What is Anxiety?
Have you ever had that nagging feeling that you've forgotten something, like you're halfway to school and you realise you've left your straighteners on or left your front door unlocked?
The feeling most of us would experience in a moment like that is anxiety. But that doesn't mean that all of us suffer from anxiety as a mental illness. When we worry about something like the house burning down because of our GHDs being left on, or being burgled because you didn't lock the door, those worries are rational and, usually, can be easily sorted.
Some people experience anxiety and anxious thoughts persistently throughout their day. Anxiety come in many forms, such as extreme fears and phobias; panic disorder, where someone might feel panicked in any situation; social anxiety and general anxiety. It can be caused by stress or trauma, medical conditions, a side effect of medication or even could be down to your genetics or life experiences.
Again, Anxiety is a mental illness and those who suffer from it will experience periods in which they feel very little anxiety at all and seem to be coping just fine. However, anyone could experience anxiety depending on what is going on in their lives.
Although anxiety is a mental illness, it can affect you physically. Commonly, anxiety creates all sorts of physical symptoms such as a rapid heart beat, flushing, hyperventilating or shortness of breath. It can even cause headaches or dizziness as well as an upset stomach or nausea.
Although, not everyone who struggles with anxiety will have physical responses. Most people who experience anxiety will struggle with psychological effects of their illness: unrealistic thoughts or fears, their mind might go blank or their thoughts may starts racing, they may struggle to make even the simplest decisions. Those who struggle with a prolonged anxiety disorder may find it hard to get out of bed some days, and they may seem unusually irritable. They may seem confused or distracted.
Check out the 'How Can I Help?' section of the website to see advice on how to help someone you know who suffers with anxiety or to get some advice to help yourself.