Introduction to Anxiety | Addiction and Mental Health Recovery Counseling Activities
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Dr. Dawn Elise Snipes introduces anxiety disorders and explores how they can interact with other mental health, physical health, or addiction issues. She explains that anxiety disorders are characterized by feelings of restlessness, being on edge, and difficulty sitting still. People with anxiety often experience racing thoughts, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and sleeping or eating disturbances.
Dr. Snipes explains that anxiety is part of the stress response or threat response system. When individuals feel unsafe or threatened, their threat response is activated, leading to symptoms of anxiety. This can result in irritability or anger towards people or events that wouldn't normally trigger such a response. Muscle tension is also common in individuals with anxiety, as their muscles are constantly primed for fight or flight. Sleeping disturbances occur because individuals with anxiety have difficulty relaxing enough to get good quality sleep. They may experience insomnia or wake up frequently throughout the night. Eating disturbances can also occur, as high-sugar and high-fat foods can provide temporary relief from anxiety by triggering dopamine and endorphins.
Dr. Snipes encourages listeners to consider how each symptom of anxiety could trigger addictive behavior, depression, anger, guilt, grief, and jealousy. For example, individuals with anxiety may feel hopeless and helpless, leading to depression. They may also experience guilt if they are unable to attend to things or fulfill their responsibilities due to their anxiety. Grief may arise from feeling like they have let others down. Additionally, individuals with anxiety may feel jealous of those who are not anxious, especially if they have abandonment anxiety. Dr. Snipes suggests listing each feeling or behavior on separate sheets of paper and thinking about three healthy ways to address each symptom in order to prevent it from worsening or leading to relapse.
Overall, this part of the manual provides an introduction to anxiety disorders and highlights the various symptoms associated with anxiety. It emphasizes the interconnectedness between anxiety and other mental health issues, as well as the importance of addressing each symptom in a healthy manner to prevent further complications.
Dr. Dawn Elise Snipes introduces anxiety disorders and explores how they can interact with other men