Problems with anxiety can be mild, moderate or severe.
Most of us experience anxiety at some time in our lives. We often feel worried or fearful before exams, when starting a new job or going into hospital and unexpected changes such as illness or even happy events such as a new birth can trigger feelings of anxiety. These feelings are considered a normal response to stress and after the event, the anxiety generally disappears.
When anxiety causes distress over a longer period of time and affects how we live our lives it becomes more debilitating.

Counselling for Anxiety

The most common approach used in counselling anxiety is CBT .There are many ways we can work to overcome severe anxiety which may include physically managing the panic when it happens as well as exploring what triggers and maintains it.
Sometimes anxiety is caused by applying rules from our past about how we ‘should’ behave. Therapy can help uncover and explore these, enabling us to better support ourselves and develop our own more helpful rules and behaviour.

For more information take a look at Mind’s booklet on anxiety.

Psychological effects include:

• irritability
• difficulty concentrating
• fearful thoughts about future events
• sleep disturbances
• panic attacks
• panic attacks
• sense of dread/constant worrying
• paranoia
• fatigue

Physical Symptoms of Anxiety include:

• tightness in the chest
• chest pains
• loss of appetite
• lightheadedness
• rapid shallow breathing
• headaches and dizziness
• racing heartbeat
• sweating
• frequent urination
• reduced libido