concerningANXIETY

Anxiety is a general term for several disorders that cause nervousness, fear, apprehension and worrying. These disorders affect how we feel and behave and they can bring about both physical and psychological symptoms. Mild anxiety is vague and unsettling, while severe anxiety can be extremely debilitating - having a serious impact on daily life.

Most people experience anxiety at some points in their lives. We often experience a general state of worry or fear before confronting something challenging such as a test, examination or interview. These feelings are easily justified and considered a normal reaction to stress.

Anxiety becomes a problem when symptoms interfere with a person's quality of life and ability to establish a state of relaxation or equilibrium.

Anxiety can affect anyone at any time. Anxiety can occur in people from all backgrounds, any occupation and at any time of life. It is a commonly diagnosed mental health problem. Recent research has suggested that anxiety may be overtaking depression as the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorder.

Anxiety is usually described as an unpleasant feeling typically associated with uneasiness, fear, worry and dread.

As with depression, anxiety symptoms may be mild, moderate or severe. There is evidence that some people are genetically pre-disposed to anxiety. And people who live very stressful lives are also more likely to develop anxiety problems. Long-term use of certain drugs (amphetamines, for example) may lead to increased levels of anxiety.

Women have a higher prevalence of anxiety disorders than men. In Britain, approximately 16 percent of women and 9 percent of men experience some anxiety disorder in the course of a year.

Many different events or situations can trigger and perpetuate anxiety in people. Some of the most common types of anxiety problems treated by psychotherapists include:

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
A person with GAD feels in a constant state of moderate to high anxiety. The anxiety experienced is not as a result of any specific trigger, but those with this condition feel that they are ‘on edge’ most of the time for no specific reason. GAD is often accompanied by depression.

                                                                                                                      next page