Anxiety is a universal human emotion felt by everybody. We all sit on the scale between experiencing no anxiety to experiencing extreme anxiety and we can move up and down this scale daily, hourly or even by the minute. For some, their anxiety can be felt much more than others whether this be a temporary reaction to current stresses or pressures or whether it’s a long-term effect. Read more …
When anxiety is affecting our abilities to function in the world or if we feel overwhelmed or that our fears are stopping us dong things, we may want to seek assistance.
Often self education is a good starting point to begin to understand anxiety more and about anxiety disorders such as Panic Attacks, OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), Anorexia and GAD (Generalised Anxiety Disorder).
By seeking professional assistance it can help you to –
- Help you gain an understanding of what anxiety is
- Look at how your anxiety is affecting you
- Find the steps you can take to alleviate the symptoms
- Allow you to develop new coping strategies and mechanisms
- Identify what the cause or roots of your anxiety may be
- Employ longer terms coping strategies
As a natural human emotion, we all experience anxiety in our own way and recognising how it works for you will enable you to become aware of what you’re feeling to allow you to manage any unwanted feelings quickly.
Coping with anxiety can include learning relaxation techniques, learning ways to halt panic attacks, ensuring your needs are met, utilising your support structures, managing stress levels and becoming aware of psychological blocks that maybe keeping you in an unwanted state.
In seeking help for anxiety, the internet is always a good place to start. There are lots of websites that provide information and choosing to search on a reputable website for information (such as Bupa, NHS or Wikipedia). In terms of seeking a therapist, again, the reputable organisations are a good place to start. Using the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) ‘find a therapist’ section or the UKCP directory will provide lists of therapists in your area who have the optimal level of education to provide effective help. Members of these organisations are also bound by their stringent code of ethics. Shopping around and asking questions is always a good idea. You may want to shortlist a number of therapists to make contact with to have your questions answered and to see how you feel from their response and the information they present. Therapy is a very personal thing, so its important you undertake this with someone you feel as comfortable as possible with.