Most of us have experienced feelings of worry or fear that make moments of our day more frantic than what it needs to be. These feelings of anxiousness are common, but the condition of anxiety is a different beast altogether and can be debilitating. Anxiety manifests in many ways: post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic attacks.
Just as there isn’t one way anxiety manifests itself; there is no one cause for anxiety. Anxiety can be brought on by a plethora of triggers: past and/or currently experienced trauma, general stress, and, something that isn’t given proper consideration, racial/social trauma. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a common condition experienced, though unknown, by marginalized communities and can be transferred generationally. Whatever the origin of your anxiety, there are ways to cope.
To address anxiety, the initial step in the healing process is recognizing your triggers. Identifying the circumstances that trigger your anxiety will put a face to the cause, so to speak. Naming the triggers allows you to develop a plan to address those triggers, eliminate those triggers, and allows you to maintain peace amid chaos.
A great method to address anxiety in the moment - in the middle of an episode - is an exercise called “grounding” and there are five easy steps to follow:
Acknowledge FIVE things you see around you.
Acknowledge FOUR things you can touch around you.
Acknowledge THREE things you hear.
Acknowledge TWO things you can smell.
Acknowledge ONE thing you can taste.
This protocol will help you disconnect from the panic and intense overwhelming sensation and bring you “back to Earth”.
Whatever feelings you’re experiencing, Blue Oak Counseling Services has a diverse and compassionate staff available to help walk you through any obstacles keeping you from living life on your terms.
Call or contact us today to discuss treatment options with one of our highly skilling counseling service providers.
