If there is one thing that is predictable about life it’s that life itself is unpredictable.  All too often just when it seems things are settling down into a certain level of calm everything suddenly goes haywire and we are plunged into a whirlwind of stress.  For those of us who suffer from an anxiety disorder any such event can trigger an episode.

What can we do when life throws us an unexpected ‘curveball’?  How can we prepare ourselves so we can avoid a full out attack?

First, avoid feeling guilty for your reaction to things.  Let’s face it, some people just seem better equipped to handle a crisis than others.  In fact what one person finds stressful another person may actually find motivating, or even stimulating.  That doesn’t mean those of us with anxiety disorders are weak or in any way defective, it just means we handle things differently.  Perhaps the people who seem to have their ‘finest hours’ when working through a time of stress have had more experience in crisis situations, were raised to be emergency problem solvers, or just have a certain personality type that responds well to pressure.   Who can say?  Whatever the case we are not like those people.  We are emotionally sensitive to sudden onslaughts of stress.  So don’t add to your stress by beating up on yourself for having an anxiety disorder.  Instead focus on ways to make your life better.  Love yourself for who you are while at the same time taking the initiative to learn ways to more effectively deal with stressful events.

Second, have a tower of strength.  Most of us have someone in our lives that is better at handling stressful situations than we are.  When a sudden crisis strikes us it is always good to have someone we can go to to express our fears and unload our concerns.  Everyone needs an understanding, listening friend.  Most of the time we don’t need a problem solver who will tell us 101 ways to combat a problem, but rather an empathic non-judgemental confidant who will let us vent out our anxieties.  It has been said, “no man is an island”.  Never was this more true than in a time of crises.  Don’t try to weather the storms of life alone.

Finally, step back from the fire.  We anxiety disorder sufferers don’t always think clearly when we are in the midst of a bad situation.  We get rapidly and heavily emotionally invested into the situation.  So much so we often cannot see anything beyond the immediate crisis we are engulfed in.  It can be helpful to step away from the source and emotionally disengage from it for a bit.  We can do this by applying the use of meditation, prayer, physical exercise, EFT or some other focus factor.  Walking away from a problem for a brief time can help us regain our balance and see our problem in a fresh way.

Sudden change, problems and complications, and even the occasional full-blown crisis are all unfortunately an unavoidable part of life.  For those of us with anxiety disorders we need to be especially prepared in advance with a plan for when such things come at us.  Hopefully the information above and at other places in this website will be helpful to you in this endeavor.