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supplier accountmagazinefeatures

file nameFI1308-FI0813P034.jpg

titlePanic Stations

subject date15-03-2021

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caption34womensfitnessmagazine.com.au womensfitnessaustralia @womensfitnessmag @womensfitnessau PHOTOGRAPHY CORBIS. VIEWA CONTENT AVAILABLE FROM TO IS ANXIETY ruining your life? I don’t mean to be dramatic, but I ask because it was ruining mine. Well, it felt like it was. But that’s what anxiety does – only we don’t talk about it. Or if we do, it’s received with an element of judgement, or worse, pity. What does anxiety feel like? Maybe sometimes you feel stressed out and need some downtime? Or maybe, like me, you’ve found yourself in a supermarket car park crippled with the fear your beating heart, tense muscles and chest pain is really a heart attack. Only you don’t have a heart attack, and you’re left with a lot of people asking “But why?” But as anyone who has experienced anxiety knows, it doesn’t care for ‘why’, it just comes as it pleases and stays as long as it likes. Escaping from your body is impossible, and yet it’s all you want to do. This is our body’s natural fi ght-or-fl ight mode. It’s terrifying, debilitating and exhausting. But there are a few things that anyone who su ers from anxiety attacks should know. It’s a normal reaction Firstly, let’s get one thing straight. Anxiety and panic attacks are not only common, they are normal. Yep, normal. “The experience of anxiety is a natural biological response to stressful situations, and is designed to help us cope with danger,” says psychologist and counsellor Emily Dowling (emilydowling.com). “This natural response is a combination of physical and mental symptoms [ that are] completely normal. The problems really only start when the response becomes too great.” Practitioners of mental and physical health are not a generic mould; they have their own histories, biases and expertise. If you’re uncomfortable with the medication route, let them know. Likewise, if they aren’t comfortable with that decision, fi nd one who is. Anxiety isn’t a

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caption35 PHOTOGRAPHY CORBIS. VIEWA CONTENT AVAILABLE FROM TO Live t If you su er from anxiety, there’s a variety of treatments that can help. Herbal: Chamomile tea can help calm early stage anxiety before symptoms escalate. B12 supplements promote a healthy nervous system to help stop adrenal glands releasing too much cortisol when you’re feeling stressed.Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): “CBT involves the challenging and changing of both your thoughts and your behaviours,” explains Dowling. “Many studies have shown it’s really helpful for people su ering from anxiety.” Visit the Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy website (aacbt.org) for more information. Medicinal: Antidepressants and benzodiazepines (sedatives) can be o ered by doctors to treat symptoms.Alternative: Helpful techniques and therapies are mindfulness, meditation and progressive muscle relaxation (controlling tension in muscles). For more information on anxiety, visit beyondblue.org.au. Remember to always seek the advice of a health professional before beginning any treatment. Still not sure if you’re anxious? Check out beyondblue’s latest short fi lm. Download the free viewa app and scan the page WHERE NEXT? FI0813_ Live fit - Anxiety ruining your lifeP35 - 34 2013-06-21T11:31:20+10:00