Anxiety
These symptoms aren’t limited to just these but they are some of the main ways anxiety shows.
Mental Symptoms
- Feeling like the world is speeding up or slowing down
- Having a sense of dread or fearing the worst
- Feeling like other people can see you are anxious
- Feeling like you can’t stop worrying
- Worrying that feeling anxious will cause a panic attack
- Depersonalisation, when you feel disconnected from your mind or body
- Derealisation, when you feel disconnected from the world around you
Physical symptoms
- Churning feeling in your stomach
- Feeling light headed or dizzy
- Feeling restless or unable to sit still
- A fast, thumping or irregular heartbeat
- Sleep problems
- Feeing sick
- Having panic attacks
Causes
Heard of fight or flight? Our body is very intelligent and when we think we are in danger our body produces adrenaline which can make us act and feel in a certain way whether we are in actual danger or not.
Past experiences or experiences in your childhood – Going through stress or trauma when you are young can trigger it such as the loss of a parent, abuse or neglect.
Your current life situation – stress, exhaustion, your job or not having a job, money worries, relationship issues, family issues, losing someone, being isolated and lonely. I’ll stop now because this could be a really long list.
Physical or mental health problems – living with a health condition, physical or mental can take its toll on you.
Drugs and medication – anxiety can be the side effect of many different drugs both prescribed and recreational.
How to help
(Below you can listen to ways people have managed and other coping strategies)
- Avoiding triggers all together can stop it happening but this might not be possible all the time.
- Working around your triggers, for example, if you are triggered by going somewhere new, go with a friend so you are supported or find out about the route, what it looks like and who will be there.
- Breathing exercises, this can help to focus your mind away from the trigger and start to regain control of your body.
- Raising your confidence and self-esteem, believing in yourself and believing that you can face anything can really help. This might be by trying a new hobby or something you’ve aways wanted to do
- Talking therapies such as counselling
- Medication – like all mental health conditions, sometimes we need more than just self help. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if it is impacting on your daily life.