Emotions and definitions, common symptoms, how to cope, and what can talk counselling do?
Introduction
Anxiety is a normal emotion we experience when we are facing potential future threats. It can help us stay alert and prepare ourselves to respond to danger or difficult situations.
Anxiety can make us pay closer attention to what has happened, what is happening, or what might happen. We may think about what could happen and try to prepare ourselves for different possibilities.
Therefore, anxiety itself is not necessarily a bad thing. In some situations, it can be helpful and protective.
However, anxiety can become a problem when it happens too often, becomes difficult to control, or starts to negatively impact our everyday life. It may affect our relationships, work, studies, sleep, concentration, or our ability to enjoy things that we normally would.
Causes
It is important to remember that anxiety can have many different causes, and different factors can interact with each other.
Some of the possible factors include:
- Environment and life factors: the environment we live in, our relationships, social expectations, work, financial pressures and the level of safety or stability we experience can all influence anxiety.
- Biological and genetic factors: Our physical health, individual biology, and genetic factors can influence our vulnerability to anxiety and the way our body responds to stress.
- Medical and substance-related factors: Some physical health conditions, medications, caffeine, alcohol and recreational drugs can affect anxiety symptoms or make them worse.
These factors do not necessarily act independently. For some people, anxiety may develop through a combination of biological, psychological, social and environmental factors, while for others, the contributing factors may be less clear.
Symptoms of Anxiety
Anxiety can present in different ways in our body, mind and behaviour.
Physical symptoms
When we feel anxious, our body can enter a state of increased alertness. You may experience:
- Faster or more noticeable heartbeat
- Sweating or shaking
- Faster breathing or breathlessness
- Dizziness
- Muscle tension
- Stomach discomfort
These are common responses to perceived threat, as the body prepares to respond to potential danger.
However, physical symptoms such as chest pain or unusual heart palpitations can have other medical causes. It is important not to assume that physical symptoms are always caused by anxiety and to seek appropriate medical advice if you are concerned.
Psychological symptoms
Anxiety can make us feel tense, worried or constantly alert to things that might go wrong. You may find it difficult to relax or concentrate, with your mind repeatedly going over the same thoughts or situations.
Common psychological symptoms include:
- Excessive worrying
- Feeling nervous or restless
- Difficulty relaxing
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Sleep difficulties
Behavioural symptoms
Anxiety can also influence how we behave. We may avoid people, places or situations that make us feel anxious, or rely on behaviours such as checking, seeking reassurance or repeatedly analysing situations.
These behaviours can provide short-term relief, but may sometimes maintain anxiety over time.
Anxiety and Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
There are situations where it is completely normal to feel anxious. For example, before a presentation or an exam, it is understandable to feel nervous or worried.
Often, the anxiety becomes less intense once the situation has passed.
So, how do we know when anxiety has become a problem?
It is not simply about whether we experience anxiety or how intense it feels at one particular moment. We also need to consider how often it happens, how difficult it is to control, how long it has been happening, and whether it is affecting our everyday life.
One type of anxiety disorder is Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
People with GAD experience excessive and persistent worry about different areas of life, and they often find it difficult to control the worry. According to the NHS, a diagnosis may be considered when someone has experienced anxiety much of the time for at least six months, the anxiety affects their daily life, and they have difficulty controlling it.
For GAD specifically, the six-month period is part of the diagnostic criteria. It does not mean that anxiety lasting for less than six months is necessarily normal or harmless.
There can also be symptoms such as restlessness, tiredness, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension and disturbed sleep.
However, having worries for six months does not automatically mean that someone has GAD. Diagnosis requires a proper assessment of the person’s symptoms, history and the impact on their life.
GAD is also only one type of anxiety disorder. Other conditions include panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and phobias. These conditions can have different symptoms and treatment approaches.
If you are concerned about your anxiety, it is better to speak with a GP or an appropriately qualified mental health professional rather than trying to diagnose yourself.
What can I do if I feel anxious?
Firstly, it depends on how much anxiety is affecting your everyday life. Feeling anxious from time to time is a normal human experience, but if anxiety is becoming difficult to manage or interfering with your work, relationships, sleep or daily activities, it may be helpful to seek support.
There are different ways to get help with anxiety. Depending on your situation, this may include self-help, psychological therapy, medication, or a combination of these.
There are also things you can do to support your mental and physical wellbeing. Regular exercise, getting enough sleep, reducing excessive caffeine, relaxation exercises, and talking to someone you trust may help you manage anxiety.
It can also be helpful to notice whether you are avoiding situations because they make you anxious. While avoidance can provide short-term relief, it can sometimes maintain anxiety over time. In therapy, you may gradually explore and approach difficult situations in a safe and manageable way.
If anxiety is significantly affecting your daily life, or the things you are trying yourself are not helping, professional support may be worth considering.
In England, you can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression. You may also choose to work with a counsellor privately to explore your experience in greater depth.
How can talking therapy help with anxiety?
Talking therapy can provide a space to slow down and explore your experience of anxiety with someone who is trained to listen without judgement.
Together, we might look at what happens before your anxiety appears, the thoughts and feelings that come with it, how you respond, and what happens afterwards.
For some people, it can also be helpful to explore experiences that may be connected to how anxiety shows up today. This might include experiences from childhood, family, school, relationships, work, or significant life changes.
There does not always have to be one clear “root cause” of anxiety. Instead, counselling can help you become more aware of patterns in the way you think, feel, relate to others and cope with difficult situations.
You might begin to notice patterns such as overthinking, avoiding situations, being highly self-critical, feeling responsible for others, or needing to feel in control.
Understanding these patterns can sometimes create space to respond to yourself differently.
You do not need to know exactly why you feel anxious before starting counselling. We can begin with what you are experiencing now and explore it together at a pace that feels manageable.
If you would like to explore whether counselling could be helpful for you, feel free to book a free introductory call.
Further reading resources:
- Mind – Cause of anxiety
- NHS – Anxiety, fear and panic
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