Coping with Anxiety: Identifying Surprise Triggers

Guest post by
Jennifer Scott

 Anxiety is defined as feelings of apprehension and fear that can manifest in a number of different disorders such as phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, approximately 40 million Americans suffer from an anxiety disorder. Some causes of anxiety are obvious, but in this article, we’ll look at some that are a bit more surprising.
 
Imbalance in Your Nutrition
 
The link between what you eat and mental health has been established by several studies out over the last few years. These studies have shown that if you’re not eating well-balanced meals, you are more likely to have issues with mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. In this article from Harvard Medical School, the importance of food rich in magnesium (spinach and legumes), zinc (cashews and liver), B vitamins (almonds and avocado), and omega 3 fatty acids (fatty fish like wild salmon) is explored. Persons who incorporate these items into their diet were shown to have fewer periods of anxiety. If you can’t easily add these foods to your diet, consider getting a multivitamin supplement that would balance your nutrition.
 
Use of Medications and Alcohol
 
While there are times when people may use alcohol and illegal drugs to help them cope with anxiety, this will likely only make the symptoms of anxiety worse in the long run. The effects are most obvious in persons who have generalized anxiety disorder and those who suffer from panic attacks. It’s best to stay away from these substances and find safer, more effective ways of managing your anxiety. Unfortunately, according to the Summit Medical Group, triggers for anxiety may also lie in over-the-counter medications, such as cough medicine, and the prescription medications that you take for illnesses such as asthma and Parkinson’s disease. You can combat this by reading the information on your medication carefully and contacting your physician for clarification if you need it.
 
Undiagnosed Heart Disease
 
One of the symptoms of heart disease is heart palpitations, which can also happen to someone with an anxiety disorder. For people with heart disease, anxiety seems to be a constant companion, which may, at times, make the effect of heart disease on the body worse. There are times when the onset of an anxiety disorder, particularly a panic attack, can be an indication that something is wrong with your heart. It’s best to communicate with your physician if you have any concerns regarding your heart. It’s also helpful to know the difference between a heart attack and a panic attack so you can contact health personnel in a timely manner.
 
Overactive Thyroid Gland
 
Your thyroid gland is responsible for releasing hormones that control important bodily functions such as your metabolism, breathing and your heart rate. If your thyroid is releasing an increased quantity of these hormones, you’ll likely experience increased anxiety and an increased heart rate. In the beginning, it may be difficult to tell if your anxiety symptoms have changed, but as the thyroid conditions worsen, you’ll be better able to pinpoint when things are going wrong. In this case, you will need to pay very close attention to any changes in your anxiety disorder and communicate them to your physician in a timely manner.
 
Dealing with anxiety can be hard, especially when it comes to developing coping strategies and deciding on the use of medication. It’s important to ensure that you are in touch with the right physicians who can help you and that you don’t ignore any changes in your symptoms.

Jennifer Scott is a single mom and a mental health advocate based in Philadelphia who shares stories about the ups and downs of her anxiety and depression at spiritfinder.org. She also provides information on her website for people with mental illness as well as offers a forum where those living with anxiety and depression can discuss their experiences. Jennifer hopes that through this, people can see the types of steps and success stories that can help them realize their power in the face of adversity.

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