Counselling For Anxiety
In the UK, over 8 million people are experiencing anxiety at any one time.
Anxiety can stem from a variety of factors, often working in combination. Sometimes, it’s triggered by stressful life events such as relationship issues, trauma, work pressure, financial difficulties, or health concerns. Certain personality traits, like being highly self-critical or having low self-esteem, can also contribute to anxiety. Read on to learn about the symptoms, causes, how counselling can help, how to determine if you have anxiety (questionnaire) and self-help ideas.
What is anxiety?
Most people experience stress and anxiety at some point in their lives.
Stress is the body’s response to a stressful situation and typically disappears once the situation has resolved.
Unlike stress, anxiety can linger and escalate into a disorder, affecting daily life.
Anxiety is often described as a feeling of dread where there is no actual threat.
Symptoms
Frequent nervousness in the past 6 months.
Problems falling asleep.
Bad dreams or waking up worried.
Body feels tense or uptight, feeling ‘on edge’.
Frequent frustration, irritability or urge to shout.
Causes
A family history of anxiety disorders.
Traumatic events like bullying or domestic violence.
Substance abuse issues (alcohol or drugs).
Physical health problems (lung issues, chronic pain).
Co-occurring mental health issues, like depression.
SCORE | SEVERITY |
---|---|
0 – 4 | Minimal anxiety |
5 – 9 | Mild anxiety |
10 – 14 | Moderate anxiety |
15 – 21 | Severe anxiety |