Anxiety
What is anxiety?
While feelings of stress and worry are common responses to situations where a person feels under pressure, they usually pass once the stressful situation has passed, or when the ‘stressor’ is removed.
Anxiety is when these feelings do not subside and are ongoing, existing without any particular reason or cause. It is a serious condition that can make it difficult for a person to cope with daily tasks. We all feel anxious from time to time, but for a person experiencing anxiety, these feelings cannot be easily controlled.
What causes anxiety?
As with depression, anxiety can develop from a combination of factors;
Family history of mental health problems
Ongoing stressful events
Physical health problems
Substance use
Personality factors
The most important thing is to recognise the signs and symptoms of anxiety and to reach out for support. The sooner you seek help, the sooner you can manage troubling symptoms and recover.
Some common symptoms of anxiety include;
hot and cold flushes
racing heart
snowballing worries
obsessive thinking and compulsive behaviour.
excessive perspiration
nausea
diarrhoea
trembling
blushing and stammering when trying to speak
dizziness, light-headedness or feeling faint.
These are just a few, of a number of symptoms that may be experienced as anxiety can have a different presentation in children compared with adults.
Types of anxiety
There are different types of anxiety. The six most common anxiety disorders are;
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
Social phobia
Specific phobias
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Panic disorder
Treatments for anxiety
There are many health professionals and services available to help educate and support individuals with anxiety. Effective treatment helps people with anxiety to learn how to control the condition so it does not control them. The type of treatment will depend on the type of anxiety being experienced. Mild symptoms may be relieved with lifestyle changes (e.g. regular physical exercise, adequate sleep, healthy eating). Where symptoms of anxiety are moderate to severe, psychological intervention, including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), and/or medical treatments are likely to be required.
Research indicates that when people have an anxiety condition, there are specific changes that occur in the brain's chemicals – serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine, with correlations to imbalances in gut bacteria. The underlying causes can be considered and treated, designed to correct the imbalance of chemical messages between nerve cells (neurons) in the brain, leading to more effective long-term outcomes. For individual nutritional support please seek professional consultation with a nutritionist.
Anxiety - “I’m sorry I was just trying to protect you”
Anxiety isn’t there to hurt us. It’s there to help us, if we let it. Anxiety is often portrayed negatively, but it serves a purpose – to keep us safe, it is a necessary emotion for survival. When our anxiety is too much that it impacts our functioning, is when we need to learn to regulate and calm our anxiety from overthinking and seek professional support.
