Anxiety


Everyone feels anxious from time to time. It is a normal human response to stressful or new situations such as going to a new school, changing jobs, parents divorcing, losing a friend.

In some instances being anxious can improve our performance, as we have been prepared for the stressful or new event.

For one in ten people in the UK anxiety affects them to such a degree that they can feel that it is taking over their normal life. Excessive amounts of anxiety are often associated with other conditions such as depression.

When should you seek help?

You should ask for help to treat your anxiety when:

It is prolonged or severe
It interferes with your day to day activities such as school, work or socialising
It happens without having a stressful or new event occurring.

Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety causes us to have two kinds of responses: one is physical and the other is psychological. The physical symptoms are caused by our brains that are preparing us for the stressful or new event, making us ready for a “fight or flight” response. Your heart and lungs work faster along with other parts of your body; adrenaline is also released. All these factors mean that the following symptoms can occur:

  • Dry mouth
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Tightness of your chest
  • Pains in your chest
  • Dizziness
  • Diarrhoea
  • Excessive sweating
  • Blushing
  • Frequent urination

Psychological symptoms can include:

  • Lack of concentration
  • Irritability or anger
  • Insomnia
  • Fear of madness
  • Feeling of not being in control of your actions

Anxiety can also be associated with other disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder or panic attacks