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.
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.
