Most people feel anxious from time to time. However, anxiety can become abnormal if it interferes with your day-to-day life. When you are anxious you may feel fearful and tense. You may also have one or more unpleasant physical symptoms. i.e. you might have a fast heart rate, a thumping heart (palpitations), feeling sick, shaking (tremor), sweating, dry mouth, chest pain, headaches, fast breathing, it feels like you are having a panic attack.
The physical symptoms are partly caused by the brain which sends lots of messages down nerves to various parts of the body when you are anxious. The nerve messages tend to make the heart, lungs, and other parts of the body work faster. In addition, you release stress hormones (such as adrenaline) into the bloodstream when you are anxious. These can also act on the heart, muscles and other parts of the body to cause symptoms.
Anxiety is normal in stressful situations, and can even be helpful. For example, most people will be anxious when threatened by an aggressive person, or before an important event. The burst of adrenaline and nerve impulses which we have in response to stressful situations can encourage a ‘fight or flight’ response.
Anxiety is abnormal if it:
- Is out of proportion to the stressful situation
- Persists when a stressful situation has gone, or the stress is minor
- Appears for no apparent reason when there is no stressful situation
If you would like to get support with your anxiety please get in touch.
Follow of the links below for more information about anxiety:
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Anxiety UK get help about anxiety
https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/get-help/about-anxiety
Mind: Anxiety and Panic Attacks