What is anxiety?
Anxiety is the emotional and physical experience of worry, fear and unease. Typically, we all experience anxiety at various points in life, however, some individuals will be more severely affected than others when the feelings become prolonged and overwhelming. When people undergo a stressful experience, the feelings are short-lived and tend to pass. Anxiety, however, can affect a person even when the exact cause is unknown and can be experienced in non-threatening, non-stressful circumstances.
What causes anxiety?
Although the exact cause of anxiety is not understood fully, there are a combination of factors which have been proven to play a role in the development of anxiety. It is imperative to note that there are some individuals who develop anxiety for no clear reason. Some causes may include:
- Overactivity in brain zones responsible for emotions and behaviour
- Imbalance of brain chemicals responsible for mood
- Genetic factors
- Traumatic experiences such as a history of emotional, physical or sexual abuse
- Having a history of long-term health condition
- Having a history of substance misuse
Symptoms of anxiety?
There are many symptoms of anxiety when feelings become long-lasting. Anxiety will affect all individuals in different ways and symptoms vary from mild to debilitating. The common symptoms of generalised anxiety are:
- Feeling restless or worried
- Increased heart rate
- Dizziness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Issues with sleeping
- Sense of dread
- Shortness of breath
- Headaches
- Impatience
- Irritability
- Feeling on edge
