Living with anxiety can be like living in a house with an alarm system that misfires. That’s how psychologist Craig N. Sawchuk, Ph.D., L.P., co-chair for clinical practice in the Mayo Clinic Department of Psychiatry & Psychology, describes it. And that alarm system can misfire in a few different ways.
“One is that, when the alarm goes off, it’s too loud,” says Dr. Sawchuk. For example, a situation that typically creates some nervousness or worry — such as an upcoming work deadline — might instead cause debilitating panic attacks that make it hard to focus. This, in turn, ratchets up the time pressure and stress level.
Another way is when the alarm sounds and it’s hard to turn off. “It’s that persistent feeling of anxiety,” says Dr. Sawchuk. “For example, a stressful situation came up in a in a relationship, and you’ve been ruminating about it for days and days, and weeks on end. And you’re losing sleep over it — even though the situation may be done and over with.”
And a third way the alarm system can misfire is to sound false alarms. “There’s no apparent threat, yet we’re incredibly anxious, we’re incredibly worried, we’re incredibly stressed out,” says Dr. Sawchuk.
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Living with anxiety can be like living in a house with an alarm system that misfires. That’s how psychologist Craig N. Sawchuk, Ph.D., L.P., co-chair for clinical practice in the Mayo Clinic Department of Psychiatry & Psychology, describes it. And that alarm system can misfire in a few different ways.
“One is that, when the alarm goes off, it’s too loud,” says Dr. Sawchuk. For example, a situation that typically creates some nervousness or worry — such as an upcoming work deadline — might instead cause debilitating panic attacks that make it hard to focus. This, in turn, ratchets up the time pressure and stress level.
Another way is when the alarm sounds and it’s hard to turn off. “It’s that persistent feeling of anxiety,” says Dr. Sawchuk. “For example, a stressful situation came up in a in a relationship, and you’ve been ruminating about it for days and days, and weeks on end. And you’re losing sleep over it — even though the situation may be done and over with.”
And a third way the alarm system can misfire is to sound false alarms. “There’s no apparent threat, yet we’re incredibly anxious, we’re incredibly worried, we’re incredibly stressed out,” says Dr. Sawchuk.
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Fortunately, there are effective ways to turn down the volume, persistence and sensitivity of that internal alarm system. And many of the treatment approaches don’t require medication.
What are some self-care tips to manage anxiety?
Steps that support general wellness also create a solid foundation for managing your anxiety. Think of the basics:
- Get enough sleep.
- Exercise and be physically active.
- Eat a nutritious diet.
- Limit your intake of sugar, caffeine and alcohol.
Connect with friends, family and community for social support.
What are some mind-body techniques to reduce anxiety?
Practices that build relaxation skills also are beneficial in managing anxiety. These practices engage you in physical or mental exercise and can help improve mood and anxiety. Examples include:
- Deep breathing, also called diaphragmatic breathing.
- Progressive muscle relaxation.
- Meditation/mindfulness.
- Yoga.
- Tai chi.
These are low-cost or no-cost techniques and can be accessed almost anytime, anywhere through in-person or virtual classes, videos and apps. The techniques are largely self-driven, so Dr. Sawchuk recommends asking family or friends to help you create accountability in doing them consistently over time.
How does cognitive behavioral therapy help with anxiety?
For a more intense level of care, consider seeing a mental health professional. There are a variety of psychotherapy techniques that can help people with anxiety. The most common approach is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). “There’s decades of research that has shown its effectiveness,” says Dr. Sawchuk.
In CBT, your therapist acts as a kind of coach. The therapist helps you learn how your anxiety works — how it creates cycles of thinking, feeling and behaving — and helps you develop specific skills to address it.
Dr. Sawchuk likens CBT to physical therapy, where people need to do exercises at home between visits to see progress. “In between your appointments, that’s where the real work of cognitive behavioral therapy happens,” he says. By learning to identify the patterns your anxiety creates, you’re developing a healthier early-warning system that may help you head off anxiety cycles before they get going.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is typically time limited and can range from a small number of sessions to several weeks or months, depending on your treatment goals. In fact, says Dr. Sawchuk, making sure you’ll have homework and treatment goals is important when trying to find a therapist who practices CBT. “Some questions to ask might be, ‘Are there treatment goals that we’re working on? Do you provide homework to work on skills? What are the typical skills that we would learn?’ If they can answer that, that sounds closer to CBT.”
As start your search for a CBT therapist, your primary care team can be a good resource. They may ask you a brief series of questions to assess how anxiety is affecting you. This will help them connect you to the right level of mental health care. There are find-a-therapist locators at Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and Anxiety and Depression Association of America websites. Additionally, apps and platforms such as BetterHelp, Headspace and NOCD offer video visits with therapists.
What can you do for severe anxiety?
Sometimes, anxiety can be extremely debilitating. To treat more severe anxiety, there are intensive outpatient programs (four or five days a week of focused treatment, akin to going to school) as well as inpatient programs. Medication can be part of the mix. “The combination of medication and psychotherapy is certainly an option and can lead to really good outcomes,” says Dr. Sawchuk. He emphasizes that learning the skills to manage anxiety can carry you forward in life. “We know from our treatment outcome literature, people that have done cognitive behavioral therapy maintain their gains longer than those that have just done medication alone.”
Living with anxiety is like having a misfiring internal alarm system that can be overly loud, persistently on, or trigger false alarms without real threats. Psychologist Dr. Craig Sawchuk explains that anxiety can cause overwhelming panic, lingering worry, or stress without clear cause. Managing anxiety involves self-care basics such as sufficient sleep, exercise, healthy diet, limiting stimulants, and social connection. Mind-body techniques like deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and progressive muscle relaxation also help reduce anxiety and can be practiced easily and inexpensively.
For more intensive help, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a well-researched, effective treatment where therapists teach patients to understand and change anxiety patterns through skills practice and homework. Finding a CBT therapist through primary care or online platforms is recommended. Severe anxiety may require intensive outpatient or inpatient programs and sometimes medication, often combined with therapy for best long-term results. Overall, learning coping skills through therapy provides lasting benefits beyond medication alone.
Living with anxiety can be like living in a house with an alarm system that misfires. That’s how psychologist Craig N. Sawchuk, Ph.D., L.P., co-chair for clinical practice in the Mayo Clinic Department of Psychiatry & Psychology, describes it. And that alarm system can misfire in a few different ways.
“One is that, when the alarm goes off, it’s too loud,” says Dr. Sawchuk. For example, a situation that typically creates some nervousness or worry — such as an upcoming work deadline — might instead cause debilitating panic attacks that make it hard to focus. This, in turn, ratchets up the time pressure and stress level.
Another way is when the alarm sounds and it’s hard to turn off. “It’s that persistent feeling of anxiety,” says Dr. Sawchuk. “For example, a stressful situation came up in a in a relationship, and you’ve been ruminating about it for days and days, and weeks on end. And you’re losing sleep over it — even though the situation may be done and over with.”
And a third way the alarm system can misfire is to sound false alarms. “There’s no apparent threat, yet we’re incredibly anxious, we’re incredibly worried, we’re incredibly stressed out,” says Dr. Sawchuk.
You Might also be interested in:
Living with anxiety can be like living in a house with an alarm system that misfires. That’s how psychologist Craig N. Sawchuk, Ph.D., L.P., co-chair for clinical practice in the Mayo Clinic Department of Psychiatry & Psychology, describes it. And that alarm system can misfire in a few different ways.
“One is that, when the alarm goes off, it’s too loud,” says Dr. Sawchuk. For example, a situation that typically creates some nervousness or worry — such as an upcoming work deadline — might instead cause debilitating panic attacks that make it hard to focus. This, in turn, ratchets up the time pressure and stress level.
Another way is when the alarm sounds and it’s hard to turn off. “It’s that persistent feeling of anxiety,” says Dr. Sawchuk. “For example, a stressful situation came up in a in a relationship, and you’ve been ruminating about it for days and days, and weeks on end. And you’re losing sleep over it — even though the situation may be done and over with.”
And a third way the alarm system can misfire is to sound false alarms. “There’s no apparent threat, yet we’re incredibly anxious, we’re incredibly worried, we’re incredibly stressed out,” says Dr. Sawchuk.
You Might also be interested in:
Fortunately, there are effective ways to turn down the volume, persistence and sensitivity of that internal alarm system. And many of the treatment approaches don’t require medication.
What are some self-care tips to manage anxiety?
Steps that support general wellness also create a solid foundation for managing your anxiety. Think of the basics:
- Get enough sleep.
- Exercise and be physically active.
- Eat a nutritious diet.
- Limit your intake of sugar, caffeine and alcohol.
Connect with friends, family and community for social support.
What are some mind-body techniques to reduce anxiety?
Practices that build relaxation skills also are beneficial in managing anxiety. These practices engage you in physical or mental exercise and can help improve mood and anxiety. Examples include:
- Deep breathing, also called diaphragmatic breathing.
- Progressive muscle relaxation.
- Meditation/mindfulness.
- Yoga.
- Tai chi.
These are low-cost or no-cost techniques and can be accessed almost anytime, anywhere through in-person or virtual classes, videos and apps. The techniques are largely self-driven, so Dr. Sawchuk recommends asking family or friends to help you create accountability in doing them consistently over time.
How does cognitive behavioral therapy help with anxiety?
For a more intense level of care, consider seeing a mental health professional. There are a variety of psychotherapy techniques that can help people with anxiety. The most common approach is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). “There’s decades of research that has shown its effectiveness,” says Dr. Sawchuk.
In CBT, your therapist acts as a kind of coach. The therapist helps you learn how your anxiety works — how it creates cycles of thinking, feeling and behaving — and helps you develop specific skills to address it.
Dr. Sawchuk likens CBT to physical therapy, where people need to do exercises at home between visits to see progress. “In between your appointments, that’s where the real work of cognitive behavioral therapy happens,” he says. By learning to identify the patterns your anxiety creates, you’re developing a healthier early-warning system that may help you head off anxiety cycles before they get going.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is typically time limited and can range from a small number of sessions to several weeks or months, depending on your treatment goals. In fact, says Dr. Sawchuk, making sure you’ll have homework and treatment goals is important when trying to find a therapist who practices CBT. “Some questions to ask might be, ‘Are there treatment goals that we’re working on? Do you provide homework to work on skills? What are the typical skills that we would learn?’ If they can answer that, that sounds closer to CBT.”
As start your search for a CBT therapist, your primary care team can be a good resource. They may ask you a brief series of questions to assess how anxiety is affecting you. This will help them connect you to the right level of mental health care. There are find-a-therapist locators at Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and Anxiety and Depression Association of America websites. Additionally, apps and platforms such as BetterHelp, Headspace and NOCD offer video visits with therapists.
What can you do for severe anxiety?
Sometimes, anxiety can be extremely debilitating. To treat more severe anxiety, there are intensive outpatient programs (four or five days a week of focused treatment, akin to going to school) as well as inpatient programs. Medication can be part of the mix. “The combination of medication and psychotherapy is certainly an option and can lead to really good outcomes,” says Dr. Sawchuk. He emphasizes that learning the skills to manage anxiety can carry you forward in life. “We know from our treatment outcome literature, people that have done cognitive behavioral therapy maintain their gains longer than those that have just done medication alone.”
Living with anxiety is like having a misfiring internal alarm system that can be overly loud, persistently on, or trigger false alarms without real threats. Psychologist Dr. Craig Sawchuk explains that anxiety can cause overwhelming panic, lingering worry, or stress without clear cause. Managing anxiety involves self-care basics such as sufficient sleep, exercise, healthy diet, limiting stimulants, and social connection. Mind-body techniques like deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and progressive muscle relaxation also help reduce anxiety and can be practiced easily and inexpensively.
For more intensive help, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a well-researched, effective treatment where therapists teach patients to understand and change anxiety patterns through skills practice and homework. Finding a CBT therapist through primary care or online platforms is recommended. Severe anxiety may require intensive outpatient or inpatient programs and sometimes medication, often combined with therapy for best long-term results. Overall, learning coping skills through therapy provides lasting benefits beyond medication alone.
Fortunately, there are effective ways to turn down the volume, persistence and sensitivity of that internal alarm system. And many of the treatment approaches don’t require medication.
What are some self-care tips to manage anxiety?
Steps that support general wellness also create a solid foundation for managing your anxiety. Think of the basics:
- Get enough sleep.
- Exercise and be physically active.
- Eat a nutritious diet.
- Limit your intake of sugar, caffeine and alcohol.
Connect with friends, family and community for social support.
What are some mind-body techniques to reduce anxiety?
Practices that build relaxation skills also are beneficial in managing anxiety. These practices engage you in physical or mental exercise and can help improve mood and anxiety. Examples include:
- Deep breathing, also called diaphragmatic breathing.
- Progressive muscle relaxation.
- Meditation/mindfulness.
- Yoga.
- Tai chi.
These are low-cost or no-cost techniques and can be accessed almost anytime, anywhere through in-person or virtual classes, videos and apps. The techniques are largely self-driven, so Dr. Sawchuk recommends asking family or friends to help you create accountability in doing them consistently over time.
How does cognitive behavioral therapy help with anxiety?
For a more intense level of care, consider seeing a mental health professional. There are a variety of psychotherapy techniques that can help people with anxiety. The most common approach is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). “There’s decades of research that has shown its effectiveness,” says Dr. Sawchuk.
In CBT, your therapist acts as a kind of coach. The therapist helps you learn how your anxiety works — how it creates cycles of thinking, feeling and behaving — and helps you develop specific skills to address it.
Dr. Sawchuk likens CBT to physical therapy, where people need to do exercises at home between visits to see progress. “In between your appointments, that’s where the real work of cognitive behavioral therapy happens,” he says. By learning to identify the patterns your anxiety creates, you’re developing a healthier early-warning system that may help you head off anxiety cycles before they get going.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is typically time limited and can range from a small number of sessions to several weeks or months, depending on your treatment goals. In fact, says Dr. Sawchuk, making sure you’ll have homework and treatment goals is important when trying to find a therapist who practices CBT. “Some questions to ask might be, ‘Are there treatment goals that we’re working on? Do you provide homework to work on skills? What are the typical skills that we would learn?’ If they can answer that, that sounds closer to CBT.”
As start your search for a CBT therapist, your primary care team can be a good resource. They may ask you a brief series of questions to assess how anxiety is affecting you. This will help them connect you to the right level of mental health care. There are find-a-therapist locators at Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and Anxiety and Depression Association of America websites. Additionally, apps and platforms such as BetterHelp, Headspace and NOCD offer video visits with therapists.
What can you do for severe anxiety?
Sometimes, anxiety can be extremely debilitating. To treat more severe anxiety, there are intensive outpatient programs (four or five days a week of focused treatment, akin to going to school) as well as inpatient programs. Medication can be part of the mix. “The combination of medication and psychotherapy is certainly an option and can lead to really good outcomes,” says Dr. Sawchuk. He emphasizes that learning the skills to manage anxiety can carry you forward in life. “We know from our treatment outcome literature, people that have done cognitive behavioral therapy maintain their gains longer than those that have just done medication alone.”
Living with anxiety is like having a misfiring internal alarm system that can be overly loud, persistently on, or trigger false alarms without real threats. Psychologist Dr. Craig Sawchuk explains that anxiety can cause overwhelming panic, lingering worry, or stress without clear cause. Managing anxiety involves self-care basics such as sufficient sleep, exercise, healthy diet, limiting stimulants, and social connection. Mind-body techniques like deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and progressive muscle relaxation also help reduce anxiety and can be practiced easily and inexpensively.
For more intensive help, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a well-researched, effective treatment where therapists teach patients to understand and change anxiety patterns through skills practice and homework. Finding a CBT therapist through primary care or online platforms is recommended. Severe anxiety may require intensive outpatient or inpatient programs and sometimes medication, often combined with therapy for best long-term results. Overall, learning coping skills through therapy provides lasting benefits beyond medication alone.
Fortunately, there are effective ways to turn down the volume, persistence and sensitivity of that internal alarm system. And many of the treatment approaches don’t require medication.
What are some self-care tips to manage anxiety?
Steps that support general wellness also create a solid foundation for managing your anxiety. Think of the basics:
- Get enough sleep.
- Exercise and be physically active.
- Eat a nutritious diet.
- Limit your intake of sugar, caffeine and alcohol.
Connect with friends, family and community for social support.
What are some mind-body techniques to reduce anxiety?
Practices that build relaxation skills also are beneficial in managing anxiety. These practices engage you in physical or mental exercise and can help improve mood and anxiety. Examples include:
- Deep breathing, also called diaphragmatic breathing.
- Progressive muscle relaxation.
- Meditation/mindfulness.
- Yoga.
- Tai chi.
These are low-cost or no-cost techniques and can be accessed almost anytime, anywhere through in-person or virtual classes, videos and apps. The techniques are largely self-driven, so Dr. Sawchuk recommends asking family or friends to help you create accountability in doing them consistently over time.
How does cognitive behavioral therapy help with anxiety?
For a more intense level of care, consider seeing a mental health professional. There are a variety of psychotherapy techniques that can help people with anxiety. The most common approach is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). “There’s decades of research that has shown its effectiveness,” says Dr. Sawchuk.
In CBT, your therapist acts as a kind of coach. The therapist helps you learn how your anxiety works — how it creates cycles of thinking, feeling and behaving — and helps you develop specific skills to address it.
Dr. Sawchuk likens CBT to physical therapy, where people need to do exercises at home between visits to see progress. “In between your appointments, that’s where the real work of cognitive behavioral therapy happens,” he says. By learning to identify the patterns your anxiety creates, you’re developing a healthier early-warning system that may help you head off anxiety cycles before they get going.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is typically time limited and can range from a small number of sessions to several weeks or months, depending on your treatment goals. In fact, says Dr. Sawchuk, making sure you’ll have homework and treatment goals is important when trying to find a therapist who practices CBT. “Some questions to ask might be, ‘Are there treatment goals that we’re working on? Do you provide homework to work on skills? What are the typical skills that we would learn?’ If they can answer that, that sounds closer to CBT.”
As start your search for a CBT therapist, your primary care team can be a good resource. They may ask you a brief series of questions to assess how anxiety is affecting you. This will help them connect you to the right level of mental health care. There are find-a-therapist locators at Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and Anxiety and Depression Association of America websites. Additionally, apps and platforms such as BetterHelp, Headspace and NOCD offer video visits with therapists.
What can you do for severe anxiety?
Sometimes, anxiety can be extremely debilitating. To treat more severe anxiety, there are intensive outpatient programs (four or five days a week of focused treatment, akin to going to school) as well as inpatient programs. Medication can be part of the mix. “The combination of medication and psychotherapy is certainly an option and can lead to really good outcomes,” says Dr. Sawchuk. He emphasizes that learning the skills to manage anxiety can carry you forward in life. “We know from our treatment outcome literature, people that have done cognitive behavioral therapy maintain their gains longer than those that have just done medication alone.”
Living with anxiety is like having a misfiring internal alarm system that can be overly loud, persistently on, or trigger false alarms without real threats. Psychologist Dr. Craig Sawchuk explains that anxiety can cause overwhelming panic, lingering worry, or stress without clear cause. Managing anxiety involves self-care basics such as sufficient sleep, exercise, healthy diet, limiting stimulants, and social connection. Mind-body techniques like deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and progressive muscle relaxation also help reduce anxiety and can be practiced easily and inexpensively.
For more intensive help, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a well-researched, effective treatment where therapists teach patients to understand and change anxiety patterns through skills practice and homework. Finding a CBT therapist through primary care or online platforms is recommended. Severe anxiety may require intensive outpatient or inpatient programs and sometimes medication, often combined with therapy for best long-term results. Overall, learning coping skills through therapy provides lasting benefits beyond medication alone.