Know when anxiety is talking
Anxiety is more than just feeling stressed or worried. While stress and anxious feelings are a common response to a situation where we feel under pressure, they usually pass once the stressful situation has passed, or ‘stressor’ is removed. Anxiety is when these anxious feelings don’t go away – when they’re ongoing and happen without any particular reason or cause. It’s a serious condition that makes it hard to cope with daily life. Everyone feels anxious from time to time, but for someone experiencing anxiety, these feelings aren’t easily controlled. A range of health professionals and services offer information, treatment and support for anxiety conditions, as well as a number of things you can do to help yourself. Effective treatment helps you learn how to control your anxiety so it doesn’t control you. The type of treatment will depend on the type of anxiety you’re experiencing. The symptoms of anxiety conditions are sometimes not all that obvious as they often develop slowly over time. Normal anxiety tends to be limited in time and connected with some stressful situation or event, such as an appointment or a coming event. The type of anxiety experienced by people with an anxiety condition is more frequent or persistent, not always connected to an obvious challenge, and impacts on their quality of life and day-today functioning. While each anxiety condition
has its own unique features, there are some common symptoms including:
• Physical: panic attacks, hot and cold flushes, racing heart, tightening of the chest, quick breathing, restlessness, or feeling tense, wound up and edgy. • Psychological: excessive fear, worry or obsessive thinking. • Behavioural: avoidance of situations that make you feel anxious which can impact on study, work or social life.
These are just some of a number of symptoms that you might experience. They’re not designed to provide a diagnosis – for that you’ll need to see a doctor – but they can be used as a guide. Anxiety is common, but the sooner people with anxiety get support, the more likely they are to recover. Phone us for advice at anytime, 7 days we are always open. Phone 1300 224 4636 www.beyondblue.org.au
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