Coping With Anxiety: Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland

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Coping With Anxiety

Some people experience anxiety after their stroke, for some this can be quite severe and disabling. Anxiety can affect people in many different ways; physically, emotionally and in terms of behaviour. Seek some help and advice. Listen to nurses/carers/family who can see your mood/behaviour changing.

Physical

People often mistake anxiety symptoms for illness. Once you recognise that your symptoms are anxiety related you can learn to control how you feel, putting you back in charge. This is not always easy as it can be difficult to be sure what is anxiety related and what is not. Anxiety related symptoms include

headaches
muscle tension or pain
stomach problems
sweating
feeling dizzy
bowel or bladder problems
breathlessness or palpitations
dry mouth
tingling in body
sexual problems

Emotional

feeling irritable
feeling tense
feeling low
feeling of apathy
low self esteem

In Terms Of Behaviour

withdrawing from usual activities
avoiding seeing other people
trying to rush around and hurry things
constant worrying
becoming unreasonable
being forgetful or clumsy
temper outbursts
drinking or smoking more than normal
changes in eating habits

Learn To Control Your Anxiety

Concentrate on how you actually feel and not how you imagine you are going to feel. If you experience physical symptoms as part of anxiety tell yourself that you are not ill and that the symptoms will pass if you take control of them.

Replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts by reminding yourself that you have tried something before and nothing bad happened so you can do it successfully again.

Visualise yourself going into a difficult situation and coming out with a successful outcome. If you have to do something that you are not looking forward to ask yourself if there is anything you can change to make it easier.

Try to remember that most things are never as bad as you imagine they are going to be.

Prepare Yourself

Practise relaxation and breathing techniques to help you cope with stressful situations or any situation that makes you feel anxious. If you become confident about how to use these techniques, it will be much easier for you to use them when you actually need them.

Learn A Relaxation Technique

There are many different methods of relaxation you can try. The main thing is to practice until you are able to focus on how it feels to be relaxed more and more quickly. This skill can then be used at times of stress as well as giving you the added benefits of regular relaxation.

Most methods require a comfortable sitting or lying position in a quiet peaceful environment with soft lighting. Try to avoid distractions and interruptions. By focusing on your breathing and relaxing of muscles you will find that you relax.

Relaxation tapes are available from bigger bookshops and look out for local relaxation classes. Many people who have had a stroke find a relaxation tape very beneficial.

Learn Breathing Control

This is a very simple way of learning how to breathe in a relaxed manner and also to restore normal breathing when you are anxious. It involves gentle breathing using the lower part of your chest, with the upper chest and shoulders relaxed. It is very important to breathe normally and not to hold your breath or take deep gasps

settle yourself in a relaxed position
make sure that your back is supported
rest your hands on your lower rib cage/ stomach
keep your shoulders and upper chest relaxed
feel the gentle rising and falling under your hands as you breathe in and out
find a rhythm that is comfortable for you. A general guide is to count in for four and out for four.
concentrate on the lower part of your chest moving rather than the upper part
do not try to take deep breaths

The more you practise this the easier it becomes. You will then be able to practice it standing as well as sitting. Try practising regularly throughout the day and over time you will be able to use it whenever you are anxious. Some people find it easier to learn a relaxation or breathing technique with the help of a professional.

Talking Therapy