Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders in the United States, affecting about 40 million adults. Anxiety and other mood disorders account for the greatest hospitalizations for people under 45, excluding childbirth. Given the costs to individuals, families, and society as a whole, anxiety treatment is fundamental to ensuring our nation’s health.
The personal and financial costs of anxiety and other mental health disorders include billions of dollars in healthcare and lost productivity. Anxiety cripples sufferers, limiting their ability to experience life, feel joy, trust, and simply rest. Frequent anxiety attacks can dismantle every plan, goal, and aspiration someone has. At Mile High Recovery Center, we offer anxiety disorder treatment in Denver. If you want to learn more about anxiety therapy in Denver and how to calm an anxiety attack, reach out to Mile High today via our online form or call 303-268-2144.
How to Calm an Anxiety Attack–Five Tips
We recommend ongoing treatment for anxiety disorders, including therapy and medication. But until you can access treatment or for anxiety attacks that breakthrough, there are some things you can do to reduce symptoms.
1. Recognize You Are Having an Anxiety Attack
Not a heart attack. Not a stroke. You will get through it because anxiety attacks do not last forever. Simply reminding yourself what is happening can notch the fight or flight reaction down incrementally.
2. Practice Mindfulness
If you have some go-to practices you can whip out in a pinch, you will be able to reduce some of the physical symptoms of your anxiety attack. For example, deep breathing, meditation, guided imagery, and muscle relaxation (one muscle group at a time) can calm your system. Even simply closing your eyes can help by eliminating outside stimuli.
3. Repeat an Easy Affirmation
The act of repeating a simple phrase over and over can calm your over-stimulated neurons. Plus, a highly affirmative message to yourself can effectively rewire, at least temporarily, your thoughts from negative, fear-based panic to something calmer. For example, you could use a mantra such as, “I am safe” or “I will feel better soon.”
4. Use Essential Oils
The power of certain fragrances is irrefutable. Lavender is particularly known for its calming effects. Source your essential oils sensibly from reputable manufacturers and distributors and keep a small jar with you for when you need it most.
5. Access the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Grounding Method
This technique is intended to focus you on what is around you in the world. As you center your thoughts on everything, your attention will drift from your anxiety, and your heart rate and breathing will slow. You do this by identifying:
- 5 things you can see
- 4 things you can feel
- 3 things you can touch
- 2 things you can smell
- 1 thing you can taste (this one can be hard in the moment, so you can also focus on one thing you like to taste)
Anxiety Treatment in Denver
Aside from the in-the-moment techniques for moving past an anxiety attack, there are long-term solutions to the anxiety that can hold you hostage and potentially put you at risk for a substance use disorder. At Mile High Recovery Center, we urge you to seek ongoing treatment for your anxiety.
Some of the evidence-based treatments and other modalities that help with anxiety and are offered in our anxiety treatment center are:
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
- Group therapy
- Family therapy
- Equine therapy
- Psychiatry and medication management
Mile High Recovery Center: Anxiety Disorder Treatment in Denver
Our anxiety treatment program is ideal for people in the greater Denver area who seek professional, compassionate therapy using evidence-based treatment protocols. Located in the heart of the Mile High City, our program offers both anxiety treatment and dual diagnosis treatment for anxiety that co-occurs with a substance use disorder.
Mile High is your anxiety specialist in Denver. Don’t wait. Reach out today to learn more about how anxiety attacks can be a thing of the past. You can live a life free from the crippling effects of anxiety. Call 303-268-2144 or use our online form. You are not alone.
