Responding to anxiety: coping strategies and therapeutic approaches

Response to facing Anxiety
What sorts of things bring out anxiety in you, past or present?
All individuals experience anxiety some or other time in life (for instance, when going for an interview, the birth of one's first child, or that first meeting with one's spouse's/significant other's family). Anxiety has been linked to modifications in our psychological state, in the form of uneasiness or trepidation, as well as physical signs like increased adrenaline or pulse; further, it is also understood that anxiety is a temporary state that persists till the cause of anxiety exists or till one learns to handle it. Hence, anxiety constitutes one among an array of emotions which functions to warn one of things one may have cause to be anxious about (i.e., potentially harmful things). Importantly, such emotions aid in assessing likely threats and appropriately responding to them, possibly through focusing one's attention or speeding up one's reflexes (Swift, Cyhlarova, Goldie, & O'Sullivan, 2014).
I experience anxiety whenever I am required to speak before a crowd of individuals, or go to any crowded place. I begin experiencing heaviness in my body, as well as sweaty palms. I feel extremely self-conscious and fail to form clear, coherent words. My mind goes blank. Another instance when I experience anxiety is when sharing things with my mom and dad, whether it concerns some incident that has occurred or something I wish to do. That is, the mere task of sharing my feelings and thoughts with them is extremely difficult for me.
What does your anxiety look like?
I don't think anyone can see what my anxiety looks like. In other words, no one knows I am experiencing anxiety. I do my best to ensure it is concealed from other people. When my anxiety sets in, I experience stomach ache, increased pulse, sweaty palms, and dizziness, and I overthink and dream up weird scenarios. However, none of this is visible to anybody else.
What has helped you cope? Please be specific.
The strategy of self-talk has proven highly valuable to me in tackling my anxiety issues. I feel uncomfortable sharing my problems with others; however, sharing it with a single close friend of mine has proven extremely helpful. Further, my resolution to get over this problem has been extremely strong. Usually, I self-talk in the face of anxiety-causing situations, weighing the positives and negatives. Moreover, I attempt at putting others in my own shoes, and ponder over what I, as another individual, would think of myself in that situation. This has proven valuable, as I wouldn’t judge other people, and should I form some opinion of them, it would have no permanent impact on anybody. Hence, this has greatly aided me in rising above anxiety-causing situations.
What, if anything, did you find helpful in the video? Do you have other materials that might be helpful for the class?
The video has proven helpful in that it made me realize that I alone do not face this problem. It was very relatable, and it made me realize the fact that I have the capability of overcoming it. One shouldn’t let anxiety have any power over oneself. I realized that I am my own person, with the ability to trounce all forms of anxiety. What particularly resonated with me was a student's speech about positive self-encouragement and seeing oneself from the outside, in order to gauge how others potentially view oneself - this is precisely what I have been doing. It has earlier proven highly useful to me and, thus, I will certainly continue to do so in the future. I have also previously viewed a number of other videos, such as Tedx Talks, that I believe will prove valuable for the class:
How to cope with anxiety | Olivia Remes | TEDxUHasselt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWloIAQpMcQ
Anxiety - Short Film (2018) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRqR4mOC4gc
Bibliography
Swift, P., Cyhlarova, E., Goldie, I., & O'Sullivan, C. (2014). Living with Anxiety. Mental Health Foundation.