Many people experience both anxiety and depression, and I'm one of them. About a month ago, I had what’s called a major depressive episode. Though I am not at my lowest point anymore, I am still dealing with the aftereffects of that episode and probably will for some time. This is not the first time I’ve had to deal with such an episode, so I think it is appropriate to devote an entry to attempt to come to terms with it. Please forgive me if I don’t sound enthused; my drive continues to be shot. Despite that, I will do the best I can.

Self-care is highly recommended for managing and treating anxiety. Practicing self-care can, indeed, be very effective, allowing us to step away from stress and other anxiety-provoking situations to give ourselves a much-need break. Stepping away from the rush of daily life to reset can shift anxious thoughts and settle roiling emotions, allowing us to revitalize both physically and mentally--in theory, anyway. In practice, for many people with anxiety, engaging in self-care activities can actually cause more anxiety. What happens then?

If you live with any degree or type of anxiety, chances are you've wondered if anxiety will ever stop. It's natural to want anxiety to go away, to be gone from your life. Sometimes, it can seem like anxiety is here to stay and that no matter how hard you try to reduce it, it's always there. I used to wonder if anxiety would ever stop all the time, and there were times that I really believed I was stuck with anxiety forever, despite all my efforts to deal with it. As someone who has lived with significant anxiety and who has been a teacher and counselor and is now a mental health writer, I can help answer these questions: Does anxiety ever go away? Unfortunately, no (at least not completely). Are you stuck with anxiety forever? Also, fortunately, no.

When I feel stressed out about something, I organize. And when I say organize, I mean that in a pretty far-reaching way: organizing to me means not only organizing, but also cleaning, downsizing, basically anything that falls under the umbrella of getting my affairs in order. I don’t know how common this is among others. But I would like to at least try to explain why staying organized is so helpful to me.

Anxiety's effects on your life can be brutal, interfering with what you want to do, who you want to be with, and how you want to be. A previous post explored six ways anxiety messes with your life. Here, we'll revisit those nasty effects of anxiety, and I offer six mindfulness-based tips to effectively deal with them. You can implement these mindfulness tips immediately--they don't need extra tools or preparation--so you can reduce anxiety's effects on yourself and your life.

As of late, I’ve been dealing with more personal anxieties than is normal. For that reason, I’ve cut down on activities that I enjoy, like reading, because at the moment, they’re too psychically taxing. One thing I haven’t cut down on, however, is music.

Anxiety messes with lives. That's really the bottom line of anxiety, isn't it? It barges into our lives, uninvited, and acts like a boorish guest. It causes all sorts of miserable symptoms, which are annoying enough as it is. Unfortunately, anxiety isn't just confined to a set of symptoms, but, instead, inserts itself into our lives and has negative effects that cause disruption. While the effects of anxiety are unique to each person who experiences any type of anxiety, there are some effects that many people with anxiety share. In the spirit of "misery loves company," and so you know you're not alone, here are common effects of anxiety--six ways anxiety messes with life.

I’ve been living in a new place for nearly three months, and the anxiety of loneliness is getting to me. This place is more removed from basically all of my close friends and family, so I’m not going to be able to visit them as often as I once was. Obviously, this has been difficult for me. This post is my attempt to try and come to terms with that.

Anxiety can make work or school difficult. A strong sense of perfectionism can make starting and completing tasks daunting, sometimes leading to incomplete work and missed deadlines. Fears about presentations can make life miserable. Even worries about sitting in a quiet room where others can see or hear you or stressful situations with coworkers or classmates can cause anxiety symptoms to skyrocket. The effects of work or school anxiety can make every day miserable or even keep you at home in avoidance. One approach to deal with this is to become a SCUBA diver. 

Parenting anxiety doesn't end when a child goes off to college. In fact, experiencing anxiety about college-age kids (young adults) is common. I've had many conversations recently about worries and anxiety around kids going off to college, and I just dropped off my own son at his school for his freshman year. Here's a look at why sending a young adult child can cause anxiety and how not to be consumed with worry despite all of the causes.