1 in 6 suffer from Anxiety yet still it’s a topic many of don’t want to talk about and find it hard to do so. Anxiety can make our lives miserable if not kept under control and this can lead to other mood disorders developing such as depression. There are many people walking around who on the outside look perfectly fine however inside they are suffering. Anxiety can affect anyone of us despite age, gender, profession and so on

We all talk about Anxiety but what exactly is it?

Anxiety is the body’s natural response to danger, it’s a biological process designed to keep you safe from harm. Many many years ago before the times of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, civilization didn’t have to worry about trivial things. Instead humans spent their days hunting animals and being at one with nature. Anxiety - also known as your fight or flight response is triggered when there is danger. Whilst humans spent their days hunting, sometimes they came face to face with tigers, it was then that the fight or flight response kicked in making them able to run away or fight the tiger.

Without the fight or flight response, civilization would not have survived so you can see why this fight or flight otherwise known as anxiety was useful. In today’s world, thankfully we don’t have the threat of tigers, unless you’re at the zoo. However, our fight or flight response still remains very much active. This isn’t a bad thing as it prevents us from harm and without it you simply wouldn’t survive. However, research has shown that some peoples fight or flight response is more sensitive than others. This means that sometimes it can become active even when there isn’t any threat posed. When the fight or flight response becomes active, it can produce some very uncomfortable thoughts and feelings both physically and psychologically.

Anxiety can present itself in the following forms;

Psychological Symptoms of Anxiety

• A feeling like something bad is going to happen but you can’t explain what.
• Irritability
• Finding it difficult to concentrate
• Feeling ‘on edge’
• Feeling like you can’t relax or sit still

Physical symptoms of Anxiety

• Palpitations (Heart racing)
• Sweating
• Dizziness
• Blurry vision
• Headaches
• Unexplained Physical aches and pains
• Feeling sick
• Pins and needles

What can you do to help reduce anxiety?

• Join a support Group
• Try some relaxation
• Have a course of Acupuncture to help relax
• Try some Complementary Therapies such as Reflexology
• Exercise daily
• Start a diary of thoughts and feelings
• Eat a healthy Diet
• Avoid caffeine or reduce your intake
• Avoid Smoking and Alcohol

If anxiety is taking over your life and the activities suggested are still not helping, it may be worth booking in to see you GP.Remember as with all self-help strategies, they do not work overnight. You have to invest time and effort to see a difference but over a period you should feel the benefits.Click here to access further support and Information