Anxiety

This page is for people who experience anxiety or would like to know more about anxiety. Everybody feels anxious from time-to-time; it is a normal and common response to stressful situations. In some cases it can improve personal performance.

Symptoms of anxiety

Physical symptoms

When anxious, you may experience 'fight' or 'flight' reaction in response to an unknown or unseen stymulus, which is caused by the release of the stress hormone adrenaline. Other symptoms of anxiety can include:

• abdominal discomfort
• diarrhoea
• dry mouth
• rapid heartbeat or palpitations
• tightness or pain in chest
• shortness of breath
• dizziness, light-headed, faint or unsteady
• frequent urination
• difficulty swallowing
• shaking
• numbness or tingling sensations
• Chills or hot flushes

Psychological symptoms

• insomnia
• feeling worried or uneasy all the time
• feeling tired being irritable or quick to anger
• an inability to concentrate
• a fear that you are going "mad"
• feeling unreal and not in control of your actions(depersonalisation), or detached from your surroundings (derealisation)

Causes of anxiety

Anxiety may be a symptom of recent or past life problems/experiences including:

• Relationship difficulties
• Infertility
• Redundancy
• Promotion
• Relocation
• Bereavement
• Illness of other
• Trauma

In some instances, a person with anxiety may be able to associate the anxiety with known thoughts, events or memories, in other common circumstances the causes of anxiety are of an unknown source; where there are no thoughts associated with the feeling of anxiety.

Anxiety can also be caused by consuming non-prescribed drugs; cocaine, majurana or ecstasy, or everyday substances such as alcohol or even caffeine. Withdrawal from long-term prescribed drugs like tranquillisers can cause feelings of anxiety and distress.

Anxiety can be associated with physical illnesses, such as thyroid disorder. It is advisable to see your GP in order to explore medical treatment options.

Help with anxiety

Anxiety can be helped using medical and non medical treatments.

Medical treatments

If you think your life is being affected by anxiety, you should consider visiting your GP. In some circumstances the GP may refer to a specialist for further help.

Non-medical treatments

In certain circumstances a GP will suggest non-medical treatments for anxiety as an alternative or addition to medical treatment. The following non medical treatments can help in the treatment of anxiety.

Counselling and psychotherapy

Counselling and psychotherapy can help to reduce the symptoms of anxiety

Click here to see our 3 step guide to start counselling and psychotherapy.

Recommendations

If you would like to explore more about self-help and counselling before contacting us, then two books we recommend are:

Self-help

You may be able to improve the symptoms of anxiety by using relaxation techniques, exercise or by talking to other people.

Further information

National Phobics Society

0870 1222325
www.phobics-society.org.uk

Mental Health Foundation

0207 8031101
www.mentalhealth.org.uk

Source

Anxiety & Phobias.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists.

CG22 Anxiety: NICE guidelines.

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