Although anxiety is a very common human experience, everyone perceives it in a different way and in varying degrees, hence some people don’t realise that they might have symptoms of anxiety. Moreover anxiety is an umbrella for anxiety disorders such as generalised anxiety disorder, specific phobia, social anxiety, heart anxiety, agoraphobia or obsessive-compulsive disorder as well as panic disorder. They have specific symptoms that all differ from one to another but they are all anxiety based. Some people may receive one of the above diagnosis for their symptoms but others are just anxiety prone or suffer panic attacks from time to time.
Despite your situation should you feel that anxiety symptoms are limiting your life, you definitely can do something about it and there are many different approaches you could try to find the one that is the most suitable for you. Remember, everyone is unique, so don’t lose hope!
Let’s start with a few anxiety symptoms and effective therapies, such as CBT and hypnotherapy.
If you:
- Overthink before taking action,
- Make negative predictions,
- Worry about the worst that could happen
- Take negative feedback very hard, are self-critical,
- Anything less than extraordinary performance feels like failure.
You might be suffering from some degree of anxiety. (A.Boyes, The Anxiety Toolkit)
Whether you have an anxiety disorder or are just anxiety prone by nature, you may find therapies like cognitive therapy or hypnotherapy helpful. Both of these therapy techniques change the way you think and shift your perspective, they allow you to see the world from a different position with a confidence, positivity and freedom. As anxiety is a learned behaviour, hypnosis therapy is a great way to unlearn it, to change the pattern of thinking at the subconscious level. Combining it with a good self-care routine (exercises, healthy eating habits, hobbies, reading, relaxation, leisure time) will help you to reduce symptoms, maintain the state of calmness and unlock your potential.
If you think you might suffer from anxiety it’s definitely worth contacting your GP to make sure that there are no medical reasons for your symptoms.
Anxiety – it serves a purpose.
Anxiety itself is our natural survival response, hence we can’t just get rid of it. In fact, we all need some degree of anxiety. Without your fight or flight response which is linked to stress and anxiety, you could find yourself at risk or even hurt yourself. Thanks to that response you can quickly assess the situation and decide whether to fight or run away. Through the changes in your body it creates, it’s improving blood flow to the areas that need it the most, it provides more energy and helps you to respond more quickly.
So you need your anxiety in certain situations. The problem comes when your fight or flight system is activated but no danger is present.
Anxiety and the stress reaction was probably very helpful for an early man but nowadays issues we deal with are more complex than just staying safe from a tangible threat. It can cause long term stress which is dangerous for our mental and physical health.
What are symptoms of anxiety?
There is few components of anxiety symptoms:
Physical sensations – heart palpitations, nausea, chest pain, shortness of breath, stomach aches, headache, excessive sweating, trembling.
Cognitive symptoms: thoughts and doubts eg. ‘What if I fail?’, ‘what if I will embarrass myself?’, ‘They will judge me.’, ‘I am certain that I am ill’.
Behavioural symptoms: escaping or avoiding the source of anxiety, maladaptive behaviours.
Emotional symptoms: fear, sadness, sense of dread or panic.
The cycle of anxiety.
Lets take as an example the worry: “I’ll be fired from my job”, which may arise in a response to a particular event or just out of the blue. This is an intrusive thought that almost every person has from time to time. An overly anxious person will treat this thought as a reality, something that most likely will happen to them, they will start reviewing all the reasons why that could happen, just to confirm their prediction. That makes them feel even more terrible and scared. This belief might cause physical symptoms of anxiety such as sweating, shortness of breath or chest pain. In a response they will start worrying more, feeling bad about themselves and even more anxious. They may be less focused at work or even may start avoiding going there… and as a result their prediction may become a reality. And that will confirm to them that they were right. But how different could this situation be? Can you think about any other possible scenarios?
For more information about anxiety visit:
Anxiety UK: https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/get-help/anxiety-information/
I hope you find this article helpful. If you think you suffer from anxiety and need support, call me for a free phone consultation or email me to find out how I can help you.
07449 430340
Sessions: online via Skype or in Chelmsford, Blackmore, Essex
Anna Yardley