Anxiety vs Stress

Stress isn't an illness and in itself isn't even necessarily harmful. It is defined as a physical, mental or emotional tension and can have vital positive effects when it provides the adrenaline we need to face genuine danger or to rise to meet challenges such as giving presentations or coping with life's deadlines and dramas. 

Unfortunately, reactions to stress can vary widely and can result in unreasonable, crippling anxiety for some. In fact, 25% of the population will suffer from some type of anxiety disorder during their lives, with women being particularly susceptible. If you are amongst this group, you may find it encouraging to know that anxiety disorders are the most treatable of all mental disorders. 80% who undergo cognitive behaviour therapy report recovery after a year. 

Tips and Tools You Can Use

It is essential to recognize that anxiety disorders are medical conditions that require diagnosis by a medical practitioner and subsequent treatment. Don't try to overcome the challenge alone - there are numerous resources to help you. Here are some tips to help you get started: 

Types of anxiety disorders

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder is characterized by chronic worrying, nervousness and exaggerated fears. It is usually accompanied by physical symptoms that may include headaches, shaking, twitching, hot flushes, breathlessness, dizziness, nausea or insomnia.
• Panic attacks involves panic attacks, which lead to a cycle of fear of future attacks. Panic attacks can be terrifying for the person afflicted and may include trembling or shaking, a choking sensation, racing heart beat, dizziness, tight chest, numbness or tingling and the fear that a heart attack or death is imminent.
• Social Anxiety Disorder is noted by an extreme fear of being humiliated or 'shown up' in front of others. Symptoms may include a severe fear of speaking, eating or writing in public; blushing, sweating and inappropriate anxiety during social interaction and difficulty making eye contact. Day to day living can become virtually impossible for some sufferers, with serious consequences on work, education and relationships.
• Phobias involve an irrational and exaggerated fear of specific situations or objects. Phobias can include agoraphobia (fear of going out) and claustrophobia (fear of being enclosed), amongst many others.
• Obsessive compulsive disorder results in continual unwanted thoughts and rituals that the sufferer has no control over. These can range from fear of germs or contamination with subsequent compulsive washing and cleaning, to compulsive touching, checking or counting.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder affects sufferers who have been through extreme mental or physical trauma. Symptoms can include traumatic flashbacks, emotional numbness and hyper-anxiety.
• Self assessment

Children and Anxiety

• Fears, Phobias and Anxiety in children
  (http://www.childanxiety.net/Fears_Phobias_Anxiety.htm)
• Helping your child deal with trauma
  (http://www.parents-talk.com/expertsadvice/ea_st_0005.html)

Treatment

• Your general physician may give you a thorough physical examination to rule out any physical medical conditions.
• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is proving highly effective. You may be referred to a psychologist, counsellor or support group who will help you gain understanding of thinking patterns, gradual exposure to and mastery of situations that have provoked anxiety, and various strategies - including breathing and relaxation techniques - to reduce or cease unwanted reactions.
• Highly effective medications are available, which form a crucial part of the recovery process for many.
• A combination of medication and therapy is reported to be achieving highest success rates.
• Coping with anxiety
• Simple things you can do to control stress

(http://stress.about.com/library/weekly/aa112600a.htm)

o   Supporting someone with anxiety

·         Medications

o   Access to Health Canada medication related information (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/product.htm)

o   Health Canada drug product database  (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb-dgps/therapeut/htmleng/dpd.html)

o   What's this pill for again?

(http://www.50Plus.com)

o   Medication

(http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/for_you/seniors.html#7)

Helpful Resources

Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba (ADAM)

(http://www.adam.mb.ca/about.html)

For more information or to arrange an appointment for confidential counselling, contact FGIworld, your EAP/EFAP provider, (24 hours-a-day/7days-a-week) at: 1-800-268-5211 (English) 1-800-363-3872 (en français)

Friendship and Your Health

Studies show that people with a strong support network – which is ultimately what good friends provide – are less prone to conditions such as depression and are in a better situation to fight back and recover from serious illness. 

Unfortunately, when we are juggling endless responsibilities and find ourselves in a crunch, time committed to friends is often the first thing we sacrifice. Next time you're tempted to cancel a friend, try to remember that the benefits of friendship go far beyond the welcome break they offer – cancel something else instead. 

Tips and Tools You Can Use

Given that friendships contribute to our sense of emotional wellbeing and overall good health, try to consider the time spent with friends as a priority. In other words, stop feeling guilty about the time you spend together and instead enjoy yourself with friends more often! Here are some great tips: 

How your health benefits

• Good friendships contribute to emotional well being, which makes us less susceptible to illness.
• People with a strong support network are less prone to clinical depression.
• Time spent with friends helps to relieve stress.
• It is easier to laugh when you are with friends – and laughter helps to release endorphins, which contribute to wellbeing.
• A strong support network can help to fight serious illness and speed recovery.

Setting healthy examples

• Spending time with healthy friends can increase your likelihood of staying healthy.
• It’s easier to eat healthy foods when your friends do.
• Your level of activity increases when you spend time with active friends.
• When you start a diet with a friend or join a fitness club together, you are more likely to stick with it.
• Healthy lifestyles are ‘catching’ – it’s easier to adopt healthy habits.
• If your friends consider regular medical check-ups part of life, you are more likely to include them in your life.

Providing support

• Focus on supportive friends who talk to you honestly and who are always there for you.
• Another person’s point of view can often help to clarify your own decisions about important issues.
• When you feel tense or upset before challenging or important events, chatting with a friend in person or on the phone can help to reduce stress levels.
• Never be afraid to ask for help in times of need – that’s what friends are for.
• Remember that friendship is reciprocal – be there for your friends as well.

Social benefits

• Socially adept friends can help build your own social skills.
• Friends introduce you to other friends who may become part of your support network or add to your career network.
• Socializing helps to stimulate us and keeps us feeling part of life.
• Even a five minute social chat on the phone can help you get through a bad day.

Helpful Resources

What makes a healthy friendship?
(http://www.loveandlearn.com/questions/q77/default.htm)
Making friends
(http://www.counseling.caltech.edu/html/MakingFriends.html)
Maintaining friendships
(http://www.cyberparent.com/friendship/maintain.htm)

For more information or to arrange an appointment for confidential counselling, contact FGIworld, your EAP/EFAP provider, (24 hours-a-day/7days-a-week) at: 1-800-268-5211 (English) 1-800-363-3872 (en français)

How to Avoid Burnout

'Burnout' is a stress condition brought on by being involved in an intense situation for a long period of time, without adequate rest and recreation. Although most commonly thought of in relation to a job, burnout can also occur in other situations, such as when we are a primary caregiver to small children or a sick elderly person. It is often the result of feeling overworked and underappreciated.

You can learn how to avoid burnout by knowing your own limits, taking care of yourself and learning from the ideas and strategies of others in similar situations. 

Tips and Tools You Can Use

Learning to understand burnout can help you to avoid it. Try to know your own limits and develop coping strategies for periods when stress overload seems unavoidable. Here are some great tips to help you stay on top of things: 

Know your limits

• Learn to control a situation that has the potential for burnout by recognizing it at the outset.
• Certain jobs, such as air traffic control, are known for their high incidence of burnout.
• Jobs that involve caring for the very ill or which require a great number of overtime hours are also known to have high burnout rates.
• Some people thrive on stressful situations, but others sacrifice their own needs when they get involved.
• Try to know yourself well enough to avoid situations of potential burnout.
• Dealing with stress
• Coping with job stress
• Understanding balance

Taking care of yourself

• When you ignore your physical and emotional needs during a period of constant or severe stress, burnout may result.
• Good self-care includes eating nutritious, well-balanced meals at regular hours.
• Regular exercise is important. Try walking or jogging around the block at lunchtime.
• Try to ensure you have adequate and satisfying sleep.
• Regular rest and recreation will help to avoid burnout. Recognize that you are not doing anyone a favour by depriving yourself in these areas.
• If you are in a stressful situation and realize that one or more of your self-care habits has gone by the wayside, it might be time to take a look at what is causing the stress and take action to change it.

·         Balancing work, family and fun:

o   Healthy lifestyle Canada's Food Guide  (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/lifestyles/food_nutr.html)

o   Canada's Physical Activity Guide  (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/paguide/) 

Talking with others

• Share your feelings with others in the same or a similar situation.
• Listen to what they say about the strategies they use to cope.
• Consider joining a support group for people in your situation. Eg. A support group for caregivers or for new mothers.
• Talk with someone from outside the situation who is objective and might also offer new ideas.
• Sometimes communicating with others about your own situation is a positive step away from stress and burnout towards greater health.
• If burnout is becoming severe and is affecting your ability to function properly, talk to your doctor or to a confidential EAP counsellor.
• Anxiety vs Stress

Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba (ADAM)

(http://www.adam.mb.ca/about.html)

Helpful Resources

Simple things you can do today to control stress

(http://stress.about.com/library/weekly/aa112600a.htm)

Your great balancing act - tools and advice

(http://www.chatelaine.com/article.jsp?page=health&cid=661127)

 For more information or to arrange an appointment

for confidential counselling, contact FGIworld,

your EAP/EFAP provider, (24 hours-a-day/7days-a-week) at:

1-800-268-5211 (English) 1-800-363-3872 (en français)

Self-Assessment: Anxiety

Many of us are struggling to balance increasing workloads with added family pressures, such as financial issues and the care-giving needs of both children and ailing adult loved ones. The result can be an overload of stress which, for 25% of us, leads to anxiety disorders at some point during our lives. 

When stress begins to feel out of hand, it is time to assess whether you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder. Given that this is one of the easiest mental conditions to treat, diagnosis is the first step towards recovery. Now could be the perfect day to begin. 

Tips and Tools You Can Use

Stress isn't an illness. It is merely mental or emotional tension and has a positive role to play in the release of adrenaline, which helps us face life's deadlines and challenges. However, if your reaction to stress becomes exaggerated or irrational, it is time to ask your doctor about anxiety disorders. Here are some tips to help you get started: 

Symptoms may include

• Chronic worrying, nervousness and heightened fears.
• Shaking, twitching or trembling.
• Hot flushes, sweating.
• Dizziness, light-headedness.
• Numbness or tingling.
• Breathlessness or a choking sensation.
• Racing heart, tight chest.
• Feelings of impending doom.
• Depression and insomnia.
• Sudden panic attacks which may involve trembling, shaking, racing heart, tight chest, breathlessness, a choking sensation and feelings of being out of control.
• Fear of panic attacks.
• Phobias, involving an irrational fear of certain objects or situations.
• Extreme fear of being humiliated or 'shown up' in front of others, resulting in difficulty speaking, writing or interacting in public.
• Continual and compulsive unwanted thoughts or ritual actions that cannot be controlled.
• Anxiety that is impacting on your life.
• Anxiety vs stress
• Panic Attacks

Some of the above symptoms may indicate other, more serious conditions. 

Please check with your doctor. 

Treatment

• A thorough physical examination to rule out any physical medical conditions.
• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy involves gaining understanding of thinking patterns, gradual exposure to and mastery of situations that have provoked anxiety, and various strategies-including breathing and relaxation techniques-to reduce unwanted reactions.

·         Medications  

o   Access to Health Canada medication related information (http://www.hc-c.gc.ca/english/product.htm)

o   Health Canada drug product database  (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb-dgps/therapeut/htmleng/dpd.html

o   What's this pill for again?

(http://www.50Plus.com)

• A combination of medication and therapy
• Coping with anxiety

o   Simple things you can do to control stress (http://stress.about.com/library/weekly/aa112600a.htm)

• Supporting someone with anxiety

 

Helpful Resources

Self-assessment questionnaire

(http://www.anxieties.com/self.php)

Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba (ADAM)

(http://www.adam.mb.ca/about.html)

This article is not intended to replace professional consultation. Please see your doctor for all medical concerns.

For more information or to arrange an appointment

for confidential counselling, contact FGIworld,

your EAP/EFAP provider, (24 hours-a-day/7days-a-week) at:

1-800-268-5211 (English) 1-800-363-3872 (en français)