Is Your Anxiety Affecting Your Life?
Anxiety is the most common psychological condition, with anxiety related difficulties are becoming more common in adults teenagers and children too. Anxiety sits at the root of many other mental health conditions such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and phobias, and if not addressed can have a massive impact on how we feel and function on a daily basis. In this post, Dr Gordon explains anxiety in more detail, including signs that your anxiety is becoming more of a problem.
“As a GP, one of the key areas I will explore with my patients is the effect their anxiety is having on their ability to manage their day to day activities such as school, work or relationships.”
What are the symptoms of anxiety?
Anxiety is described as a sense of worry, tension or fear, often focused on one’s immediate circumstances or on something that may happen in the future. It is an in built survival response to deal with threat and is commonly called the fight, flight or freeze response - because it enables us to shift physiologically so we can run or fight if we feel threatened (although sometimes we might freeze in fear). Anxiety frequently causes a range of physical symptoms such as palpitations, chest pain and bowel disturbances – These are linked to the changes our bodies make to deal with threat. The symptoms are in themselves distressing and their resemblance to other medical conditions can often deepen a cycle of worry and fear, especially if they persist or are triggered when no real threat is present.
How common is anxiety?
If you suffer with anxiety, you are not alone. It is the most common psychological condition, with up to 18% of adults showing symptoms of an anxiety disorder in any given year. Unfortunately, anxiety related difficulties are also becoming more common in teenagers and younger children too.
Anxiety sits at the root of many other mental health issues such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and phobias. Suffering from anxiety for a long period of time is exhausting and this is one of the reasons why people with anxiety are more likely to suffer with other mental health issues such as depression.
How do I know when to seek help?
Most of us suffer with anxiety from time to time and it is a normal human emotion in stressful situations, for example if we are physically threatened. Signs that your anxiety may becoming more of an issue include;
Your anxiety seems out of proportion to the stressful situation you find yourself in, or persists for long after the stress has passed.
Your anxiety appears randomly without any particular stressful trigger.
You feel completely unable to relax, even in calm conditions.
As a GP, one of the key areas I will explore with my patients is the effect their anxiety is having on their ability to manage their day to day activities such as school, work or relationships.
How is anxiety managed?
Contrary to popular belief, a visit to a health professional to discuss anxiety does not automatically mean a prescription. Some of the most beneficial treatments include talking therapies such as counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). These can help you explore the reasons why you are prone to anxiety and help you address unhelpful thinking patterns that perpetuate the problem.
From my experience as a GP, often just coming in to discuss the problem with a doctor can lead to mild easing of symptoms due to a greater understanding of how your brain is working and the various physical symptoms it causes in your body. We do not judge, nor label people - our aim, just like when we manage physical health issues in our patients, is to offer a non judgemental and compassionate space where we can assess, treat and as necessary refer on to more specialised colleagues.
What about medication?
For some people medication can be extremely helpful, especially if their anxiety is so severe that they find it difficult to engage with talking therapies. Sedating medications like diazepam (Valium) do work in the short term but are prescribed less frequently nowadays as they are addictive and cause drowsiness. Beta-blockers such as propranolol work well to ease the physical symptoms such as palpitations and tremors, and therefore can help break the cycle of anxiety fuelled by these distressing symptoms.
For some, long term treatment may be best accomplished with an antidepressant like escitalopram or sertraline. Although they are classed as antidepressants, these medications are commonly used with good effect in people suffering from anxiety. They are taken on a daily basis for a longer period of time, and can help smooth out the peaks and troughs of anxiety which can be particularly exhausting.
Could there be anything else going on?
Although the physical symptoms of anxiety are well known, they can overlap closely with other medical conditions such as thyroid problems or asthma. For this reason it is always important to see a qualified healthcare professional for an assessment and further investigation if necessary.
What should I do?
If you are concerned about your anxiety levels it is best to check in with a health professional such as your GP or a clinical psychologist. They can help you make sense of your symptoms and create a plan to address them over time. Opening up to a trusted friend or family member can also be extremely helpful and make you feel less ‘alone’. There are also a range of online ‘peer support’ tools which can provide a safe space to receive mutual support from people with similar experiences. See also: anxietyuk.org.uk
Disclaimer: This blog post provides general information only. It is not intended to provide instruction and you should not rely on this information to determine diagnosis, prognosis or a course of treatment. It should not be used in place of a professional consultation with a doctor.
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