Factors That Can Worsen Your Existing Anxiety

Living with some degree of anxiety can be disruptive, even if you manage to control your symptoms most of the time. Feeling anxious can lead to a rapid heartbeat, sweating, trembling, and plenty of thoughts that can be highly upsetting. For some people, there can be several factors that can actually make anxiety worse. It's challenging enough to battle your own anxiety, but when you're faced with certain situations that are unhealthy, you'll often notice that your symptoms are even stronger. Here are some factors that can worsen your anxiety.

Drugs And Alcohol

Many people who have anxiety turn to drugs and/or alcohol in an effort to either deal with the anxiety or simply numb themselves so the symptoms don't seem so intense. The truth, however, is that drugs and alcohol can actually make your anxiety worse. Alcohol is a depressant, which means that if you're prone to feelings of depression as a result of your anxiety, drinking can intensify these feelings. Many drugs will make you feel down, too, especially after the euphoria of a high wears off. Instead of turning to drugs and alcohol to deal with your anxiety, it's better to seek professional care in the form of an anxiety therapist.

Isolation

When you're experiencing intense feelings of anxiety, you might think about isolating yourself. Perhaps you feel as though there are plenty of threats around you, and being in an area by yourself is the only way that you'll feel some degree of safety. While isolation may provide you with some short-term feelings of comfort, it's not an effective way to deal with your anxiety. Being isolated for long periods of time may even contribute to deeper feelings of anxiety — for example, you might begin to feel anxious about seeing people whom you haven't seen in a long time.

Excessive Eating

It could be tempting to turn to food as a means to alleviate your anxiety. Eating food can make you feel good in the short term, especially if you consume sweet foods that give you a sugar high. However, these foods also come with a crash afterward, which can return you to your feelings of anxiety. Additionally, if you rely heavily upon food whenever you're feeling anxious, you may begin to experience weight gain and its related problems. This situation could lead to even more anxiety for you. Whenever you're battling anxiety, you need to know that you're not alone. A therapist who specializes in anxiety care will help you through this challenge.

For more information about how anxiety therapy can help, visit a facility like The A Treatment Center.