Getting Started
What is Anxiety?
What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a state of mind which can cause a heightened sense of fear, nervousness or panic. In moderation, anxiety is a natural response to dangerous and stressful situations which can make you more alert and therefore have a better chance of protecting yourself if danger is present. This is something that has been wired into our DNA since the beginning of our existence. However more and more people are experiencing un-natural levels of anxiety causing anxiety disorder which can be detrimental to day to day life.
When Is It A Problem?
A term which may be familiar is the ‘fight or flight’ response. This refers to our bodies reaction when in a threatening and dangerous environment. As a result our bodies will release a number of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol to help address the opposing threat. These hormones are what allows us to be more alert and respond quicker if needed.
However, anxiety disorder will occur when this fight or flight response is actioned without any form of trigger and begins to impact your day to day life. This is where you find yourself in a constant state of anxiety for what feels like no reason, as a result you may experience panic like symptoms such as palpitations, panic attacks and difficulty breathing etc. When you begin to experience anxiety related symptoms on a consistent basis, it would be worth liaising this with your doctor.
By seeking help sooner it will allow you to re-programme your thought process and how to understand why you feel the way you do.
What is the cause?
Anxiety disorder is far more common in today's society than most people realise, and sometimes the reason as to why people suffer with this can often go unexplained. However, more often than not, there may be an underlying reason you’re experiencing excessive anxiety. Some factors which may cause this include, experiencing a traumatic event, consistent high stress levels, drugs and alcohol or it could be something you have experienced for a long duration of time without being addressed and therefore has been able to develop into a bigger problem.
A key method to understanding why you are anxious and experiencing symptoms is to find the route cause of what triggered it in the first place. This will be the catalyst to the fire and once understood, will allow you to prevent it from having the same effect in the future.
The fact of the matter is, there are a magnitude of factors that could trigger anxiety or make your anxiety worse all of which can interlink with each other. Therefore, understanding the trigger and also learning how to manage your symptoms are the necessary steps in order to keep anxiety under control.
Addressing Anxiety
When you begin to experience symptoms on a daily basis which start to impact the normal running of your day-to-day life, addressing it is a highly important step to taking control and prevent things becoming worse.
Understandably, addressing that you may be experiencing a mental health issue, is a daunting ordeal. However, it is vital you remember that you’re not alone and millions of people are experiencing the same feelings.
Sometimes, the thought of visiting the doctor can create further anxiety and fear, so perhaps begin to educate yourself on your feelings by online tools such as this and speak with friends and family for advice beforehand to help gather an understanding of how you’re feeling. Another great option would be to contact a private specialist who is qualified in mental health therapy as this can feel much more tailored to your needs.