Anxiety

Anxiety, although unpleasant, is a normal part of life. It can make you feel tense, fearful, or worried that something terrible will happen.

Even though everyone will experience anxiety at some point during their life, some are more prone to an episode than others. For example, some people are more anxious before examinations. It is also common for someone to feel anxious without fully understanding what it is that they are worried about, or why they are feeling so troubled.

The physical symptoms may be: a fast heart rate, palpitations, feeling sick, shaking (tremors), sweating, dry mouth, chest pain, headaches, fast breathing, and a general feeling of panic. When you are anxious you release hormones such as adrenaline into the bloodstream. These can also act on the heart, muscles, and other parts of the body to cause symptoms.

Anxiety is normal in stressful situations and can even be helpful. For instance, most people will feel anxious when threatened by an aggressive person. The burst of adrenaline and nerve impulses which we have in response to stressful situations can encourage a ‘fight or flight’ response.

Sometimes, the immediate threat is unclear, which can make it difficult to understand what is going on and why you are feeling the way you are.

The world we live in encourages us to act fast, and to assume that we know everything immediately, which can lead to things not properly being dealt with.

What registers as anxiety, maybe a call from ourselves to acknowledge something inside us that needs attending to. Anxiety has complex origins, and can be out of line with reality, triggered by a perceived threat or danger, which maybe real, or imagined.

The reasons for anxiety are unique to each individual; talking to someone who can help make sense of what you are going through can bring immense relief.