What is Anxiety?
All of us experience anxiety every so often – a sense of fear, trepidation or worry. Anxiety is a natural human response when one feels threatened. It’s that feeling you might have experienced during your last job interview or when you had to speak in front of a large audience. These situations cause anxiety because they are “out of our comfort zone”.
It’s normal to feel anxious from time to time; however, some people experience it so severely that it interferes with their ability to function normally in their daily lives. When anxiety reaches this level, it becomes a mental health disorder, and professional treatment becomes necessary.
What Does Anxiety Feel Like?
Statistics on anxiety show that millions of people in the UK experience this condition every year. Today, with the many effective treatments available, full recovery from anxiety is possible.
Anxiety can manifest itself in various ways, and symptoms may differ among individuals. There are both psychological and physical symptoms, and if you think you might be suffering from anxiety, here are the major signs and symptoms to look for:
Psychological symptoms
- Having persistent feelings of worry, apprehension, dread or hopelessness,
which are often out of proportion to the situation - Constantly feeling that something negative is going to happen
- Feeling trapped and unable to find a “way out”; wanting to run away from
something, but unsure what? - Feeling angry, irritable and impatient and often for no apparent reason
- Feeling fearful, paranoid and tense
- Experiencing mood swings
- Experiencing severe stress
- Feeling tearful and emotionally tired
- Having a hard time concentrating
- Having low self-esteem
Physical symptoms
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Shortness of breath and tightness in your chest
- Feeling faint, dizzy or light-headed
- Sweating and hot or cold flushes
- Muscle tension and tiredness
- Rapid heartbeat or palpitations
- Needing to go to the toilet either more or less often
- Appetite changes – either increased or reduced appetite, which may also
result in fluctuations in weight - Sleep disturbances – either sleeping less because your anxiety is keeping
you awake or sleeping long hours and struggling to get out of bed - Panic attacks
Panic Attacks vs Anxiety Attacks: What’s the Difference?
Although panic attacks and anxiety attacks are often used interchangeably, they are not the same. Both share common symptoms such as an increase in heart rate and shortness of breath, and the symptoms of an anxiety attack closely correspond with the term “anxiety”. However, it is important to note that the term “anxiety attack” is not clinically recognised. There is a clear distinction between the two:
Panic attack
A panic attack is a sudden, intense build-up of physical symptoms such as chest pains, heart palpitations, trembling, and shaking. Sometimes, one can also experience a sense of losing control or fear of dying. Episodes typically last for a very brief period.
Anxiety attack
An anxiety attack is a gradual building up of symptoms which happens over the course of many hours. It is characterised by excessive worrying, and the symptoms include irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbances.
Behavioural/social signs of anxiety
- Withdrawing socially and isolating oneself
- Reduced work or school performance
- Taking time off sick from work or school
- Not being able to manage everyday tasks effectively
- Self-medicating through the use of drugs and alcohol
What lies behind us and what lies before us are
tiny matters compared to what lies within us
Who Can Get Symptoms of Anxiety?
Anyone can experience anxiety. However, for those with severe anxiety and diagnosed with a type of anxiety disorder, there could be a single cause or a combination of several. Common causes of anxiety disorder include:
Life events
A significant life event or experience can significantly impact an individual, triggering severe anxiety. These are often painful events that may be accompanied by a change and upheaval in your life that you are finding difficult to cope with, thus causing anxiety. Some of these life events include:
- Losing someone loved one or someone close to you
- A marriage or relationship breaking up
- Money and other financial problems
- Working long hours or suddenly losing your job
- Worrying about world issues such as a pandemic, wars,
famines, and the destruction of the environment
Childhood or past trauma
As a child, you were still developing emotionally. If a traumatic event or experience occurred during that stage of your life, most likely, you were not able to develop the right strategies to cope with the situation. Consequently, you may find it challenging to deal with stressful situations as an adult. Some of these experiences include:
- Experiencing physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
- Being neglected
- Being bullied in school or having a hard time making friends
- Divorce of your parents
- Loss of a parent – especially at an early age
These adverse childhood experiences may continue to affect you even as an adult, especially if you have never expressed your feelings regarding these matters.
They may instill negative thoughts and assumptions such as: “I’m a loser, I’m not good at anything”, or “I will never make anything of myself, and everything I do is doomed to fail”. An authority figure from the past may have also put such thoughts into your mind. While you want to overcome these thoughts and feelings, you’re afraid there might be some truth to them.
Other underlying health complications
Usually, people diagnosed with an anxiety disorder also have issues with other aspects of their health. For example, anxiety is a common symptom of depression, and many people who struggle with depression might develop an anxiety disorder because of their mental health issues.
Physical health problems can also impact mental health, contributing to the development of anxiety. If you have a history of health issues, you might develop health anxiety, where you interpret minor sensations as serious health problems, causing you disproportionate or unnecessary worry. A serious health issue may also cause anxiety to develop, particularly if your quality of life suffers because of it. It is also important to know that anxiety can be a side effect of certain medications.
Sometimes, unbearable anxiety manifests into a more acceptable physical symptom such as back pain, migraine, or even paralysis. When looking into the possible physical cause of the problem, if this yields no results, the likelihood of anxiety being the root cause significantly increases.
Anxiety Medication
Medication can also be prescribed to assist you with your anxiety, which you can take alongside CBT and other types of therapy. A medication given by a highly trained psychiatrist works to complement the therapy treatments. The different types of anxiety medication are as follows:
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Referred to as SSRIs, this is the most recommended class of anxiety medication which works as an antidepressant. It is vital to take a full course of SSRI treatment, which typically lasts for nine months or more. - Beta-blockers
Beta-blockers, such as Propranolol, can help to minimise the physical symptoms of anxiety. These medications can be helpful in specific situations, such as when you have to perform or speak in public, if these things trigger your anxiety.
When To Seek Professional Help for Anxiety
If your struggle with anxiety is interfering with your ability to lead a normal life, or if you’ve been experiencing anxiety symptoms for days and weeks, you might need to seek professional help.
Anxiety can be treated, and sufferers can fully recover and return to having a normal life.
Your first stop should be a visit to your GP, where your symptoms can be assessed, given a diagnosis for anxiety, and informed about treatment options.
As an alternative, you can directly contact us, where our world-class team of mental health specialists help people all across the UK address their anxiety every day. We can diagnose whatever mental issues you may have and then present you with an anxiety treatment programme that will help you regain control of your life.
Most cases of anxiety can be treated with therapy and/or medication. These are available in three different formats – intensive inpatient stays, outpatient or day care therapy where therapy sessions are scheduled around your life and work commitments, and online therapy that allows you to have your treatment sessions in the comfort of your home.
Whichever format is the best for you, we have a world-class team of psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists committed to helping you through your journey to getting your life back on track.
FREE Anxiety Assessment
If you or a loved one are struggling with anxiety, there is hope and a solution for you. You can receive treatment as an outpatient or inpatient and through one-on-one or support group therapy. We understand the challenges you’re facing and we’re here to offer compassionate help and support.
Our multidisciplinary team of experts have successfully treated thousands of people suffering from anxiety, helping them regain control of their lives.
We can present and explain the world-class treatment options we offer, discuss your problem with anxiety with you, assess your condition, and give you recommendations on the best and most appropriate next step you can take so you can regain control of your life.
Our highly trained advisers are available to speak to you right away, simply call 0808 252 3379 today.
We can discuss your concerns in complete confidence, explore the options for treatment, and help you to understand what will work best for you.
We’ll also help you to book your free anxiety assessment there and then, with appointments usually available within only a few days.
We understand that taking the first step can be the most difficult, but we’re here to offer support – with no pressure or judgement.
Professional and compassionate help is just a phone call or click away.
