Anxiety is a natural response to a stressful situation, and is usually associated with feeling worried or nervous. It usually occurs in new or unfamiliar situations where you may not feel capable or are uncertain of the outcome. For some people the anxious thoughts and feelings are severe, distressing and frequent and get in the way of day to day life. Some common symptoms of anxiety are difficulty concentrating, restlessness, rapid heart rate, shaking, feeling light headed, numbness, sweating or avoidance.

 
There are several different ways anxiety can show up. Including:

• Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) which is persistent and excessing worry usually about daily situations such as work, family or health. It is difficult to control the worry and interferes with your daily life and relationships. 

• Specific phobias is where extreme anxiety and fear of specific objects which is disproportionate to the actual danger. Such as a fear of spiders, flying, or injections. 

• Panic disorder is where someone experiences repeated and unexpected panic. Panic is sudden surges of overwhelming fear accompanied by physical symptoms such as chest pain, heart palpitations, dizziness, and short of breath. The panic attacks can come out of the blue with no clear trigger. 

• Agoraphobia is when there is intense anxiety in two or more situations and places where the person feels it would be difficult for them to get out quickly if they needed help. The fear is out of proportion to the actual danger. This includes situations like using public transport, in enclosed places, being in a crowd or leaving the home. 

• Social anxiety disorder is where people fear social situations where they can be scrutinised by others while engaging in an activity such as eating, speaking, or giving a speech or presentation. The individual worries their anxiety symptoms will be obvious to others and then evaluated in a negative way. 

 

Causes for Anxiety:

• There are no clear causes for anxiety though there are several risk factors or triggers that can contribute, such as:

• Genetics: genes place people at a higher risk of developing anxiety presentations. 

• Biology: some anxiety may have a brain based origin, such as when the brain produces stress hormones (e.g. cortisol).

• Thinking style: such as anticipating the worst, persistent negative self talk, difficulty accepting uncertainty and low self esteem are often associated with anxiety. People sensitive to changes in the physiological state may interpret the physical symptoms as an anxious reaction. 

• Coping Strategies: unhelpful coping strategies such as avoidance, can create an increase in the anxious symptoms. 

• Stressful Life Events, these include but are not limited to, marriage breakdown, work difficulties or changes and financial hardships can contribute to an increase in anxious symptoms. Early life stress and trauma can increase the likelihood of developing an anxiety disorder later in life. 

 

Treatments for Anxiety:
The most common treatment approaches for anxiety are:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has research backing its effectiveness in the treatment of anxiety disorders. It supports the person to challenge their current thought patters and build skills to manage the symptoms when they arise. CBT uses several strategies such as education, cognitive restructuring, problem-solving, exposure therapy and relaxation. 

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) uses mindfulness and supporting people to remain present and aware of their symptoms without judging them. It teaches someone to stop avoiding or withdrawing or fighting against the anxious thoughts and physical symptoms. 

• Life style changes: such as regular exercise (especially dancing), reducing alcohol and caffeine intake, doing enjoyable activities, improving time management and improving sleep can all contribute to reducing anxiety symptoms.