How to Identify and Avoid Anxiety Triggers

Fear is one of the rawest human emotions. It helps us adapt and react to our surroundings. However, throughout evolution, fear has undergone an adaptation of its own. Today, this form of anxiety can cause a lot of problems for individuals. Instead of helping, it can make adaptation to surroundings very challenging. A lot of people suffer from anxiety disorders, unfortunately. And for a lot of them, it can lead to more serious problems. That’s why it’s important to identify and avoid anxiety triggers. It might seem a bit overwhelming, but, with the help of our experts from the inpatient rehab Florida team, you’ll master the skill of doing it.

Understand what you’re dealing with

As we’ve said, anxiety is one of the evolutionary versions of fear. Its purest form and idea help people read and react to the world around them. It enables you to spot stressors in your surrounding and distinguish whether they are dangerous. So, it’s one of the purest and most useful defense mechanisms incorporated deep into the human psyche.

However, fear and anxiety have been ”designed” during very different times in history and pre-history. A different pace of life, stimuli, and evolutionary stages took a big toll on this useful defense mechanism. With so much going on in the world, it’s understandable that our primal instinct would go a bit off. That’s why now around 40 million Americans suffer from some kind of anxiety disorder.

A prolonged state of anxiety takes a toll on your body and mind

Some persons with anxiety also have physical symptoms, such as chest discomfort and panic episodes. Symptoms like tachycardia, palpitations, extensive sweating, hyperventilation, and weakness can all make serious health damage. People that are constantly anxious have high levels of cortisol in their bloodstream, which is a hormone of stress.

Cortisol elevates levels of glucose, cholesterol, and fatty acids, which increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Also, cortisol acts as an immunosuppressor. So, people with anxiety suffer from a deficient immune system as well (which leads to frequent infections, and increased risk for cancer….).

At the same time, a lot of people with anxiety can’t cope with it and turn to some damaging forms of behavior, particularly different addictions. A lot of patients from Adderall addiction rehab turn to this dangerous habit as a way to numb anxiety disorder.

What causes it?

Reasons for anxiety and anxiety disorders are not always easy to pin down. As our experts from the alcohol rehab center Florida suggest, most likely, both hereditary and environmental variables are at play. Nevertheless, it is evident that specific events, feelings, or experiences may initiate or exacerbate anxiety symptoms. We refer to these components as triggers.

Triggers for anxiety might vary from person to person, but many are shared by those who suffer from anxiety disorders. It turns out that most people have many such triggers. For others, though, anxiety episodes may be set off by seemingly innocuous stimuli. So, it is crucial to identify the causes of your worry. The first step in dealing with your triggers is realizing what they are.

What are the most common anxiety triggers?

What sets off your anxiety is primarily determined by the sort of anxiety you deal with and the stresses you’re already facing. A variety of stresses, both within your control and beyond it, might serve as triggers. Tension, unrelenting concern, racing thoughts, restlessness, impatience, and inability to focus are among the anxiety symptoms that might result from this. Panic attacks and other serious symptoms and disorders are possible results of anxiety that have gone unchecked.

Insomnia

Mind and body are interconnected, and sleep has a direct effect on one’s emotional and cognitive well-being. Lack of sleep, or poor quality sleep, may have serious consequences for our mental health and disposition, including the onset and exacerbation of anxiety.  Since our bodies and minds haven’t had enough time to relax, we experience an increase in irritation, difficulty focusing, and general tension when we don’t get enough rest. A lot of patients in crack cocaine rehab experience insomnia as one of their anxiety triggers.

Eating poorly or not eating enough

Anxiety may rise when the brain and body aren’t getting the nutrition they need to perform optimally. Skipping meals may produce a dip in blood sugar, which triggers the body’s natural anxiety response, which can make us feel tense and unable to relax.

Stressors at work

Anxiety might be triggered by the situations we find ourselves in. Many of us experience an increase in our stress and anxiety levels due to the demands of our jobs. Anxiety may be triggered not only by the tasks at hand but also by the people we interact with on a daily basis at work, especially in a hostile or unwelcoming workplace.

Social gatherings

Although for some individuals going out and mingling with others is a great way to get their batteries recharged, for others who suffer from social anxiety it may be exhausting and even crippling. Some individuals lack the innate social skills necessary to function comfortably in social circumstances, and they may secretly fret about what other people are thinking of them at all times. Anxiety levels may skyrocket and social isolation can become a real problem when someone is afraid of being judged and constantly criticizes themselves.

Life changes

Major life changes, particularly those that come out of the blue, might bring on or amplify preexisting anxiety. Being a parent, losing a loved one, or starting a new career are all examples of life changes. A person’s anxiety levels may change as a result of these changes, which often include taking on new duties and tasks and adapting to a new sense of self.

Unique triggers based on experience

Identifying a specific personal trigger that brings up memories of a painful or stressful incident in the past may be challenging. This might be anything you see, hear, smell, taste, or feel. Personal triggers like these might play a role in the development or exacerbation of anxiety. But, they can also be symptoms of PTSD or a phobia.

Money

It’s not hard to see how worries about meeting basic requirements might lead to or amplify existing worries when money is tight. Saving money, dealing with debt, or being hit with a surprise payment are all examples of sources of financial stress. Worrying if insurance covers rehab is one of the common struggles for our patients. Worries about money may make us anxious since they have a direct role in whether or not our basic survival requirements will be met.

Arguments and fights

Any kind of conflict, whether it’s with a significant other, a friend, a family member, or even a neighbor, may lead to elevated stress levels and, in turn, anxiety. Most individuals react to conflict with the fight, flight, or freeze reaction. However, marital disagreement may be especially anxiety-inducing if you aren’t used to or have unfavorable opinions about handling conflict resolutions.

Identify what triggers your anxiety

Of course, every person is different, and your triggers might be a set of things we listed above, or something completely else. It’s important to identify all your triggers. That way, you’ll be prepared for the next time your anxiety kicks in, and you’ll know how to respond and react. Some of the very good ways to do that, according to our experts at the Florida prescription drugs addiction treatment team are:

• thorough and continuous introspection
• journaling
• talking to your loved ones
• asking mental health professionals for help

Look deep into yourself to identify and avoid anxiety triggers

Anything that goes above and beyond the surface of your consciousness lies there ready for you to discover. Thorough and frequent introspection is crucial to finding your personal trigger formula. So, make sure to take time to get to know yourself every day. Only that way, you’ll know what hides beneath the surface and what can cause your next panic attack.

Write about it

The next time you encounter anxiety, write about it in your journal. You can do this immediately, or at the end of the day. Jot down your emotions and the circumstances that triggered them. Journal prompts for anxiety might serve as a jumping-off point. Writing will help you clarify and classify your swirling wind of thoughts and help you identify potential triggers.

Talk to your family and friends

Oftentimes, those closest to you will be able to detect signs of anxiousness in you before you do. Since anxiety can be overwhelming for a person that is experiencing it, a look from a distance can be rather helpful. Inquire about their observations of your nervous moments and the factors that bring them on.

Consult a licensed therapist

Sometimes, the problem lies so deep inside that both you and your closest ones can seem to see it clearly. This is where the big guns step in. An experienced and licensed therapist will know exactly how to guide you on your way to discovering your triggers, and so many more things. It’s especially important if you have even more things on your plate, such as addictions, depression, or some other psychological disorder.

The current has to be addressed, of course, but understanding how your worry originated may be just as, if not more, beneficial. Attempt to go through your earliest nervous recollections for clues to your illness and prior triggers.

Can you fight and avoid these triggers?

The short answer is – yes. But, how exactly and how long will it take for you to master this skill depends on you and your unique situation. Some of the most useful strategies for fighting and avoiding triggers include:

• distancing yourself from harmful situations
• learning to breathe
• practicing desensitization
• learning to regulate emotions
• setting boundaries
• getting off social media
• going to therapy
• engaging physical activities

Once you identify what triggers you, the best thing you can do is to distance yourself from a potentially harmful situation that can trigger your anxiety. If big crowds trigger your anxiety, it’s probably best if you don’t go to a big concert and enjoy the music in a smaller setting.

Also, learning proper breathing techniques can be extremely helpful in situations where you can’t really distance yourself from your trigger. For example, if taking an exam triggers your anxiety, but you have to pass the test in order to do what you love, knowing how to breathe throughout can save you from a potential panic attack.

Reconstructing your psyche

The true change should start in your psyche. Desensitization is the process of progressively exposing someone to something that causes them to worry until they no longer feel the need to avoid it. A qualified mental health practitioner among addiction solutions Florida experts, who know how to desensitize people to anxiety in a healthy way should be consulted for this method. Also, learning how to understand and control emotions through different exercises in therapy can help a lot.

Since social media influences a lot of anxiety triggers, it might be best for resetting your psyche to turn off Instagram or some other social platform you’re on. Set boundaries both online and offline so you can learn to cope with anxiety, re-learn to think positively, and live your best life.

A visit to the gym a day keeps anxiety triggers away

Engaging in any form of physical activity will help you battle anxiety because it will lower your cortisol levels. When your mind is not clouded with extreme, cortisol levels, you’ll be able to react properly to your triggers and avoid them with a little help from happiness hormones that are secreted during exercise too.

Why is it important to identify and avoid anxiety triggers?

Anxiety disorders lead to a lot of serious conditions, with addictions being at the top of the list. It’s important to identify and avoid anxiety triggers in order to battle anxiety properly. So, dive deep into your psyche, get a good look in the mirror, through your eyes, and through talking with others, and put an effort into achieving your bright future.

References:

https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder

https://www.mhanational.org/conditions/anxiety

https://www.psychiatry.org/newsroom/news-releases/new-apa-poll-shows-sustained-anxiety-among-americans-more-than-half-of-parents-are-concerned-about-the-mental-well-being-of-their-children