Choosing to go through the process of quitting drugs and bettering one’s life and prospects for the future can be a daunting and stress-inducing time as it is. Taking into account the individual trauma and mental health problems facing each individual, it’s no wonder most people feel a certain level of anxiety when first beginning their treatment in a rehab centre, particularly if this centre is far away from home.
Obviously, the term “anxiety” also refers to a direct mental health issue which needs to be addressed appropriately with qualified medical professionals in order to work out the best course of treatment. This article is primarily focused on people suffering temporary symptoms of anxiety, but could also be useful to those diagnosed with chronic anxiety. Anxiety is normally characterized by increased levels of fear, distress, and unease during stressful situations and even full-blown panic attacks in some circumstances that are particularly stressful or distressing. So let us look at a few easy ways that can help manage these feelings should they present themselves.
Know your triggers
Anxiety and panic attacks are usually caused by a particular feeling, situation or circumstance, which are known as triggers. This means they trigger your anxiety by reminding your brain of the memories of previous anxiety and panic attacks causing your brain’s amygdala to “trigger” a fear response. All of the symptoms and feelings associated with anxiety are fear responses and are your brain’s way of preparing your body to fight or flee. Nausea is to help evacuate your stomach so you move faster, dizziness because your body diverts blood from your head to help power your muscles and so on.
Triggers are any situation or stimuli which causes feelings of anxiety. For some people, crowded rooms and small spaces will be their particular trigger; however for others, it can be as simple as being in the same kind of building as that of a past traumatic event. Knowing these triggers and doing your best to avoid them during your time in rehab will help divert these feelings to a large degree. Make sure that you inform the staff of any known anxiety triggers you have and any coping mechanisms you have developed to deal with them.
Reminders of home
It is not uncommon for an individual to go into rehab in order to help reconcile and improve the relationships with the people in his life who he may have neglected. This can prove to be a significant incentive on a daily basis when spirits and emotions can run low in the course of the treatment process. Using love for family and other loved ones can be a useful technique to coax the patient forward and also discourage any leanings towards backsliding to old ways. These reminders of why the patient is struggling with addiction issues in the present situation can also help those experiencing separation anxiety.
Residential rehab can sometimes be a difficult process to endure when removed from familiar surroundings and placed into psychological and addiction recovery treatment. Having some treasured photographs of the family and friends can help mitigate the suffering and misery as well as deal with any anxiety issues as a result of being apart from them. Some rehab clinics do not allow any kind of communication with those back at home as part of their treatment. However many do and it is important to know whether this is the case or not before enroling and consider whether that particular centre is best suited for that individual’s needs.
Breathing exercises
One of the most unpleasant forms of anxiety is arguably hyperventilation, which is where the regular breathing pattern gets overridden by the brain into taking rapid shallow breaths. This, in turn, causes a buildup of oxygen in the blood which also heightens the feelings of fear and panic in the patient’s mind. It does this in order to process as much oxygen as possible to help fuel the body’s muscles in running from or fighting the source of fear. Hyperventilation is usually a symptom of a panic attack, or of an impending one.
However, with proper breathing techniques and a knowledge of how to spot the signs of hyperventilation, it can be avoided and controlled. Rapidly breathing in and out of a plastic or paper bag has been found to be an effective way of forcing the lungs to use the oxygen already present in the bloodstream, eventually making the person feel much better as blood oxygen levels fall. There are also timed breathing exercises to help deal with general anxiety which can induce a calmer state of mind. Taking deep breathes steadily into the abdomen before any anticipated stressful situation or panic attack can also be helpful.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the best course of action for those suffering from more serious or long-lasting forms of anxiety need to have their individual treatment plan prescribed by a qualified medical professional. Some more severe cases may even require some kind of medication such as beta-blockers to be included in the treatment. However, there are always passive ways to help ameliorate the day to day stresses and anxiety triggers which may be faced while in recovery. Knowing what one’s anxiety is and how best to avoid and deal with it effectively is a large part of the battle.
Clarity Thailand always ensures the highest quality care for all of its residents and our staff will assess and work with the patient in order to come up with the best and most effective recovery plan for that particular individual. This includes assessing any potential mental health problems and using proven treatment methods in order to help our residents get on the right track and into recovery with a long term focus. Clarity Thailand operates as transparently as possible, so either contact us or please follow the upcoming link for more information about our facilities.
