she said. “And whether you’re using mindfulness to help you face the fear…the trick of it is, you don’t have to fear the uncertainty in life.”
Watch the full HuffPost Live Conversation here.
Have a story about depression that you'd like to share? Email strongertogether@huffingtonpost.com, or give us a call at (860) 348-3376, and you can record your story in your own words. Please be sure to include your name and phone number.
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Related
Before You Go
