Let’s Talk About Anxiety: Symptoms, Causes and Everything In Between
It is estimated that 284 million people struggle with anxiety world wide. Anxiety has been a particularly hot topic of conversation since the beginning of the pandemic with many people reporting an increase in their anxiety levels from all of the uncertainty that came with the pandemic.
Anxiety is an incredibly broad mental disorder with some people suffering from functioning anxiety while others report it’s effects as crippling. Regardless of what level of anxiety you are struggling with, there is always help out there and there is always something that can be done to help.
Firstly though, what is anxiety?
Anxiety, believe it or not, is a completely normal bodily function. The reason it causes people more distress than it should comes down to our bodies over-sensitivity to certain stimuli that cause us to feel anxious when we shouldn’t necessarily have to.
Anxiety is your brain’s way of reacting to stress and alerting you of any potential danger. Anxiety is supposed to help you as in it should help you in terms of knowing when you need to act or be cautious. For this reason occasional anxiety is perfectly ok.
What’s not so good is a constant state of fear or overwhelming anxiety. Unfortunately this is the case for a lot of people these days. Particularly young people with all of the pressure and stress you deal with on a day to day basis.
What are the symptoms of anxiety?
Anxiety can manifest in a number of different ways but the most common symptoms are:
- panic, fear and uneasiness
- feelings of panic, doom or danger
- sleep problems
- not being able to stand still
- feeling of not being able to breathe properly
- nausea
- dizziness
- ruminating and overthinking
- not being able to focus or concentrate
- intensely or obsessively fearing objects or certain places.
What should I do if I think I have anxiety?
If you are struggling with any of the above symptoms, please don’t struggle in silence. There is help out there and things can get better for you.
Start by talking to someone you know and trust and tell them about what it is you are going through. A problem shared is a problem halved after all.
Take a trip to your GP and detail your symptoms to them. They will be able to offer a suitable treatment approach to you. Treatment options can include referring you to a specialised therapist or councillor and/or medication depending on your condition.
As well there are many things that we do in our day to day life that cause anxiety without us necessarily realising it. Try changing up some of these habits and see if you notice any improvements.
Whatever you do make sure you do not suffer alone and do something to help your worries. There is so much help out there. Remember it will all be ok ❤️
For more advice and information on anxiety see HSE.ie.