List of Anxiety-Inducing Music (7+ Distressing Songs)
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This blog answers: Which are some anxiety-inducing music? What are the signs and symptoms of anxiety? What are some ways to manage anxiety? What are the therapy options for anxiety?
Which are some anxiety-inducing music?
Some anxiety-inducing music is:
Prodigy – “Firestarter (Death Grips Remix)”
The original music with a monochrome video showing Liam Howlett’s strangely demented physical performance, which is enough to get your blood pumping and make you want to smash something. The Death Grips remix, on the other hand, substitutes the fury and aggressiveness with a general sense of paranoia and insanity.
Danny Brown – “Blunt After Blunt
Danny Brown’s music is already frantic, but this “Blunt After Blunt” will make your brain feel like it’s ten pounds heavier and will cause heart palpitations in no time.
Burial – “Spaceape”
Burial’s stark, minimal production sets the stage for Spaceape’s panic-inducing vocals, which, like the arm, he says he’ll slip around your neck, wrap themselves around your mind and begin to squeeze with Unforgettable noises
The Horrorist – “One Night In New York”
The author’s overly melodious voice and the stark black and white video make you uneasy, but you keep watching, curious what will happen until the song reaches its shocking conclusion, and all you want to do is curl up in a ball and get those strange images out of your head.
Black Eyes – “Deformative”
The song “Deformative” begins with a vibratory set and an echoey, hyper guitar. Another drum set begins at six seconds. You’ll eventually have a terrifying clatter of sounds that may be working with and against each other at the same time.
Aesop Rock – “Zero Dark Thirty”
This soundtrack, with its hard drums and subtly glitching background melody, is enough to creep under your skin and push you towards panic.
Crystal Castles – “Alice Practice”
The combination is enough to make even the most composed, cool, and collected person feel as if their life is shattering around them and they’re losing control with each passing second, and with each deranged wail and manic synth stab.
Salem – “Asia”
It’s not the kind of hysteria that makes your heart race and your breathing become labored.
Fatima Al Qadiri – “Vatican Vibes”
Exploring ideas like religion and technology through music and video, she captures the lunacy of the world around us, but even if you don’t know the backstory, listening to a humongous track like “Vatican Vibes” leaves you feeling small and helpless.
What are the signs and symptoms of anxiety?
Anxiety is characterized by a set of signs and symptoms such as:
- Sweating
- Difficulty in breathing
- Shortness of breath
- Sense of choking
- Complaints of chest pain
- Shaking or trembling
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dizziness or Lightheadedness
- Fear of losing control over oneself and their environment
- Fear of impending doom
- Hot or cold flashes
- Tingling or numbness
- Increased heart rate
These symptoms vary in severity from person to person. However, it is noted that many people experience anxiety attacks that are not significantly displayed.
What are some ways to manage anxiety?
Identify and acknowledge the triggers
The most significant strategy that can be used to control one’s anxiety is by identifying and acknowledging those triggers.
Being able to recognize what makes an individual anxious makes them better equipped to take action.
Relaxation techniques
Even though anxiety can be bought under an individual’s control it cannot be predicted. In such situations, it is necessary that an individual actively carries out relaxation techniques.
These might include meditation, yoga, and deep breathing which helps to reduce the intensity of anxiety within a short period.
Socialization
A key to reducing the frequency and intensity of anxiety attacks could be spending time with close family and friends.
The kind of emotional and practical support provided by these social and personal groups help the person feel connected and aid in distracting one’s mind from negative and recurring thoughts that lead to anxiety.
Apart from friends and families, individuals can also consider speaking to groups of people that are experiencing similar problems.
Set realistic goals
When an individual is feeling overwhelmed, setting goals and targets keeping in mind priorities can help resolve overwhelming feelings of fear or panic.
Setting goals provides structure and routine to an individual’s life reducing space for uncertainty which can be a major trigger for anxiety in many cases.
Take up new challenges
Apart from doing activities that an individual is usually fond of and has expertise in, trying new and challenging activities that put an individual outside their comfort zone in a healthy manner may help reduce the stress and anger temporarily.
Signing up for new activities also provides a path to meeting people with similar stories and concerns.
Lifestyle changes
An individual’s lifestyle plays a major role in their experience of anxiety. An unhealthy and busy lifestyle usually leads to unhealthy eating, lack of exercise, lack of adequate sleep.
A combination of a well-set diet, exercise, and sleep can help to regulate an individual’s mood and equip them with a favorable coping mechanism.
These coping mechanisms in turn help to get control over once anxiety concerns in a more adaptable manner.
lack of proper diet, sleep, and exercise can make an individual sluggish, dependent, moody and vulnerable to anxiety attacks.
Making journal entries
Last but not least having a journal to write down how a person is feeling and thinking when they are anxious helps them to reflect upon their thoughts and feelings.
Putting down one’s thoughts and feelings onto a paper helps to provide a sense of temporary relief.
In the case of journal entry, a person does not even have to fear being judged by another person regarding their thoughts and feelings.
What are the therapy options for anxiety?
Cognitive-behavioural therapy
Cognitive-behavioural therapy helps an individual to control their anxiety by using strategies like relaxation and breathing. It works on the principles of replacing negative thoughts with positive ones.
Exposure therapy
Exposure therapy is a kind of therapy in which an individual is exposed to a particular stimulus that they usually fear or are anxious about in a graded order.
As and when the individual gets comfortable with the situation or stimulus introduced or exposed to them with each session, individuals get more comfortable with a real-life situation that might have otherwise been a source for triggering anxiety.
Group therapy
It is based on the principle that when an individual interacts with other people who are suffering from the same fears they might not feel left alone or isolated. Group therapy usually involves a group of individuals who are experiencing similar symptoms and problems.
Medication
Anxiety can also be treated with the help of medication prescribed by a health care professional.
Though medication alone cannot help in reducing persistent anxiety it can help in restoring a sense of control and bring temporary relief.
Online therapy
In cases where reaching out physically to a professional is impossible or discomforting an individual can opt to seek help through the online medium.
In this, the therapy sessions are carried out one-to-one over a video or audio call. Some individuals also prefer interacting with the therapist through text as well due to various reasons. One of the most common is the fear of being judged by the therapist or some personal hesitation.
Online therapy can help individuals to regulate some aspects of their anxiety that aid individuals in carrying out a stress-free life over time.
Conclusion
New music can be therapeutic many at times it can cause stress in individuals. Some songs can induce anxiety in individuals by increasing their heart rates.
Frequently asked questions: Which are some anxiety-inducing music?
What does it look like when one is experiencing anxiety attacks?
Anxiety attacks involve some typical signs and symptoms such as:
- Increased heart rate
- Difficulty breathing
- Sense of losing control
- Fear of impending doom
- Tightness in the chest
- Nausea and vomiting
- Shaking or trembling
- Lightheadedness or dizziness
What is the difference between a panic attack and an anxiety attack?
The symptoms of a panic attack are much more intensive and disruptive. Panic attacks lead to dissociation and detachment of an individual from their surroundings.
On the other hand, symptoms of anxiety vary in their intensity from mild to severe.
Apart from this anxiety and panic attacks can also be differentiated based on their onset. Panic attacks are most sudden while symptoms of anxiety build up gradually and intensify over a few minutes or days.
How long does an anxiety attack last?
Anxiety attacks at typical to last for about 10 to 30 minutes at a maximum. The symptoms that are characterized by an anxiety attack reach their peak halfway through the attack.
Anxiety usually builds up for hours or even days before the attack strikes. This indicates that it is important for an individual to identify and mark the factors that trigger anxiety to prevent anxiety attacks.
How do you overcome an anxiety attack?
Anxiety attacks usually reach their peak and subside within 30 minutes. however, some self-help techniques that individuals can use to accelerate this process are:
- Taking in deep breaths through the nose and exhaling through their mouth
- Using active distraction techniques such as counting steadily backward or forward
- Consciously making an effort to replace negative thoughts with more positive ones
- Carrying out mentally challenging and distracting activities.
- Participating in mindful meditation.
Can anxiety last all day?
It is mostly reported that anxiety is a natural response to threat or fear. That being said it usually lasts for a short period. However, some anxiety episodes last a little longer than others. This can range from a few minutes to a few days.
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