Anxiety Recovery: Can You Feel Completely Normal Again?

Anxiety, considered the most common mental illness in the United States, affects an estimated 40 million adults 18 and older. Of all mental illnesses, anxiety is the most common.

From 2008 to 2018, the rate of anxiety increased from 5.12% to 6.68% and is still on the rise. Well, that's one bad news. What if you're one of these patients, or you're at risk of anxiety disorder? Can you recover and feel great again?

There's good news!

Is it Possible to Fully Recover from Anxiety Disorder?

Yes, you can fully recover from anxiety recovery just as thousands of patients have done.

For years, little was known about the factors responsible for recovery from anxiety. But one new study investigated three levels of anxiety recovery in about 2,000 participants with a history of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and the results are impressive. 40% of these once-upon-a-time anxiety patients now live in absolute and excellent mental health!

The Research

The researchers studied over 2,000 Canadians with a history of GAD and found that about 72% of them had been free of the condition for at least a year.

40% of the individuals were in a state of excellent mental health, and 60% no longer experienced any mental or addiction issues.

Excellent mental health refers to a complete state of happiness, satisfaction, and wellness. To be classified as someone with excellent mental health, you must have:

• Daily happiness and satisfaction in the last 30 days
• High levels of social and psychological well-being in the last 30 days
• Freedom from GAD or any other symptom of mental illness or addiction.

Surprisingly, 40% of individuals with a history of generalized anxiety disorder now have excellent mental health. That means you could too.

But the question is HOW?

What are the Factors Influencing Complete Recovery from Anxiety Disorder?

According to Esme Fuller-Thompson, lead author of the study, "This research provides a very hopeful message for individuals struggling with anxiety, their families, and health professionals. Our findings suggest that full recovery is possible, even among those who have suffered for many years with the disorder."

But here it is: individuals having at least one person in their lives who they could confide in are three times more likely to attain excellent mental health than others.

Social support is vital to complete anxiety recovery. Staying connected emotionally with a friend or family member improves one's sense of belonging, promoting higher self-esteem and confidence. As you very well know, these things matter when combating generalized anxiety disorder.

But even more interesting is the fact that people who turned to their religious belief in a higher power are 36% more likely to attain excellent mental health than those who didn't engage in spirituality. Apparently, believing that there's someone powerful up there who can handle your everyday problems can help you cope better.

According to Fuller-Thompson, "Other researchers have found a strong link between recovery from mental illness and belief in a higher power."

Having social support is vital to full recovery from anxiety

No matter the severity of your anxiety disorder right now, there is hope. Why not reach out to someone who you can confide in today? Practice spirituality and meditation if you must, but also try to improve on your social connections.

You, too, can obtain full anxiety recovery and enjoy excellent mental health.

Author

Satu H. Woodland, PMHCNS-BC, APRN Satu Woodland is owner and clinician of Hope Mental Health, an integrative mental health practice located at Bown Crossing in Boise, Idaho. She sees children, adolescents, and adults.  Ms. Woodland with her background in nursing, prefers a holistic and integrative approach to mental health care that addresses the mind and body together. While Ms. Woodland provides medication management services in all her patients, she believes in long-lasting solutions that include a number of psychotherapies, namely cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure and response prevention therapy, attention to lifestyle, evidenced based alternative psychiatric care and spirituality. If you’d like to gain control over your mental health issues, call Hope Mental Health at 208-918-0958, or use the online scheduling tool to set up an initial consultation.