Hey, Shamash here.

A question someone's asking is, when

is the right time to seek professional

help when experiencing anxiety?

Feeling overwhelmed

with anxiety is so hard.

And for many, they're not sure if and

when to seek out professional advice.

Simple answer is if your fears,

worries, or attacks of fear or panic

are causing you high levels of distress

or disrupting your everyday activities,

it's time to seek out professional help.

The good news is there are some great

ways professionals can help you in

a relatively short period of time.

Considering getting professional help

is a sign of courage and resilience.

It shows you're willing to learn

from someone who's probably helped

hundreds of people going through

feelings of anxiety, just like you.

Don't think of seeking

professional help as a weakness.

Finding help is a sign you're

willing to learn something new.

And that's always a sign of great strength

and very good for your overall wellbeing.

If you're experiencing lots of

physical symptoms, first, you'll need

a medical checkup with your doctor.

They can check that your anxiety

isn't being caused by some kind

of medical issue, like a asthma

or thyroid problem, for example.

And some drugs and supplements

can also cause anxiety.

So your health professional will

need to know what you're currently

taking to check that's not the cause.

If your doctor finds it's not a medical

issue that's causing the anxiety, they

may refer you on to therapist, or you

can then seek out a therapist who will be

able to help you to effectively manage the

challenge that you're currently facing.

The current therapies available are very

effective for anxiety and you'll feel

the benefits within just a month or two.

The specific treatment you'll be offered,

will depend on the type of anxiety

you're going through and its severity.

If you're seeking mindful therapies that

focus on behavior change rather than going

through your psychological issues from

the past, then you may be recommended

mindfulness based cognitive therapy

or acceptance and commitment therapy.

Other approaches include cognitive

behavioral therapy or exposure therapy.

As you work with your therapist to

face your fears safely, you will grow

in confidence and your anxieties will

take a back seat as you learn to focus

on moving your life in a direction

that feels most meaningful for you.

So thanks so much for listening in.

I wish you all the very best as you work

through your anxieties and the other

challenges that you may be experiencing.

I want to finish with a gentle

reminder for you to be kind and

friendly to yourself as best you can.