It’s true that everybody feels anxious at some time in their life and most of us can relate to feeling anxious or nervous before an exam or job interview. It’s all a natural part of how we prepare ourselves for stressful experiences. But sometimes anxiety can get out of control and come to dominate our lives; affecting our relationships, sleep and ability to enjoy everyday things.
Anxiety can lead to feelings of isolation and panic, and a sense that no one around you understands how you are feeling. It may be that a specific event has triggered your anxiety and is making you fear things that used to be so very ordinary to you, or it could be that you learned very early on in your life that the world is a frightening and untrustworthy place.
I understand how crippling anxiety can be and how real it is for you, and I will treat it with the respect and seriousness it deserves by providing you with a safe space to explore your feelings without judgement.
By listening to the messages that our bodies are constantly sending us – rather than just relying on old and sometimes unhelpful ways of trying to solve our problems – counselling can give you the tools to reduce your anxiety through exploring what your anxiety means to you and how it affects your life.
We all feel stressed at some time but when feelings of tension, irritability and even panic become overwhelming or out of control, then it is time to address them. The symptoms of anxiety and stress may include some of the following physical signals-
During counselling we offer you a space to explore where these feelings are coming from and their root cause. We will also identify ways of managing, and so lowering, your anxiety and stress.
Anxiety is a simplistic blanket term which covers a wide range of problems from the temporary effects of stress to panic attacks, compulsions, phobias or debilitating nervous illness previously known as ‘nervous breakdown’. Common in all these complaints is the overwhelming effect of the body producing too much adrenaline resulting in physical symptoms which affect daily life.
The apprehension of anxiety, which causes palpitations and shaking, results in the production of even more adrenaline, resulting in a vicious circle. For some people anxiety is a temporary state which passes when the source of stress subsides, while for others it becomes a long-term condition which affects their lives and those of their loves ones.
It is normal and healthy to feel sad or worried about life and its problems and pressures. But when worry casts a cloud over everyday life you may be suffering from anxiety or depression or a mixture of the two.
A quarter of the population will suffer from anxiety at some time in their lives – even more than those affected by depression. It is the major reason for absence from work. The fear-adrenaline-fear cycle, if unbroken, eventually brings about a state of stress and extreme fatigue.