Anxiety
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What is Anxiety?
As with most mental illnesses, it's not the presence of anxiety alone that
creates problems. It is more about how severe it is - and how much it gets in
the way of life.
Symptoms
Psychiatrists divide anxiety into three main types: general anxiety, phobias
and panic disorder. If there's a particularly difficult situation at work or at
home, the stress that this creates can spill over into other areas of life - and
create anxiety.
Similarly, a person who has experienced a very frightening situation may also
carry the fear over to their everyday life. This is known as post-traumatic
stress disorder. Though it is little comfort to the person experiencing it, they
can at least identify the cause of the emotions they're experiencing.
In general, anxiety's emotional turmoil appears to have a life of its own.
Some psychiatrists call this 'free-floating anxiety'.
Unlike phobia and panic, with general anxiety it's not always clear to the
anxious person exactly what it is they feel so anxious about. They're just
aware of feeling anxious all the time.
When there's no identifiable cause, the person often becomes anxious about
feeling anxious all the time, and the problem starts to feed off itself.
People with generalised anxiety may find that they:
These mental symptoms lead to, and are supported by, physical
symptoms. These can include:
The relationship of physical and mental symptoms can create a vicious cycle
that can be triggered by a symptom at any point.
In panic, the cycle develops quickly to a crisis. With generalised anxiety,
people often manage to keep things under control and the cycle grumbles on.
The effort of keeping things under control is itself very stressful - and so adds
fuel to the problem.
This is how some people come to feel anxious about their anxiety, making
the problem even more intense.
How likely am I to have this?
Most people feel anxious at some time in their lives; however, about five per
cent of people experience severe anxiety but rarely seek professional help.
How can I help myself?
The first step is to understand how anxiety works. Anxiety is a mixture of
physical and mental symptoms. They are part of what psychologists call the
'fight or flight' response. When the body is under threat it automatically
prepares either to defend itself or run.
Relaxation
To manage your anxiety you must first break the cycle. One way of doing this
is to reduce the severity of physical symptoms by practising relaxation
techniques.
There are two types of relaxation exercise: guided fantasy and muscle
tension. It's best to try them both to find out which one suits you best.
Relaxation isn't an immediate fix for the problem. It's a skill that must be
learnt and (like all skills) is only acquired through practice.
Exercise
Another strategy for breaking the physical symptoms of the vicious cycle is
taking aerobic exercise. This is exercise that's low impact - not involving
carrying heavy weights or sudden exertion - and acts mainly on the heart. Any
gentle physical activity that leaves the heart slightly racing will help.
By effectively giving the heart exercise it will, like any other muscle, become
stronger. A stronger heart will be less prone to the kind of pounding that can
make the physical symptoms so unpleasant.
Exercise will also help to release some of the tension that builds up and fuels
the anxiety.
Diet
Caffeine is present in many soft drinks, not just tea and coffee. Try to cut out
caffeine as much as possible, since it can set up its own vicious cycle. It can
speed up the heart rate and make you pass more urine - both signs of
general anxiety. It can also disrupt your sleep, another sign of anxiety. If
you're tired you'll be less in control of your emotions and more likely to feel
anxious. Trying to overcome tiredness by drinking more caffeine only makes
the long-term problem worse.
Similarly, too much alcohol or nicotine can worsen the symptoms of anxiety,
and disrupt sleep.
Say "no"
This can be the very best therapy. It's simply too easy to take on too much.
You can find yourself in a situation where you have too many demands on
your time. Often, no one thing is causing your anxiety, but as you try to fit
more and more into your life you can become slightly anxious about each
task.
This anxiety can build up, bringing you to breaking point. It's as bad to feel a
little anxious about a lot of things as it is to feel very anxious about one big
thing.
Monitor your mood
Sometimes it can be useful to think of your anxiety in the same way that a
person with asthma might think of their breathing. We all breathe - just as we
all experience anxiety at some point. And as asthmatics will often check their
breath capacity regularly, it can be useful to check your anxiety levels
regularly. You can do this by using the mood-monitoring technique,
developing the skill of spotting problems before they become unmanageable.
Support
Much of the self-help available is aimed at people who experience panic or
phobias. The Royal College of Psychiatrists' online leaflets - including one on
anxiety and phobias - has useful tips and can help to put the condition into
some perspective.
There are also a number of companies providing self-help products, including
books, workbooks, and audio and video tapes. Be careful: the quality of
these is variable. Ideally, look for material produced by people with
recognised professional qualifications.
Professional help
For some people, developing the self-management techniques described
above can only be achieved through coaching with a professional. The first
person to speak to about this is your family doctor, who may have a practice
counsellor or an attached community psychiatric nurse (CPN).
The following Complementary Therapies have been known to ease and help
in some cases:
Booking:
To book an appointment click here
Prices:
Click Here
More information:
More information can be found at BBC Health
As with most mental illnesses, it's not the presence of anxiety alone that
creates problems. It is more about how severe it is - and how much it gets in
the way of life.
Symptoms
Psychiatrists divide anxiety into three main types: general anxiety, phobias
and panic disorder. If there's a particularly difficult situation at work or at
home, the stress that this creates can spill over into other areas of life - and
create anxiety.
Similarly, a person who has experienced a very frightening situation may also
carry the fear over to their everyday life. This is known as post-traumatic
stress disorder. Though it is little comfort to the person experiencing it, they
can at least identify the cause of the emotions they're experiencing.
In general, anxiety's emotional turmoil appears to have a life of its own.
Some psychiatrists call this 'free-floating anxiety'.
Unlike phobia and panic, with general anxiety it's not always clear to the
anxious person exactly what it is they feel so anxious about. They're just
aware of feeling anxious all the time.
When there's no identifiable cause, the person often becomes anxious about
feeling anxious all the time, and the problem starts to feed off itself.
People with generalised anxiety may find that they:
- easily lose their patience
- have difficulty concentrating
- think constantly about the worst outcome
- have difficulty sleeping
- become depressed and/or
- become preoccupied with, or obsessional about, one subject
These mental symptoms lead to, and are supported by, physical
symptoms. These can include:
- excessive thirst
- stomach upsets
- passing wind
- loose bowel movements
- frequent urinating
- failure to respond to sexual stimulation
- periods of intense pounding heart
- periods of feeling winded
- muscle aches
- headaches
- dizziness
- pins and needles
- tremors
- painful or no periods
The relationship of physical and mental symptoms can create a vicious cycle
that can be triggered by a symptom at any point.
In panic, the cycle develops quickly to a crisis. With generalised anxiety,
people often manage to keep things under control and the cycle grumbles on.
The effort of keeping things under control is itself very stressful - and so adds
fuel to the problem.
This is how some people come to feel anxious about their anxiety, making
the problem even more intense.
How likely am I to have this?
Most people feel anxious at some time in their lives; however, about five per
cent of people experience severe anxiety but rarely seek professional help.
How can I help myself?
The first step is to understand how anxiety works. Anxiety is a mixture of
physical and mental symptoms. They are part of what psychologists call the
'fight or flight' response. When the body is under threat it automatically
prepares either to defend itself or run.
Relaxation
To manage your anxiety you must first break the cycle. One way of doing this
is to reduce the severity of physical symptoms by practising relaxation
techniques.
There are two types of relaxation exercise: guided fantasy and muscle
tension. It's best to try them both to find out which one suits you best.
Relaxation isn't an immediate fix for the problem. It's a skill that must be
learnt and (like all skills) is only acquired through practice.
Exercise
Another strategy for breaking the physical symptoms of the vicious cycle is
taking aerobic exercise. This is exercise that's low impact - not involving
carrying heavy weights or sudden exertion - and acts mainly on the heart. Any
gentle physical activity that leaves the heart slightly racing will help.
By effectively giving the heart exercise it will, like any other muscle, become
stronger. A stronger heart will be less prone to the kind of pounding that can
make the physical symptoms so unpleasant.
Exercise will also help to release some of the tension that builds up and fuels
the anxiety.
Diet
Caffeine is present in many soft drinks, not just tea and coffee. Try to cut out
caffeine as much as possible, since it can set up its own vicious cycle. It can
speed up the heart rate and make you pass more urine - both signs of
general anxiety. It can also disrupt your sleep, another sign of anxiety. If
you're tired you'll be less in control of your emotions and more likely to feel
anxious. Trying to overcome tiredness by drinking more caffeine only makes
the long-term problem worse.
Similarly, too much alcohol or nicotine can worsen the symptoms of anxiety,
and disrupt sleep.
Say "no"
This can be the very best therapy. It's simply too easy to take on too much.
You can find yourself in a situation where you have too many demands on
your time. Often, no one thing is causing your anxiety, but as you try to fit
more and more into your life you can become slightly anxious about each
task.
This anxiety can build up, bringing you to breaking point. It's as bad to feel a
little anxious about a lot of things as it is to feel very anxious about one big
thing.
Monitor your mood
Sometimes it can be useful to think of your anxiety in the same way that a
person with asthma might think of their breathing. We all breathe - just as we
all experience anxiety at some point. And as asthmatics will often check their
breath capacity regularly, it can be useful to check your anxiety levels
regularly. You can do this by using the mood-monitoring technique,
developing the skill of spotting problems before they become unmanageable.
Support
Much of the self-help available is aimed at people who experience panic or
phobias. The Royal College of Psychiatrists' online leaflets - including one on
anxiety and phobias - has useful tips and can help to put the condition into
some perspective.
There are also a number of companies providing self-help products, including
books, workbooks, and audio and video tapes. Be careful: the quality of
these is variable. Ideally, look for material produced by people with
recognised professional qualifications.
Professional help
For some people, developing the self-management techniques described
above can only be achieved through coaching with a professional. The first
person to speak to about this is your family doctor, who may have a practice
counsellor or an attached community psychiatric nurse (CPN).
The following Complementary Therapies have been known to ease and help
in some cases:
Booking:
To book an appointment click here
Prices:
Click Here
More information:
More information can be found at BBC Health