Tackling Anxiety: STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING AND COPING WITH ANXIETY - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Tackling Anxiety: STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING AND COPING WITH ANXIETY Thursday, February 4, 2016 Gillian Alcolado, Ph.D., C.Psych. (Supervised Practice) Anxiety Treatment and Research Clinic Matilda Nowakowski, Ph.D., C.Psych. Anxiety Treatment and Research Clinic and Pain Clinic

TACKLING ANXIETY | Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 2 Objectives: 1. To increase understanding of anxiety. 2. To learn cognitive-behavioural strategies to manage anxiety. 3. To provide information regarding resources that can be accessed to gain more information about managing anxiety.

TACKLING ANXIETY | Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 3 Outline  What is anxiety?  The Cognitive-Behavioural Model of Anxiety  Cognitive Strategies for Managing Anxiety  Behavioural Strategies for Managing Anxiety  Relaxation Strategies  Group Practice of Relaxation Strategies

TACKLING ANXIETY| Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 4 What is anxiety?

TACKLING ANXIETY| Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 5 What is anxiety? Merriam-Webster Dictionary: “ an overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs (such as sweating, tension, and increased pulse), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one's capacity to cope with it”

TACKLING ANXIETY| Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 6 What is anxiety? Merriam-Webster Dictionary: “ an overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs (such as sweating, tension, and increased pulse), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one's capacity to cope with it”

TACKLING ANXIETY| Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 7 What is anxiety? Merriam-Webster Dictionary: “ an overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs (such as sweating, tension, and increased pulse) , by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one's capacity to cope with it”

TACKLING ANXIETY| Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 8 What is anxiety? Merriam-Webster Dictionary: “ an overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs (such as sweating, tension, and increased pulse), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one's capacity to cope with it ”

TACKLING ANXIETY | Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 9 Who experiences anxiety?  EVERYONE. Anxiety is a normal and common emotion.  We all experience anxiety at various times in our lives:  Preparing for tests/exams  Giving speeches  Interviews  Major life changes or events (e.g., marriage, having children, buying a home, starting a new job)  Dating  Work-related stressors  Dealing with daily stressors

TACKLING ANXIETY | Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 10 When does anxiety become a problem?  Frequency  Intensity  Distress caused  Impairment in:  Relationships  Social life  Ability to work  School commitments

TACKLING ANXIETY | Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 11 Cognitive-Behavioural Model of Anxiety Cognitions / Thoughts Physical Behaviours Sensations and Emotions

TACKLING ANXIETY | Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 12 SALLY SAM “I don’t trust this roller coaster. What “I can’t wait to go on this roller THOUGHTS if something goes wrong like it breaks coaster. This will be so much fun!!” down?!?” PHYSICAL Heart races and she gets fidgety. Heart races and he gets fidgety. SENSATIONS “I’m so excited. I wish the line “I’m so nervous. This was a bad idea. THOUGHTS would move faster”. I can’t handle this. Starting to feel more excited. EMOTIONS Starting to feel more nervous. Uses phone to research roller coaster Uses phone to take a picture to BEHAVIOURS safety. remember the day. EMOTIONS Terrified Happy Decides not to go on the roller Gets on the roller coaster and goes BEHAVIOURS coaster. Is feeling badly so he goes on two more times. home. “That was so much fun, I can’t wait “That was just awful, I’m never THOUGHTS to come back next year!” doing that again.”

TACKLING ANXIETY | Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 13 Understanding the Physical Symptoms of Anxiety SYMPATHETIC PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM NERVOUS SYSTEM  Quick-acting  Slow-acting  Relaxation  Fight or Flight Response

TACKLING ANXIETY | Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 14 Anxiety can be an adaptive response Source: forbes.com

TACKLING ANXIETY | Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 15 COPING STRATEGIES FOR ANXIETY

TACKLING ANXIETY | Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 16 Cognitions/Thoughts: Identify and Modify Negative Self Talk  When were are anxious we’re more likely to experience negative self talk  Catastrophization  Probability Overestimation  It is important to identify and evaluate our negative self talk and come up with a more balanced perspective.

TACKLING ANXIETY | Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 17 Cognitions/Thoughts: Identify and Modify Negative Self Talk  Questions we can ask ourselves to help evaluate and counter our negative self talk (Greenberger & Padesky, 1995):  Have I had any experiences that show that this thought is not completely true all the time?  Have I been in this type of situation before? What happened? What have I learned from previous experiences that could help me now?  Are there any small things that contradict my thoughts that I might be discounting as not important?  If my best friend or someone I loved had this thought, what would I tell them?

TACKLING ANXIETY | Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 18 Cognitions/Thoughts: Identify and Modify Negative Self Talk  Goal is NOT to change a positive thought for a negative thought but rather to develop a more realistic perspective on the situation.

TACKLING ANXIETY | Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 19 Behaviours: Face Your Fears  Avoidance  Decreases anxiety in the short-term but keeps anxiety going in the long-term  Places limits on our lives  Can be subtle or complete

TACKLING ANXIETY | Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 20 Behaviours: Face Your Fears  Best way to cope with anxiety is to FACE YOUR FEARS  Break the situation down into manageable steps and rank each step according to anxiety  Gradually work through the steps  Work on each step until experience a significant decrease in anxiety

TACKLING ANXIETY | Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 21 Behaviours: Problem Solving  Identify the problem.  Identify your goal.  Brainstorm all possible solutions.  Select 3 possible solutions.  Evaluate the costs and benefits of each possible solution.  Chose one or more solutions and carry it out.  Evaluate the outcome.

TACKLING ANXIETY | Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 22 Physical Sensations  Relaxation Strategies  Yoga  Good sleeping habits  Good eating habits  Regular exercise  Mindfulness

TACKLING ANXIETY | Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 23 Relaxation Strategies  Diaphragmatic Breathing  Progressive Muscle Relaxation  Imagery

TACKLING ANXIETY | Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 24 Example of Relaxation Strategy  Imagery

TACKLING ANXIETY | Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 25 QUESTIONS?

TACKLING ANXIETY | Strategies for Managing and Coping With Anxiety 26 Further talks that may be of interest:  “Being Mindful: The Basics of Mindfulness Meditation” on Thursday, February 11 at Westdale Library (6:30 p.m.) or Thursday, February 18 th at Central Library (6:30 p.m.).  “Childhood Anxiety and Its Management: What’s Helpful for Parents to Know on Saturday, February 27 th at Terryberry Library (11:00 a.m.).  “Help Your Child Stress Less” on Tuesday, February 9 th at Concession Library (6:30 p.m.) and Wednesday, February 24 th at Terryberry Library (7:00 p.m.).