Anxiety

Anxiety

It is important for Clients to realise that stress is a normal reaction to danger. It is the body’s automatic fight-or-flight response that is triggered when you feel threatened, under pressure, or are facing a challenging situation, such as a job interview, exam, or first date. In moderation, stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It can help you to stay alert and focused, spur you to action, and motivate you to solve problems. But when stress evolves into anxiety and is constant or overwhelming—when worries and fears interfere with your relationships and daily life—you’ve likely crossed the line from being stressed to running anxiety. When we run anxiety for 6 months or more it is recognised with DSM-5 as an Anxiety disorder.

Since anxiety disorders are a group of related conditions rather than a single disorder, symptoms may vary from person to person. One individual may suffer from intense anxiety attacks that strike without warning, while another gets panicky at the thought of mingling at a party. Someone else may struggle with a disabling fear of driving, or uncontrollable, intrusive thoughts. Yet another may live in a constant state of tension, worrying about anything and everything. But despite their different forms, all anxiety disorders illicit an intense fear or worry out of proportion to the situation at hand.

 While having an anxiety disorder can be disabling, preventing you from living the life you want, it’s important to know that you’re not alone. Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health issues and are highly treatable. Once I have helped you to understand your anxiety disorder, there are steps you can take to reduce the symptoms and regain control of your life.

Types of Anxiety can include:

  • Generalised Anxiety

  • Social Anxiety

  • Phobic Anxiety

  • Panic Disorder

  • Agoraphobia

  • Selective Mutism

  • Separation Anxiety

  • Medication induced Anxiety

Do I have an Anxiety Disorder?

 

Signs & Symptoms:

If you identify with any of the following eight signs and symptoms, and they just won’t go away, you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder:

  1. Are you constantly tense, worried, or on edge?

  2. Does your anxiety interfere with your work, school, or family responsibilities?

  3. Are you plagued by fears that you know are irrational, but can’t shake?

  4. Do you believe that something bad will happen if certain things aren’t done a certain way?

  5. Do you avoid everyday situations or activities because they cause you anxiety?

  6. Do you experience sudden, unexpected attacks of heart-pounding panic?

  7. Do you feel like danger and catastrophe are around every corner?

  8. Are you struggling with your sleep patterns?

  9. Perhaps struggling to get out of bed in the mornings?

Common Emotional Symptoms:

In addition to the primary symptom of excessive and irrational fear and worry, other common emotional symptoms of an anxiety disorder include:

  • Disassociating emotionally or physically in relationships

  • Avoidance behaviour at work or in your personal life

  • Feelings of apprehension or dread

  • Always watching for signs of danger

  • Anticipating the worst, - even to the extent of panic

  • Trouble concentrating

  • Feeling tense and jumpy

  • Irritability

  • Feeling like your mind’s gone blank or brain fog i.e. ‘‘where did I put my keys’’

  • Waking up in the middle of the next exhibiting one - or a number of anxiety symptoms

Physical Symptoms

But anxiety is more than just a feeling. As a product of the body’s fight-or-flight response, anxiety also involves a wide range of physical symptoms, including:

  • Overall physical tenseness

  • Pounding heart

  • Sweating

  • Headaches

  • Stomach or gastric upsets

  • Nausea

  • Dizziness

  • Frequent urination or diarrhoea (IBS)

  • Shortness of breath

  • Muscle tension or twitches

  • Shaking or trembling (especially fingers or hands)

  • Insomnia

 
 

Because of anxiety mirroring physical illness symptoms, anxiety sufferers can often mistake their disorder for a medical illness*. They may visit many doctors and make numerous trips to the hospital before their anxiety disorder is finally recognised.

 Many people with anxiety disorders also suffer from depression at some point. Anxiety and depression are believed to stem from the same biological vulnerability, which may explain why they so often go hand-in-hand. Since depression makes anxiety worse (and vice versa), it’s important to seek treatment for both conditions.

*(I always recommend visiting a GP initially in these situations to ensure there is no underlying physical ailment).

 

 Contact Us

I will work with you and assist you to understand how stress impacts on your life. Together, we will identify steps you can take to reduce the symptoms and gain back control of your life.

 To make the necessary changes in your life to remove anxiety, click the link below to make a booking with me.