Anxiety is an unpleasant emotion which is aroused by internal or external events which are perceived to be a threat to the person's physical or mental well-being. This threat may be an actual or potential threat. However, anxiety is often aroused by unknown or not easily identifiable causes and consequently it is not not always easy to know what to do about it. Fear, on the other hand, refers to the response to a more specific threat. In both cases the person usually feels an impulse to flee from or avoid the threat.

Prolonged experiences of threat and consequent fear or anxiety can lead to the stress response: a state of physiological and mental strain in which the demands on the individual are perceived to outweigh the ability to cope or respond.

Common Symptoms of Anxiety

Physiological signs - general uneasiness or tension (i.e. heightened arousal); palpitations (ie. unusually rapid heart beats); hyperventilation (i.e. difficulty getting your breath); sweatiness; shakiness or weakness; dizziness; feelings of unreality, etc. These may or may not be present together, and can vary in magnitude from mildly unpleasant to extremely distressing, and may entail a full scale panic attack. The thoughts that usually accompany and are part of an anxiety state are apprehensive (of the "What if--?" variety), negative and often discouraging of appropriate action. The anxious person's behaviour is therefore often characterised by avoidance, procrastination, disorganisation and general lack of confidence.

Causes
Anxiety frequently develops after prolonged periods of demand and stress. It can also develop in the face of impending tasks, such as exams, the handing in of assignments, or other life demands. If debilitating, it can be of enormous benefit to get professional help.

Getting Help
A lot can be done to help someone who is finding their life interfered with by varying degrees of anxiety. It may be useful to consult a counsellor who will teach you different strategies to cope with and/or to eliminate the symptoms.

These may include:

Relaxation exercises: which can help you to counteract the physiological symptoms of anxiety and stress outlined above.

Cognitive or thought strategies and techniques: which help you to counteract the negative and anxiety-provoking thought patterns which tend to develop when one is anxious or distressed.

Behavioural Techniques: which enables you to tackle the tasks that you have been avoiding due to lack of self confidence. These may entail time management strategies, and various other devices to increase your level of organisation, competence and confidence.

Background understanding: which helps you to understand the patterns of anxiety and stress have developed in the first place, so that if similar stresses were to occur in your life again, then you be better equipped to deal with them.

It may be helpful to do some background reading about the condition, and there numerous self-help books which can be of assistance in this area. Ask your counsellor for recommendations about these. You may also want to read more on these websites:

Recommended Websites
UNSW Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUFAD)
Macquarie University Anxiety Research Unit
Shyness and Social Anxiety Treatment Australia
Anxiety Panic Hub

 

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