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How to Identify Common Anxiety Triggers
At least 301 million people worldwide live with an anxiety disorder.
For these people, fear and worry can become intense and excessive. These feelings can also be difficult to control, even causing significant distress and interfering with daily life and relationships.
But you can retake control — and the right treatment plan can help.
Caroline Bjorkman, DO, takes a holistic, compassionate approach to mental health concerns at her practice, Mind Space Wellness, LLC. For anxiety disorders, a crucial aspect of treatment involves identifying common triggers and developing new thinking patterns and tools to manage them.
Here are a few common anxiety triggers and how to identify them.
Understanding anxiety disorders
Approximately 40 million Americans have anxiety disorders.
While it’s common to experience worry, tension, or fear from time to time, an anxiety disorder is a mental health condition. With clinical anxiety, your feelings are out of proportion with the cause, and they can last for long periods.
Signs of an anxiety disorder might include:
- A feeling of impending panic, doom, or danger
- Nervousness, tension, or restlessness
- Increased heart rate
- Rapid breathing
- Trembling, sweating, muscle tension, or weakness
- Difficulty sleeping or fatigue
- Problems concentrating or focusing on anything but the worry
- Digestive problems
It’s also common for individuals with anxiety disorders to start avoiding certain situations or places to keep these feelings at bay.
That’s why identifying things that trigger your symptoms is a crucial component of effective anxiety management.
Common anxiety triggers
There are numerous anxiety disorders, so it creates a very unique experience for the person living with it. It also means not everyone shares the same triggers. However, some appear frequently.
Common anxiety triggers include:
- Consuming too much caffeine
- Skipping meals
- Financial concerns
- Social events or parties
- Stress
- Conflict or bullying
- Taking a test
- Public speaking, events, or performances
- Experiencing a loss or becoming apparent
- Taking (or stopping) specific prescriptions and over-the-counter medications
- Having a severe health issue, like a chronic illness or cancer
People can also have personal triggers, which can be trickier to identify. But you don’t have to do it alone — Dr. Bjorkman can help.
Identifying anxiety triggers
It can seem overwhelming trying to find solutions when you live with a condition like anxiety. Fortunately, experts like Dr. Bjorkman can act as your guide and provide effective coping strategies.
Dr. Bjorkman often takes multiple approaches when helping people identify their anxiety triggers. One method involves cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) — or talk therapy. These conversations can help get to the root of your symptoms so you can gain a better understanding of your anxiety.
Another strategy for identifying anxiety triggers involves journaling. Don’t worry; these don’t have to be lengthy entries. Instead, simply write down instances when you notice your anxiety and document what could have led to it.
As Dr. Bjorkman helps you identify your anxiety triggers, she can provide personalized treatment recommendations.
Do you struggle with anxiety? Contact Mind Space Wellness, LLC, to schedule a consultation with Dr. Caroline Bjorkman in Fort Lee, New Jersey, or the upper West side of Manhattan in New York City today.