ANXIETY: distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune; a state of apprehension and psychic tension occurring in some forms of mental disorder. (Webster’s)
Do you consider yourself as being normal? (Seriously, now!) Have you ever felt well beyond the reach of a peaceful balance in your life? Has your heart and mind amplified fears to the extent that you’ve felt like you are imprisoned by them? Does your heart pound, your mind race, your palms sweat, and you don’t know how to put on the brakes to make it all stop? Can you say, ANXIETY!!!
Well, dear friend, you need to know that anxiety is a normal part of life. If you are human and living in this fast-past ever-demanding world, anxiety is going to pop its ugly visage and put a scare into you. Anxiety does have the ability to serve as a helpful tool. As long as anxious feelings are short-lived and don’t become excessive, they don’t have to interfere with healthy living. However, the destructive nature of anxiety can weigh you down so low and to such an extent that it’s difficult to function normally.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that most of you who are reading this are seniors. The “Boomers” among us were brought up in a world that knew honest to God global threats to humanity and were blessed to have had a courageous generation that came before us who fought and sacrificed through that destruction to present us with the potential for world peace and great prosperity. A lot of us learned from these heroes and joined in to help build a world full of promise. It hasn’t been easy. Most things of importance come from hard work. There are others who were more comfortable in the security of riding the victors’ coattails. Today, dear reader, we are the next generation whose accomplishments have either built upon the past or not. Quite a responsibility when you think about it. Right?
Well, there are many times when we just don’t have any control over situations. If a situation is stressful enough, that’s when reality blurs and hopelessness takes over.
Anxiety is not just emotional or cognitive but also physical. It can be caused by or result in physical changes, so it is important to address any physical issues that may be contributing to anxiety. Because of the impact it can produce on someone’s overall well-being, sharing these struggles with others, and receiving guidance and comfort, can help to process these experiences and stimulate the motivation to move forward.
But, what if you don’t have anyone to help you decompress? Anxiety and the hopelessness it creates can easily cause a person to avoid social interactions. Taken to an extreme, a person can become isolated and alone. Actions of reaching out to a local church, community support group, meeting with friends and family members to talk, to share a meal, can go a long way toward helping gain a sense of wholeness and normalcy amidst the anxiety.
It’s been said that a person can live weeks without food, days without water, seconds without air, but not a moment without hope. God made us social animals and I don’t care what you say, we Americans will go out of our way to help others when we know there is a need. Does anyone know of your need today?
Try to remember the trials of the past and that they are well behind us. There is a future. Maybe you just can’t see it yet.
Need some help with that? Johns Hopkins Guided Care ® plan is a proven comprehensive care plan which integrates input from the nurse and the primary care providers and the patient. This plan works especially well for the high-risk people, such as Parkinson’s disease patients. For more information about how Guided Care® can help you, contact Youthful Aging Home Care.
Lani Kelly is a research writer for Youthful Aging Home Care.
