Anxiety

We can all feel a little nervous, stressed and worried every now and then; however, life for an individual with an anxiety disorder can have a debilitating and crippling impact on their daily functioning. Individuals with anxiety may experience symptoms from the mind physical symptoms such as intense feelings of dread, fear, constant worrying, heart palpitations, sweating and dizziness. A person with an anxiety disorder may feel embarrassed and ashamed because they cannot perform daily functions such as driving, going to the supermarket, going to work or school, and interacting socially. The national prevalence of an anxiety disorder in young people is 6.9%, while the national prevalence of an anxiety disorder in people aged between sixteen and 85 is 14.4%.

There are many types of anxiety disorders, with the most common being the following:

Generalised Anxiety Disorder

Generalised anxiety disorder is a syndrome of excessive and inappropriate worrying about different thoughts and events. The ‘generalised worrying’ an individual can experience is difficult to establish in a ‘clear-cut’ manner.

Do you think you might have symptoms of generalised anxiety? If so, it may be helpful to reflect on the following;

Do you experience excessive anxiety and worry most days that is difficult to control?
Are you feeling restless, irritable and on edge?
Do you have difficulty concentrating, or does your mind sometimes go ‘blank’?
Difficulty falling or staying asleep, or restless, unsatisfying sleep?

Panic Disorder

People with panic disorder experience sudden and repeated attacks of fear that can occur for several minutes or even longer, thus the term panic attack. When a person has a panic attack, they experience thoughts of fear of disaster or of losing control, even when there is no real threat or danger. People with panic disorder usually experience intense physical reactions in conjunction with their thoughts, such as feeling like they are having a heart attack or dying.

Do you think you might have symptoms of Panic Disorder? If so, it may be helpful to reflect on the following:

Have you felt moments of terror, fear or fright, sometimes out of the blue?
Have you experienced a racing heart, sweaty, trouble breathing, fainting or shaking?
Have you left situations early or participated only minimally because of panic attacks?
Felt tense muscles, felt on edge or restless or had trouble sleeping?

Social Anxiety

It’s normal for us to have some sense of nervousness when entering social situations. Individuals who have social anxiety experience anxiety, embarrassment, fear of being judged, humiliation and inadequacy across everyday interactions.

Do you think you might have symptoms of Social Anxiety? If so, it may be helpful to reflect on the following:

Have you felt moments of terror, fear or fright, sometimes out of the blue?

Have you experienced a racing heart, sweaty, trouble breathing, fainting or shaking?

Have you left situations early or participated only minimally because of panic attacks?

Felt tense muscles, felt on edge or restless or had trouble sleeping?

If so, it might be beneficial to talk to someone about how to regain control of your life. Lee Kennedy is a highly experienced Psychologist who can assist you through treatment by exploring on a deeper level past and current triggers causing your anxiety and how we can break the vicious cycle disrupting your life.