1、Feeling worried, anxious, andnervous is sometimes a part ofeveryday life.The fact is that every-one worries or feels anxious attimes. However, it is not normalwhen anxiety weighs you down ormakes it hard to enjoy daily life.There are two types of anxietysymptoms: physical and emotional.Physical symp
2、toms being edgy feeling tired or out of breath muscle tension not being able to sleep fast heartbeat sweaty or cold, clammy handsEmotional symptoms fear worrying cant relax easily irritated thinking that something bad isgoing to happenAnxiety or fear of a specific situationcan cause many of these sy
3、mptoms.When it passes, the symptoms stop.Some people get anxiety disorderswhen many of these symptomshappen without a known cause.Having anxiety is hard, butyou can feel better. Learningnew skills can give you relieffrom anxiety.Phobias and panic attacksYou may have heard the words“phobia” or “panic
4、 attacks.”Phobias are fears of commonplaces, things, or events. During apanic attack you may get a rush offear even though there is no realdanger. You may notice that youbreathe faster, start shaking or feelfaint. Your heart may also beatharder. Self-care, along with helpfrom a doctor, can help mana
5、gethese feelings and symptoms.Ways to care for yourselfReachout.Anxiety is stressful andfacing it is a challenge.Talk toloved ones, family members orfriends who can support you.Tellyourself:“This is not an emer-gency. I do not feel well, but I amnot in danger. I can keep going,even though I feel anx
6、ious.”Schedule“worrytime.”Set aside atime each day, from 15 minutes toone hour, to do all your worrying.Spend the whole time thinking ofall of your fears. Write them downin detail. When worries come tomind during other parts of the day,save them on a list for the nextworry time.healthy living Anxiet
7、y: Ways to Care forYourself and Feel BetterHEALTH EDUCATIONAre you thinking abouttaking herbs?Some herbs are known to treatanxiety, but can have other seriousside effects. Ask your doctorbefore using herbs to see if theyare safe for you.Herbs and supplements are soldover-the-counter. Kaiser Permanen
8、tecarries only herb categories for whichsome evidence exists to show that theherbs may be effective to treat certainmedical conditions.What to do when caring foryourself doesnt workHaving anxiety is hard, but youcan feel better. Kaiser Permanenteoffers classes that teach skills toprovide relief from
9、 anxiety. Checkwith your Health EducationCenter for classes in your area. Insome cases, medicine is helpful.You can get help from theDepartments of Psychiatry,Behavioral Medicine, or MentalHealth at Kaiser Permanente.Make an appointment at yourfacility. 2004,The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. All ri
10、ghts reserved. Regional Health Education. Adapted from copyrighted material from Healthwise, Incorporated.915800079 (Revised 10-08) RL 6Cutdownoncaffeine.If youdrink coffee or soda, have onlytwo, 6 oz. cups of coffee or one12 oz. soda per day. Caffeinemakes anxious feelings worseand can make it hard
11、 to sleep.Donotusealcohol,drugsortobaccotocopewithanxiety.Even a littlebit can make you feel worse.Nicotine can make you feel edgy.Getmoving.Exercise can helpwith your anxiety.Try to get2030 minutes of movementthree times per week. You cansplit your activity up, as long asit adds up to 2030 minutes.
12、The more you move, the easierit is to reduce your anxiety.Dodeepbreathingtorelax.Takeslow, deep breaths to reduce youranxiety symptoms.Try this exer-cise when you are feeling anxious:Count to four as you breathe inthrough your nose. Breathedeeply into your belly. Nowbreathe out even more slowlythrou
13、gh your nose for six to eightseconds. Continue to breathedeeply and count each breath fora few minutes. Deep breathinghelps reduce anxious feelings.Other resources ConnecttoourWebsiteatkp.orgtoaccesshealthanddrugencyclopedias,interactiveprograms,healthclasses,andmuchmore. AnxietyDisordersAssociation
14、ofAmerica:adaa.org(240)485-1001 NationalInstituteofMentalHealth:nimh.nih.gov866-615-6464 AnEndtoPanic:BreakthroughTechniquesforOvercomingPanicDisorder,E.Zuercher-White,NewHarbingerPublications,Inc.,1998 TheRelaxation&StressReductionWorkbook,M.Davis,E.EshelmanandM.McKay,NewHarbingerPublications,2000
15、ContactyourKaiserPermanenteHealthEducationCenterorDepartmentforhealthinforma-tion,programs,andotherresources.healthy living Anxiety: Ways to Care forYourself and Feel BetterCall Kaiser Permanente ifanxiety . . . keeps you from doing your dailyactivities is causing discomfort, and hometreatment does not helpThis information is not intended to diagnose or to take the place of medical advice or care you receive from your physician or other health care professional.If you have persistent health problems, or if you have additional questions, please consult with your doctor.
