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Anxiety Information sheet What is Anxiety Anxiety is normal and part of human existence. Everybody at different stages of their life experiences some degree of anxiety. Most people become anxious in response to life events such as being threatened by job loss, relationship breakdown, serious illness, major accident or the death of someone close. Feeling anxious is normal in these situations and usually we feel anxious for only a limited time. The common signs of anxiety are: Mild – Moderate Anxiety Severe Anxiety / Panic Increased breathing rate Increased heart rate Increased perspiration Feeling shaky Trembling Lightheadedness Dry mouth Butterflies in the stomach Muscle tension Shortness of breath Pounding heart Dizziness or Vertigo Tingling sensations Tightness or pain in the chest Sensation of choking Sensation of smothering Feeling faint Perspiration Trembling or shaking Hot or cold flushes Feeling as though things aren’t real Nausea Blurred vision Confusion Desire for immediate escape Fight or flight response The “fight or flight” response is our body's primitive, inborn and automatic reaction that prepares us to firstly flee or, when escape is impossible, to fight from perceived harm or threat to our survival. Everybody experiences the same symptoms when put in a situation where they perceive immediate danger or threat. It is important to realise that the fight or flight response is a normal reaction to such situations. The fight or flight response is aimed at diverting as much energy and oxygen to your muscles as possible. In doing so, it results in symptoms such as increased breathing, increased heart rate, sweating, shaking and feeling nauseous. Anxiety problems originate when a person’s fight or flight response is too sensitive. It may be triggered without warning and at the wrong time. This can result in a person becoming anxious in situations where most people would not feel anxious. Hyperventilation Hyperventilation or over-breathing is one aspect of the fight or flight response. It describes a higher rate or depth of breathing than necessary to meet the body’s needs. When you over-breathe the balance, between oxygen and carbon dioxide gets disrupted. You end up with more oxygen than carbon dioxide in your blood which results in many of the symptoms that occur in anxiety such as breathlessness, light headedness, dizziness, increased heart rate, sweating, tingling, “pins and needles” or numbness, nausea, chest pain and hot flushes to name a few. One of the components of treatment for anxiety is to control hyperventilation or over-breathing. Anxiety Disorders Anxiety disorders are characterised by extreme levels of anxiety and feelings of panic that significantly interfere with day-to-day life. Anxiety disorders affect the way a person thinks, feels and behaves and can cause considerable discomfort and distress. Types of Anxiety disorders include: Generalised anxiety disorder: persistent feelings of anxiety and worry about harm to self or others Obsessive compulsive disorder: fear of causing harm to self or others due to obsessions Social phobia: fear of embarrassment or negative evaluation by others Panic disorder: fear that anxiety will result in physical or mental collapse Specific phobias: fear of personal harm in response to a specific object or situation Post traumatic stress disorder: fear of intrusive memories about past threats of harm Treatments Research has demonstrated that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is effective in the treatment of anxiety. CBT aims to reduce anxiety by teaching people how to identify, evaluate, control and modify their threat-related thoughts and associated behaviour. There are also a number of medications available to help manage anxiety. Speak to your doctor or a psychologist about your anxiety today. Troy Winterflood BA, B Beh Sc, PGDipPsych, Assoc MAPS Psychologist ABN 17 289 182 386 Medicare PN: 2920071T Latrobe Health Centre 108 Latrobe Terrace Paddington QLD 4064 PHONE (07) 3876 2100 EMAIL [email protected]
