Anxiety – Hello Doctor

Can you use biofeedback to treat anxiety?

October 19th, 2020 by The Hello Doctor Team

Worrying is natural. However, being constantly overwhelmed can start to affect your overall quality of life. Fortunately, there are several ways to treat anxiety, one of which is biofeedback.

What is biofeedback?

Biofeedback is a type of therapy that uses sensors attached to your body to measure key body functions, showing you the information in real time. It helps you to become more aware of how your body works, and how it feels when you experience different health related scenarios. This way you can become more familiar with these scenarios and learn how to either identify triggers or manage symptoms.

Biofeedback has been used for a range of applications, including:

Treating tension headaches, migraines, and other pain.
Controlling high and low blood pressure.
Alleviating digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome.
Help control physical reactions to stress or anxiety.
Aiding in relaxation and stress management.

Types of biofeedback

How does it work? Depending on your specific health problem or goal, your therapist may use a variety of biofeedback methods, some of which include:

Brain waves: Scalp sensors to monitor your brain waves using an electroencephalograph (EEG).
Breathing: During respiratory biofeedback, bands are placed around your stomach and chest to monitor your breathing patterns and respiration rate.
Heart rate: Finger or earlobe sensors with a device to detect blood volume changes, or chest, lower torso or wrist sensors. Both measure your heart rate and how it varies with each beat.
Muscle contraction: Sensors are placed over your skeletal muscles with an electromyograph (EMG) to monitor the electrical activity that causes muscle contraction.
Sweat gland activity: Sensors are attached around your fingers or on your palm or wrist with an electrodermograph (EDG) to measure sweat gland activity, alerting you to anxiety.
Temperature: Sensors are attached to your fingers or feet to measure blood flow to your skin. Because your temperature often drops when you’re stressed, a low reading can prompt you to begin relaxation techniques.

According to Harvard Medical School, biofeedback has been successfully used to treat:

Chronic pain
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders
Digestive disorders, including constipation
Incontinence (both urinary and faecal)
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Abnormal heart rhythms (cardiac arrhythmias)
Addiction, including to alcohol
Epilepsy
Paralysis and certain movement disorders
Spinal cord injury
Sleep disorders
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
Bedwetting
Attention-deficit disorder (ADD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Panic disorder
Anxiety disorder

Only health professionals registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa may practice biofeedback, so be sure to check your doctor’s credentials before starting any treatment.

References:

Is worrying about being sick making you sick?

August 11th, 2020 by The Hello Doctor Team

A close family member has been diagnosed with cancer. A friend’s dad passed away from COVID. The news is littered with the worst-case-scenarios, and suddenly every mole, headache and rash seems like a death sentence! All the frightening news this year can make you hyper-aware: before, you weren’t even conscious of your body, but now you feel everything – and you worry.

Everyone has health concerns now and then, but for some of us, stressing about health becomes overwhelming and turns into its own problem. Hypochondria, also known as health anxiety, is worrying about your health to the point where it affects your everyday life and causes distress.

Health anxiety can come in different forms:

Some people are permanently anxious about their future health, thinking about things like: “What if I get heart disease, cancer or TB?”
Others may have an existing medical condition, which they worry about excessively: will it get worse, is the treatment working?
In some cases, people have symptoms that can’t be medically explained – such as headaches or chest pain – and even with their doctor’s reassurance, they worry that these could be a sign of serious illness.

What could be causing my health anxiety?

There are various reasons as to why you could be worrying too much about your health, and finding the reason is the way to peace of mind.

Intense stress. Going through a stressful or traumatic time in your life, such as illness or death in the family, can trigger health anxiety.

Learned behaviour. You may have grown up with a family member who was overly concerned about your health when you were young, perhaps due to a childhood condition like asthma or allergies.

Personality. If you are generally disposed to worrying, then you may be vulnerable to health anxiety.

Depression. Health anxiety can be a symptom of a mental health condition, such as anxiety disorder or depression – both of which can be diagnosed and treated.

Different types of health anxiety

With health anxiety, people usually fall into one of two categories – do either of these seem familiar?

Avoidant behaviour: you avoid doctor appointments, medical TV programmes, activities such as exercise that you feel might make the condition worse, or anything else that may trigger anxiety.
You are constantly seeking information and reassurance, booking frequent doctor appointments, obsessively researching illnesses from the internet, or having frequent tests that don’t find any problems.

Both these kinds of behaviour are damaging and need to be addressed to help you break the vicious cycle of health anxiety.

Break the vicious cycle

Constantly checking your body for signs of illness means that you will find something – probably a natural body change or misinterpreted signs of anxiety, such as sweating – which will have you self-checking even more. When physical symptoms are triggered by worrying, it causes even more anxiety, which worsens the symptoms. Eventually this can even lead to panic attacks or depression.

There is help for health anxiety

Talk to your doctor – not about illness, but about health anxiety. Once it’s been established that there’s no underlying physical cause for any symptoms you might have, your doctor can investigate whether depression or anxiety disorder may be causing what you are feeling. From there, your doctor will be able to refer you for therapy or prescribe medication, and help to break the cycle.

Joanne Hart for HelloDoctor.com

Sources

Anxious about news headlines? Here’s what to do.

June 27th, 2020 by The Hello Doctor Team

You want to stay informed, but every day the news highlights tragedy and disaster, causing you anxiety and stress. You’re not alone. Coined ‘headline stress disorder’ by therapists, sufferers report symptoms of intense worry and helplessness.

Although there isn’t much you can do about the news, here’s how you can deal with the negative emotions, according to experts.

Take a break from the news

At least for a while, especially if it prevents you from being productive on a daily basis. Yes, you have an obligation to be informed about what’s happening in the world, but how you consume information helps. For example, instead of watching news online which usually has no filter, read about it from news sources who only report the facts. It’s up to you to create your own boundaries.

Find ways to release stress

Being constantly bombarded by negativity can wreak havoc on your emotions and lead to stress. Take your mind off negative scenarios with stress-releasing activities like exercise, listening to music, and meditation. These all help to regulate your emotions and boost your mood.

Broaden your news sources

Vary your reading diet and actively seek out positive news on sites like www.sagoodnews.co.za.

Focus on what you can solve

Negative news such as acts of violence and natural disasters can make you feel powerless. However, every single one of us can do something to make the world better. Start in your community, family, or even yourself and focus on what is within your power to do or change. Research shows that getting involved by volunteering can boost wellbeing and give you a sense of purpose.

Tricky conversations

When bad things happen in the world, others will share your concern. So, whether you’re in class, meeting a friend or at work, chances are that it will crop up in conversation. So, how do you deal? One way is to simply say that you’re finding the subject hard to talk about. Another option is to try something more practical and talk about ways you and others can help. For example, if you’re worried about poverty, talk about ways you can help.

Seek help

If you’re feeling super stressed, seek support and assistance from an expert. Do not try to do
it alone. Talk to your doctor for advice.

References:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327516#Take-a-break-from-the-news https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327516#Search-for-positive-news-roundups https://www.health.com/condition/stress/burnout

The difference between anxiety, stress and tension

June 2nd, 2020 by The Hello Doctor Team

Stress has been linked to up to 75% of disease, but that doesn’t mean all stress is negative or bad for you. In fact, a certain amount of stress helps motivate you and keeps you on your toes. It’s when stress reaches high levels or is persistent that it becomes dangerous! Here’s how you can deal with it effectively.

Is there a difference between stress, anxiety and tension?

It’s easy to think of stress, anxiety and tension as the same thing, but the states that they describe are actually very different.

Anxiety refers to a state of being anxious about danger and being overly concerned about the future. Anxiety is not usually linked to a specific person, situation or experience – it’s a vague, undefined, tense feeling of dread which is difficult to control.

Stress refers to an effort or demand on a person’s physical or mental energy. Stress produces the same feelings as anxiety, but is usually linked to a specific person, situation or experience that one fears.

Tension, on the other hand, refers to mental strain or excitement, a strained state or relationship. If the symptoms are experienced acutely, it’s referred to as a panic attack.

What all these definitions have in common is that individuals experience excessive uneasiness.

How to de-stress

Stress becomes detrimental when you start feeling as though you have no control over the situation. A healthy person isn’t someone who’s free of problems, but rather someone who’s able to deal with them. If you find yourself faced with a task that seems impossible, try breaking it up into manageable stages and then tackle each one individually.

Change how you see the problem

If you define a problem as overwhelming, it’ll appear impossible to solve – also, if you think about a problem on your own, you only have one point of view. A friend, colleague or family member can help give you a different perspective and potential solution to the problem.

Learn to ride the wave

When you bottle your feelings up, your body is kept in a state of “readiness”, your adrenalin pumps and your heart rate increases. Your body can’t keep this up over an extended period of time, and eventually, it gives in. This is why it’s so important to release pent up emotions – whether you keep a journal or practise yoga and meditation, it’s up to you.

Joanne Hart for HelloDoctor.com

Is your anxiety linked to your gut health?

April 8th, 2019 by The Hello Doctor Team

Most of us don’t pay much attention to the microorganisms that live in and on our bodies. Yet, these miniscule bugs play an interesting role in keeping us healthy. If you live with anxiety or any other mental health conditions, controlling the balance of microorganisms in your digestive system could potentially help improve your symptoms.

Here’s what the latest research on the so-called “gut microbiota-brain axis” shows.

What is the gut microbiota-brain axis?

Scientists have long known that the trillions of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other single-celled animals that live in our intestines are intricately involved in our digestive processes. Most of us also instinctively know that there’s a strong connection between our digestive systems and emotions (ever had a runny tummy just before a big exam?).

But it’s only fairly recently that several scientific studies have shown that our gut microorganisms also influence our thoughts, emotions and behaviours.

Exciting research from the past decade has shown that the gut microbiome affects the enteric nervous system (the network of neurons and supporting cells found in the gastrointestinal tract), the immune system, and the central nervous system.

Researchers now know that communication channels exist between these systems, allowing for messages to travel from the gut to the brain, and vice versa – either directly or via nerve cells. This is known as the “gut microbiota-brain axis”.

What research shows

In 2011, a study by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden indicated that the absence of normal gut bacteria influenced the development of certain behaviours in mice. Study animals that weren’t exposed to microorganisms at all were less anxious than those who grew up in a normal, bug-filled environment.

Many other animal and human studies have delivered fascinating results. Recently, researchers have found that adults with depression show differences in specific groups of gut bacteria and, interestingly, that the gut microbiome may play a role in Alzheimer’s disease.

Thanks to decades of research, scientists also know that people with gastrointestinal problems (e.g. inflammatory bowel disease) can develop mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. In turn, stress and anxiety can make gastrointestinal problems (like irritable bowel syndrome) worse.

Good to know

While scientists are still trying to establish the degree to which the microorganisms in our intestines contribute to health and disease, and how to build therapies around this, it can’t hurt to pay close attention to your digestive and mental health.

Remember: if something goes wrong in the one system, it could very well affect the others.

Give your gut health a hand

Eat a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and grains.
Add natural sources of probiotics (good bacteria) to your diet. These include yoghurt, kefir, kimchi and kombucha.
Exercise several times a week.
Don’t smoke, as it increases your risk for diseases of the digestive system and makes anxiety worse.
Maintain a healthy weight.

References:

Do you have an anxiety disorder?

August 29th, 2018 by The Hello Doctor Team

Being worried is absolutely normal, especially when you’re about to take on a big task like exams or rushing to find that lecture room on time.

On the other hand, if your worrying causes constant stress, impacts on your social life, and interferes with classes and work, you may need to seek help.

If that’s the case, it’s important to know that millions of people suffer with social anxiety disorder. You’re really not alone. It’s equally common in men and women. If left unchecked, it can drive people into a chronic state of nervousness and fear.

Normal anxiety

Anxiety is a normal reaction to danger. It’s your body’s automatic fight-or-flight response that’s triggered when you feel threatened, under pressure, or facing a stressful situation.

The difference between normal anxiety and an anxiety disorder is between the source and the intensity of the experience. At the low end of the intensity range, anxiety is normal and adaptive. At the high end of the range, anxiety can become uncontrollable and may result in you not being able to adjust appropriately to an environment or situation.

What is an anxiety disorder?

When your anxiety is constant or overwhelming and interferes with your relationships and daily activities.

Signs and symptoms of anxiety disorder

Irritability
Feeling like your mind’s gone blank.
Anticipating the worst.
Feeling tense and jumpy.
Watching for signs of danger.
Feelings of apprehension (anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen).
Trouble concentrating.

Anxiety is more than just a feeling. As a product of the body’s fight-or-flight response, it also involves a range of physical symptoms:

Sweating
A pounding heart.
Dizziness
Headaches
An upset stomach.
Frequent urination or diarrhoea.
Shortness of breath.
Muscle tension or twitches.
Shaking or trembling.
Insomnia

How to cope better

Get active. Physical activity boosts your feel-good hormones. Join a sports club, or go to the gym. Take a break and go for a walk. Make it a priority to move frequently.
Don’t skip meals. Eat a clean and balanced diet. Keep the caffeine to a minimum and go easy on sugary drinks. Caffeine can trigger anxiety and panic attacks.
Stay away from alcohol and drugs. These substances can aggravate anxiety and make your feelings worse.
Don’t aim for perfection. Give everything your best shot instead of trying to do things perfectly in one go. Everything will take time, be proud in the little you do, to get close to your end goal.
Learn some relaxation techniques. Take a deep breath and count to 10. Stepping back from your problems will help you clear your head. Meditate, get a soothing massage and listen to relaxing music.
Don’t beat yourself up! Think about your situation and remind yourself of all the positives, or all the certainties. It may be hard to spot them at first, but making yourself more aware of what you DO have, and what you CAN trust, can help shift the balance.
Call a friend. Don’t bottle up your emotions. Reach out to your roommate, partner, family, or a counsellor when you’re feeling overwhelmed. If all else fails, get out a notepad and write out your feelings. It’s amazing how small things start to look when they’re out of your head and down in black and white.
Figure out your anxiety triggers. Take notes or write in a journal when you’re feeling anxious or stressed, and then look for patterns. Some triggers can be avoided, and for others, you can learn some coping strategies.

If you’re still finding it hard to get your anxiety under control, speak to one of our doctors. You may need therapeutic or medical treatment. Don’t suffer in silence!

References:

The dark side of anti-anxiety medication

February 28th, 2018 by The Hello Doctor Team

It’s normal to worry and feel stressed, but if you worry to an extent where it consumes your thoughts, making you constantly anxious, you might be suffering from an anxiety disorder. Anxiety is a term for a group of disorders that cause nervousness, fear, and worrying. It affects how you feel and behave and you may experience physical symptoms like a pounding heart, headaches, sweating, an upset stomach and muscle tension.

Anxiety can range from mild to severe. Mild anxiety is unsettling and it’s possible to cope, but severe anxiety affects your day-to-day living, filling your life with endless worry. When anxiety reaches a severe stage, you need to get professional help. A therapist can diagnose your condition, and help you find ways to manage your anxiety better, so you can live a normal life.

One of the ways of treating anxiety is with medication. As with many other drugs though, it’s possible to become dependent on anxiety medication. If this is your only form of treatment, the anxiety medication becomes a quick fix, and you don’t develop other coping mechanisms to help get to the root of the problem. Instead, if you work through anxiety in counseling, you learn healthy coping strategies and ways to find calm amidst the storm.

Pop pills safely

It’s important to understand the possible side-effects from the most common anxiety medications.

There are two common types of anxiety medication, called Benzodiazepines and Buspirone. Benzodiazepines are stronger with more side-effects than Buspirone and are prescribed more often. In some cases, taking either drug may cause “paradoxical effects”. This means that you would experience a worsening of anxiety symptoms, rather than improving and in some cases, they could even cause your anxiety to escalate and spiral out of control.

Benzodiazepines side-effects

Hypotension (low blood pressure).
Decreased sex drive.
Nausea.
Memory loss.
Lack of coordination.
Emotional dysfunction.
Difficulty thinking.

Buspirone side-effects

Dizziness, a headache and blurred vision.
Drowsiness and fatigue.
Feeling restless or nervous.
Nausea, dry mouth and an upset stomach.
Insomnia
A stuffy nose.

Pass on the pills

Severe anxiety will need to be properly diagnosed and dealt with but if your anxiety is mild, there are ways to cope without medication.

Make good memories

Think of it this way; positive thoughts kick bad thoughts to the curb. For example, if you go out and try doing a new activity like visiting a museum or eating at a new restaurant and you have a good time, you’ll create good memories. In times of stress and when you’re feeling anxious, thinking of those good memories will help you to cope with stress. Choose things you’ve always wanted to try or do things you enjoy to create new good memories that you can save for a bad day.

Yes to yoga

If you’re looking for an exercise that has physical benefits and can help with your anxiety, then yoga is your best bet. It’s a slow form of exercise which isn’t too challenging. This is beneficial because if you have anxiety, slowing down your life will make your symptoms more manageable. Yoga also teaches you breathing techniques which helps calm you down when you are anxious.

Find healthy distractions

When you have anxiety, your thoughts are often your enemy. Like positive thoughts, good distractions allow you to stop focusing on the negative and give yourself a break from feeling anxious. Speak to a friend who makes you feel good and who is positive, work towards any goals you may have and read positive books and watch inspiring videos.

Write it down

You might find it silly at first, but it works! Writing down how you feel can help you cope and beat anxiety. Writing allows you to let go of your thoughts, instead of letting them stew inside. It also allows you to put your worries down somewhere permanent, allowing you to linger on them less than you normally would.

References:

Save yourself, from yourself

October 25th, 2016 by The Hello Doctor Team

You’re sitting at reception, wondering if you are prepared for your interview. Your hands are clammy, your mind is swirling with a million possibilities of everything that could go wrong, your chest feels tight and you can’t breathe.

We all feel anxious at times during stressful situations, but if the feelings of anxiety distract you from participating in everyday life, then you may need help. Anxiety causes both physical and psychological effects.

Continue reading “Save yourself, from yourself”

FOMO vs JOMO

February 8th, 2016 by The Hello Doctor Team

Worried you’re missing out on all the gossip at the office work party? Or scared of turning down the invite to Uncle Bob’s 67th because of all the family drama? Maybe you’ve just seen that an old school colleague has just signed up to boot camp, so you sign yourself up too. How many times have you ordered something and then changed your mind when you heard what your partner was going to have?

If any of these scenarios sound familiar, you have a classic case of FOMO, or the fear of missing out. Don’t feel bad, surveys suggest that around 62% of all South Africans are all suffering from the same thing. Continue reading “FOMO vs JOMO”

How to avoid end-year anxiety

July 21st, 2015 by The Hello Doctor Team

It’s nearly the end of July, can you believe it – where has this year gone? Before you know it, your kids will have finished end-of-year exams, be begging you to let them go away with friends as well as starting to get ready for Christmas. Anxious already? Don’t worry – we’ve put together your anxiety-busting action plan. Continue reading “How to avoid end-year anxiety”

5 Silent stress assassins

March 30th, 2015 by The Hello Doctor Team

It’s normal to have a stressful day now and then – think about tax season, exam-time or before you go to an interview, for example. Long-term stress however is much more serious and it can lead to a number of health conditions.

Chronic stress from a demanding job or domestic problems puts your body under a daily assault of hormones that can cause a whole host of nagging health problems. The symptoms aren’t always obvious until you’re in trouble – so here are some warning signs:

Continue reading “5 Silent stress assassins”

No panic at this disco

March 20th, 2015 by The Hello Doctor Team

One moment you’re minding your own business, and the next your heart is racing, your nerves are shot and you feel so bad you think you’re going to die! This is what we call a panic attack. Continue reading “No panic at this disco”