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Anxiety

Wendy Bennett
Jul 1, 2015
2 min read

So following on from my previous article on depression I thought I would focus on another significant mental health issue in Australia which is Anxiety.

I think at one time or another we have all felt a little anxiety, stress, nerves, fear – this is both natural and normal. However, when thoughts or feelings become overwhelming, are present even when the stressor is removed and they are affecting your quality of life and your ability to live the life you have previously enjoyed then there is a good chance you are suffering from an anxiety disorder. It is this level of anxiety that possibly needs to be treated with medication and/or therapy.

While there are many types of anxiety disorders you have probably heard of the most common ones which are Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Phobias, Panic Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

As Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of the most commonly known disorders this is going to be the focus for the remainder of this article. I will revisit the other anxiety disorders in separate articles as I feel each is significantly different and warrants its own piece.

So, how do you know if you are suffering from anxiety? Whilst each disorder has their own symptoms, some general signs include the following:

Feeling very worried or anxious most of the time
Finding it difficult to calm down
Feeling overwhelmed or frightened by sudden feelings of intense panic/anxiety
Experiencing recurring thoughts that cause anxiety, but may seem silly to others
Avoiding situations or things which cause anxiety (i.e. social events or crowded places)
Experiencing ongoing difficulties (e.g.Nightmares/Flashbacks) after a traumatic event

So to assess if you have GAD or not ask yourself if for six months or more have you felt very worried, found it hard to stop worrying and have found that your anxiety has made it difficult for you to carry out everyday activities such as work, study, seeing friends etc? and have you experienced any 3 of the following:

Felt restless or on edge
Felt tired easily
Had difficulty concentrating
Felt irritable
Had muscle pain (eg sore jaw or back)
Had trouble sleeping (e.g. difficulty falling or staying asleep or restless sleep)
Sourced from beyond blue

If you answered yes please seek help.

Anxiety disorders can be extremely debilitating yet many people who suffer do not seek treatment. This may be due to them being told to stop being silly, to get over it, to get a grip or by comparing themselves to others i.e. “Other people have been through this and cope fine so I should be able to cope too.” So if you or anyone you know has any of the signs of having anxiety please support them in seeking assistance. Never belittle their fears, while they may not be real fears for you, we are all different, experience things differently and therefore react to things differently too.

Wendy