Anxiety

Anxiety is our body’s way of informing us that something is not quite right. It is a normal part of life and is a natural reaction to our environment. Anxiety is related to our "fight or flight" response - our body's natural response to a dangerous situation. It is often a vague unpleasant emotional state, accompanied by feelings of apprehension, dread, distress and uneasiness. As such it can often be difficult to determine when anxiety has started to become a problem. If your anxiety is starting to affect the way you want to live or affecting the way you live it might be time for you to seek help.  

Symptoms of anxiety can or may include:

• Easily tired
• On edge/restless
• Irritable
• Sleeping poorly
• Muscle tension
• Difficulty concentrating

Most of the above symptoms can be considered normal responses at different times depending on your environment. They may not always indicate that you suffer from anxiety.

It is very important to note that anxiety is NOT fear. Anxiety is intangible and object-less; Fear is very specific.

Helpful tips to manage your anxiety:

• Talk to a trusted friend
• Remember to breathe
• Distract yourself
• Listen to music
• Get some exercise
• Keep a diary
• Eat a healthy diet 
• Drink plenty of water

There might be times when your anxiety can tip into a panic attack. A panic attack is a sudden severe feeling of fear that occurs for no discernable reason. The inexplicable fear is often accompanied by physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, numbness and feeling faint.

It is very important to note that sometimes your anxiety can have a concrete cause that you are able to identify. However, often the anxiety and panic attacks have intangible causes that are very difficult to discern yourself.

If you are worried about anxiety or are having panic attacks please contact your GP and consider discussing your symptoms with a trained counsellor.