NEED HELP! – How to identify and tackle anxiety disorder?

“I am worried” is a phrase used quite often especially when we feel threatened by a person, situation or circumstance. Anxiety is an involuntary response in order to fight a situation, real or perceived, as we become aware of it. Whether it be financial restraints or personal relationships, one cannot completely control these feelings.However, sometimes, these responses escalate when one feels constantly stressed thereby affecting their day-to-day activities. If one is feeling worried excessively, leading them to make irrational decisions, they might be the victim of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

Unfortunately, self-blame is the initial human reaction to any kind of adverse stress or anxiety. According to research conducted by The World Health Organization (WHO), 16% of adolescents and young adults between the age of 19-35 are anxiety sufferers. In fact, UAE has the highest regional percent of child/adolescent anxiety levels, a total of 5.1%, according to a report submitted by WHO. Another article presented by a leading publication of UAE, Emirates Woman suggests that almost 20% of the UAE population is constantly fighting anxiety disorders.

Some of the common initial signs of anxiety disorders include:

• Constant feeling of sadness or worry
• Feeling guilty
• Excessive sleeping or insomnia
• Drastic change in appetite or weight
• Physical pains – headache or stomach ache
• Fatigue
• Difficulty in concentrating
• Heart palpitations

While the signs and symptoms of anxiety disorder are established, it is important to reflect on simple ways through which one can fight this mental illness.

Evaluate your thought process

When you sense negative vibes, it could distort your thought process leading to overthinking and perceiving situations that may not even have occurred. One of the ways to control this would be to ask oneself – Is this true and see where and how you can control your thought process. If you unable to find a solution, find a confidant to share your thoughts and worries.

Try Aromatherapy

Sometimes the sense of smell can help one calm down. Be it in the form of oil, incense sticks or even a candle, aromas like lavender, sandalwood or chamomile can be very soothing and can calm your mind. By aromatherapy, the smell activates a few receptors in your brain that could potentially ease your anxiety or the feeling of being worried and stressed.

Indulge in some physical activity – Yoga to the rescue

At times, the simplest way one could divert themselves from negative or stressful thoughts is just by practicing a physical activity. It could be playing a sport, exercising or practicing yoga. These activities help alleviate stress and anxiety as you are taking time to focus on your body and mind.

Train your brain to be more resilient

Our specialists at Evolve Brain Training Center believe in science-based brain training methods that are specially customized to suit your mental requirements. We specialize in Neurofeedback brain training which is a non-invasive method of addressing and treating mental illnesses.

A healthy functioning brain has the ability to switch between different gears. For instance, when we are doing something challenging, the brain will be in high gear, while doing basic work it would be in neutral and while sleeping the brain would be in low gear.

However, when people are dealing with anxiety, their brain loses the ability to switch gears and perpetually gets stuck in high gear. Hence, our specialists use Neurofeedback training using EEG which monitors the brainwaves and sends the feedback back to the brain giving your brain the ability to see what it is doing wrong. The brain then uses its own self-correcting mechanism to change these behaviors and create new, healthier patterns. This method is a long-term solution and does not have any negative side-effects, especially when compared to other means of coping up such as taking anti-anxiety pills.

At Evolve, we believe in using healthy ways to make your brain sharper and eventually to dramatically improve your quality of life!

Dr. Upasana Gala is the founder and CEO of Evolve Brain Training, a Neurofeedback-centered institute that focuses on using non-invasive brain training techniques to maximize the brain's true potential.