Anxiety is a feeling of unease, everyone experiences it when faced with a stressful situation, for example a job interview. It is normal to feel anxious when facing something difficult or dangerous and mild anxiety can be a positive and useful experience. However for one in ten people in the UK, anxiety interferes with their everyday lives. Someone who is highly anxious may develop other related problems such as depression, panic attacks, a phobia or obsessive compulsive disorder.
When you are anxious you can experience physical and emotional symptoms, some of these symptoms may include:
§ Abdominal discomfort
§ Diarrhoea
§ Dry mouth
§ Rapid heartbeat and palpitations
§ Tightness or pain in the chest
§ Shortness of breath, dizziness
§ Shaking
§ Difficulty sleeping
§ Being irritable
§ Feeling worried and uneasy all the time
§ Having difficulty concentrating
Some people find they experience sudden unexpected urges of anxiety. These are called panic attacks and can be very distressing. Acute anxiety or panic in particular situations are called phobias (see our phobias information sheet for more information).
It is not always possible to find out what causes someone to develop anxiety, in some cases it can be a stressful event such as the death of a loved one, redundancy, moving house, a relationship break up etc which can trigger it off. It is not only recent events that can trigger anxiety; things that have happened in the past can affect us later in life also.
There are various options available to treat anxiety disorders these include:
- Self Help - symptoms may be improved by using relaxation techniques, exercise or by talking to other people who are experiencing the same difficulties at a support group run within your local area.
- Counselling - Talking through your problem with a trained counsellorcan help resolve some of the issues.
- Medication - There are various different medical treatments available that may help, you should consult your GP for full details of options available.
- Complementary Therapies - These can help you to relax (see Orbit Approach Complementary Therapies and LETS leaflet for details of our Complementary Therapies).
Some good websites to look at for further information:-
http://www.seemescotland.org.uk/findoutmore/aboutmentalhealthproblemsandstigma/anxiety
http://www.dascot.org/?gclid=CIW-vd26oqMCFQxBlAodXTYV5w
http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/default.aspx?page=1429
Shape of Mind and Moodjuice has some self help workbooks you can work through:-
http://www.shapeofmind.scot.nhs.uk/Default.asp?keyword=panic&pageRedirect=Yes
http://www.moodjuice.scot.nhs.uk/mildmoderate/Anxiety.asp
For further details of useful websites to view in regard to Anxiety and to see what leaflets and books you can access at our Information Point within DAMH, you can click on the Anxiety word document at the top right of this page or alternatively you can click on the contact us at the top of the page to send us a message or to request an information pack, available on any of the subjects within the Information Point section.
Please note:
The information contained within this information pack is for general information only and is not intended to replace or substitute the advice or recommendations given by a medical professional. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the reliability of the information provided, Dundee Association for Mental Health (DAMH) cannot recommend any of these services or resources included or accept any liability for the quality of service they provide.