General facts about Anxiety

Anxiety

What is Anxiety: its a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.
It can also be a nervous disorder marked by excessive uneasiness and apprehension, typically with compulsive behaviour or panic attacks.

We all experience occasional feelings of anxiety worry and fear and these can be normal responses to certain situations. One may experience may be worrying about an incoming interview, or that you pay your bill in time. If one is in a difficult or dangerous situation, these feelings give awareness of the risk and what one is supposed to do.

With anxiety disorder, these feelings are more noticeable and they are difficult to live with and they make you feel as if things are worse than they actually are. This can lead to you worrying all or most of the times and can be disruptive affecting your day to day

Causes of anxiety

Other conditions e.g. stress disorder or phobic disorders

Traumatic events e.g. sexual abuse, trauma or death of a loved one

Biological factors e.g. brain chemical imbalance 

Environmental factors e.g. stressful work, school or home

Signs and symptoms of Anxiety

• Feelings of dread or intense panic
• Irritable 
• Increased alertness
• Difficulties sleeping
• Changes in appetite 
• Difficulties in concentration 
• Depersonalisation (loss of sense or identity
• Wanting to escape from the situation you are in

Other physical symptoms, may include

• Sweating
• Heavy and fast breathing
• Hot flushes and burning 
• Dry mouth
• Shaking
• Hair loss
• Fast heart beat
• Dizziness and fainting
• Irritable bowel syndrome and stomach aches

Risks and complications associated with Anxiety

Difficulties sleeping

Problems with having sex 

Feeling less able to work, socialise or enjoy every day life

Taking drugs or drinking alcohol

Ways to support a person with Anxiety 

Cognitive behavioural therapy-helping one to understand the links between the thoughts, feelings and behaviour and include challenging one‘s thoughts and beliefs.

Exposure and response prevention-is usually very effective to obsessive compulsive disorders and involves the experiencing one‘s obsessive thoughts without giving in to the compulsive disorder. 

Complementary therapies-these are not part of the mainstream of the medical care and include yoga, mindfulness and hypnotherapy and deep breathing exercises.