If you are worrying a lot of the time, having difficulty in sleeping or feeling sick with worry then that’s the time to start looking for help. Anxiety also commonly exists as a part of depression.
Symptoms
- Excessive worry or fear
- Restlessness or feeling on edge
- Difficulty concentrating
- Sleep disturbances
- Racing heart
- Sweating
- Dizziness
Coping Strategies
- Practice mindfulness: Meditation and breathing techniques help refocus the mind.
- Challenge anxious thoughts: Use logic to counter worst-case scenarios.
- Limit stimulants: Avoid caffeine and alcohol.
- Establish routines: Structure can reduce uncertainty.
- Therapy: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is particularly effective for anxiety
- Medication: Anti-anxiety medications may be prescribed by a GP if needed.
Panic attacks
When you start to misinterpret normal responses to stressful situations as life-threatening this, in turn, causes the normal symptoms of anxiety to intensify and become even more frightening. Choking, dizziness, chest pain or breathlessness may occur together with feeling completely out of control and a need to escape from the situation at all costs.
No one ever died from a panic attack, but it doesn’t feel that way when you are having one.
Phobic anxiety
When your fear of an object or situation is way out of proportion to the actual danger presented by it, then this may be described as a phobia. Symptoms range from unease and discomfort to absolute terror. No amount of encouragement or rationalising from friends and family seems to make any difference.