Suffering from anxiety?
Answer our quick and easy 11 question test to see if you are suffering from anxiety.
Take the testAnxiety can be a frustrating, scary, and sometimes even debilitating condition. Here at A.Vogel Talks Anxiety, we aim to provide all the information and support you need. Our Mental Wellbeing Advisor, Marianna Kilburn, shares information on anxiety and anxiety disorders, their causes, symptoms, and treatments. There is also a Q&A service which gives you the opportunity to ask Marianna any further questions.
Anxiety is a feeling that many of us will have experienced. It comes as a result of stress and its symptoms are the body’s normal biological reaction to stress.
The word ‘anxiety’ is derived from Latin (anxietatem – to ‘vex’ or ‘trouble’) first seen around 500 years ago. However, it is only fairly recently that the word has been used in the context of health.
Some people might describe anxiety as a feeling of nervousness. It can affect us in different ways, depending on how we are feeling and what we are doing.
Feelings of anxiety can be temporary, short-lived and mild, with a clear identifiable cause. For instance, it is normal to feel anxious before an exam, and the worry that you might fail should spur you to prepare better. So, in some cases, anxiety and worry can be a good thing.
Some people, however, experience more anxiety than others. They worry more and seem to feel nervous or stressed more often, or even all the time. Feelings of anxiety can come about because the stresses around have increased or for various reasons, people may feel less able to cope with stress.
When the body comes under stress, adrenaline is released into the bloodstream. This normal reaction stems from our ‘caveman’ days. It makes our heart beat faster and our nerves become more alert, preparing our body to fight or flee from the danger facing us. This reaction is called the ‘fight or flight’ response.
Back then, dangers were man-eating animals. Today, we get stressed because of traffic jams, deadlines at work or money worries. Nevertheless, our body’s response to stress has remained the same. Our heart pounds away and we become jumpy because of the stress chemicals released into our body.
In general, there are two groups of factors (or causes) which work together to make us feel anxious. These are the external and internal factors. How you feel depends on an interplay between these. For more information go to our page on what causes anxiety.
Stress can be both positive and negative. An example of positive stress is wondering whether you have won anything in the weekly lottery draw. However, we don’t usually say we are anxious in these situations – we describe it as being excited. So, in a way, positive stress makes us excited, negative stress makes us anxious.
Anxiety can give rise to a wide range of symptoms. These can be grouped into physical and non-physical (or psychological) symptoms.
Physical symptoms of anxiety include:
When stress becomes long-standing, physical symptoms of anxiety fade away or become less prominent. However, these are replaced by a variety of psychological symptoms of anxiety, including:
This is also known as stage fright and occurs when a person experiences extreme anxiety while performing in public, or even just at the thought of it. This often arises from a fear of being the centre of attention, and a fear of being judged or disliked.
Performance anxiety is not restricted to those who appear on a stage. It may affect teachers, those having to chair, lead or present at meetings and people needing to ‘perform’ well at a job interview. In a way, it is also related to the anxiety experienced in social situations when one wants to leave a good impression with people one has just met.
These are medical conditions which begin to interfere with daily life, mainly because the sufferer tries to avoid particular situations. Many types of anxiety disorders exist.
If interacting with other people causes anxiety, it can become a debilitating condition as this interferes with normal life. Anxiety disorders must be diagnosed by a doctor, who will also recommend a treatment plan, usually talking therapy or herbal remedies initially, and if these are unsuccessful, then conventional medicines might be used.
Examples of anxiety disorders include:
Often an external view of your symptoms gives you a more accurate picture of your problem than simply mulling them over in your mind. An anxiety test can be an effective means of having an objective look at the symptoms you are experiencing, to see if you need to be concerned, or need to visit your doctor.
If you suffer from anxiety, one of the first things you can do is to find ways to help yourself. No matter what sort of treatment you are using or thinking of using, how well you cope depends, ultimately, on your attitude, behaviour and habits.
There are a number of ways you can help yourself overcome anxiety:
Treatments available for anxiety overlap considerably with those used to treat stress. The main forms of treatment include:
Most people will be able to cope well with the stresses around them, managing anxiety using simple self-help techniques, herbal remedies and a good helping of common sense.
However, others may suffer severe and / or prolonged symptoms. You should see your doctor if you:
Looking for help easing symptoms of mild stress and anxiety?
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Answer our quick and easy 11 question test to see if you are suffering from anxiety.
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