Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Bundle (312 pages)

MANAGING PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS

Why addressing the physical symptoms is crucial

One of the body’s reactions to fear and stress is a change in breathing patterns, along with muscle tension. This can result in feeling “tense”, and can often lead to muscle aches and pains, as well as leaving some people feeling exhausted. Additionally, fast and shallow breathing can increase a persons sense of panic and may further reinforce the feeling of anxiety and fear when experienced for extended periods. Think about how you respond to stress. Do you “tense up” when feeling anxious or stressed? Perhaps you get frequent headaches or end up with pain in your neck, shoulders or back. The reality is that although we consider anxiety and stress to be psychological conditions, it simultaneously manifests very much physically in the body for most people. It is not unusual to actually have the experience that stress and anxiety is more physical in nature rather than psychological. With this in mind, it is important to have strategies in place to manage the physical symptoms of stress and anxiety. This is often even more important while we are working through worry as strong physical experiences often cause us to feel like we want to run away from and avoid the uncomfortable situation due to the difficult nature of sitting through these types of sensations. As part of any good mental health management routine, I would recommend getting in to the habit of practicing controlled breathing and muscle relaxation exercises as these can be particularly helpful when addressing feelings of being on edge, anxious, stressed or overwhelmed. This following two pages will guide you through a simple, controlled breathing exercise, along with a common form of relaxation designed to reduce muscle tension.