Anxiety is a basic and natural response, common amongst all humans when we anticipate a real or perceived threat/danger. A ‘fight/flight’ response is triggered to motivate us to act and protect us from a perceived threat/danger. However, from time to time we could misinterpret or miscalculate the threat/danger and experience increased anxiety, disproportionate to the actual events. If feelings of anxiety and stress become constant and overwhelming for a prolonged period of time, you may be suffering from ana anxiety disorder.
If you are experiencing anxiety symptoms constantly and you feel overwhelmed most of the time you might be suffering from an anxiety disorder. Most common anxiety symptoms include:
Physiological symptoms of anxiety
- A sense of dread
- Bladder urgency
- Blurred or tunnel vision
- Dry mouth
- Feeling tired, on edge, restless
- Headaches
- Hearing disturbance
- Jelly legs
- Pins and needles
- Racing heart
- Shortness of breath
- Sickness, dizziness, nausea
- Stomach aches
- Sweating excessively
- Tinnitus
- Trembling, shaking
- Trouble sleeping/insomnia
Psychological symptoms of anxiety
- Blanking out
- Difficulty concentrating
- Dissociation
- Foggy thoughts
- Hallucinations
- Indecisiveness
- Irritability
- Overthinking
- Racing thoughts
However, depending on the specific symptoms, you might experience anxiety can take a form of:
- Generalised Anxiety Disorder
- Health Anxiety
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Phobias
- Panic Disorder
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
When to seek help
If you are experiencing most of the above symptoms, therapy/ counselling can help. Anxiety is one of the most common issues and you can benefit from therapy/ counselling.
Dr Maria Pournara, Chartered Psychologist, has considerable experience dealing with anxiety and offers therapy / counselling for anxiety online.