Anxiety Treatment.

Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe. Everyone experiences feelings of anxiety at some point in their life. For example, you may feel worried and anxious about sitting an exam or having a medical test or job interview.

Feeling anxious is sometimes perfectly normal. However, people with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) find it hard to control their worries. Their feelings of anxiety are more constant and often affect their daily life.

There are several conditions for which anxiety is the main symptom. Panic disorder, phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder can all cause severe anxiety.

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)

GAD is a long-term condition which causes you to feel anxious about a wide range of situations and issues, rather than one specific event.

People with GAD feel anxious most days and often struggle to remember the last time they felt relaxed. GAD can cause both psychological (mental) and physical symptoms. These vary from person to person, but can include feeling irritable or worried and having trouble concentrating or sleeping.

How Fear Is Reinforced When There Is No Danger

During a panic attack, the body’s alarm system is triggered without the presence of any danger. It is the absence of identifiable danger that actually intensifies the fear associated with panic attacks. If there is an identifiable danger, we understand the symptoms. We can then fear the danger, not the symptoms.

However, if there is no danger and someone experiences sweating and changes in heart rate, breathing, vision, and hearing, it would seem logical to fear the symptoms, even believing they are life-threatening.

Physically, your body is telling you to get ready, you are in grave danger. But how do you prepare psychologically for certain danger that is unseen? It may be that you assign the symptoms mistaken meaning. It may be that you immediately flee the situation as if it were dangerous.

But, these thoughts and actions don’t get you out of danger. They only reinforce and strengthen the association of a fear that is not based on an actual threat.

How common is it?

GAD affects approximately 1 in 20 adults in Britain. Slightly more women are affected than men, and the disorder is most common in people in their 20s.

Outlook and Assistance

GAD can significantly affect your daily life, making it difficult to perform everyday tasks. However, several different treatments are available to ease your psychological and physical symptoms.

Get control over unnecessary fear and anxiety