Anxiety is a mental health condition characterized by intense, persistent worry or fear that interferes with your daily activities. In this article, we will do a brief overview of the main symptoms of this disorder, followed by a discussion of what levels are affected by anxiety and how these symptoms can be relieved.
Symptoms of Anxiety
Excessive Worry
A hallmark of several types of anxiety, this is a form of persistent, intrusive thought that can be debilitating.
Restlessness
Feeling keyed up or on edge, often for no specific reason, is common among those with anxiety disorders.
Physical Tensions
Muscle tension, headaches, and stomach aches are physical symptoms often associated with chronic anxiety.
Irritability
Anxiety can manifest as heightened irritability or sensitivity in interpersonal relationships.
Sleep Problems
Difficulty falling or staying asleep, or waking up feeling unrested, is a common symptom of various anxiety disorders.
Rapid Heartbeat
During episodes of acute anxiety or panic attacks, individuals often experience a rapid or pounding heartbeat.
Shortness of Breath
In panic attacks or acute anxiety episodes, people may find it difficult to catch their breath or may feel like they are choking.
Trembling or Shaking
Nervous tremors or shaking can occur during acute episodes or panic attacks.
Fatigue
Persistent anxiety can lead to a feeling of exhaustion or fatigue, affecting both mental and physical well-being.
Difficulty Concentrating
Anxiety can make it hard to focus on tasks or to follow conversations, often leading to forgetfulness or confusion.
Dealing with Anxiety Symptoms Holistically
First, let’s discuss each symptom while identifying the level where it is being experienced. It’s very easy, for example:
Rapid heartbeat – physical level
Difficulty concentrating – mental level
Irritability – emotional and social level
Shortness of breath – physical level, etc.
What do we do to currently address these symptoms? By using the modern anxiety treatments, anxiety reducing techniques and coping strategies, we usually try to ‘fix’ our anxiety where we find it, that is on the levels listed above – while completely ignoring the fact that human beings are comprised of five interconnected levels.
If a problem is to be solved, we must address a human being holistically, which means taking into account all the levels, including the spiritual. No anxiety medication or anxiety management technique will ever bring the desired relief if we fail to acknowledge the fact that we are not just physical bodies, but complex beings, operating on five different levels.
Another issue is the current perception that anxiety symptoms are pointless, purposeless and useless. It doesn’t even occur to us, that, just like a physical pain is signalling that something needs to be dealt with, the emotional pain of anxiety is sending just such a signal about the issue that needs to be addressed.
Everyone who has ever experienced anxiety will agree that it is not just inconvenient – it is a real suffering. The question of ‘Why am I suffering?’ ‘What is the purpose of suffering?’ can only be addressed on the spiritual level. As long as we are treating anxiety on other levels while ignoring the spiritual, we will not be successful. That said, it should be pointed out that spirituality by no means equates with religion and the two should not be confused.
So, how can we address all the five levels – physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual – knowing that they are interconnected and are constantly affecting each other, so that we could deal with anxiety issue effectively? The FLW Method is one such a system that takes a holistic approach, inviting you to tackle the issue by building an Inner Support Structure. This inner structure becomes your internal support framework that allows you to not just reduce anxiety but to experience an authentic relief from this condition and its symptoms. If you have tried other way and nothing has brought the results you wanted, the FLW Method may be for you.
