Do you feel nervous before going to a dentist, or hospital appointment? Or how about going somewhere new and meeting new people? It’s normal to have such feelings in those instances. So let me ask you… does that nervous feeling go once you get to your appointment, or you arrive at the destination? Or do your fears become debilitating and you start imaging all the things that can go wrong?
Anxiety and panic disorders are overwhelming conditions, and can take away your enjoyment of life. You’re not alone…Mental Health Foundation cites that in 2013 a staggering 8.2 million anxiety cases were reported in the UK.
And that’s before 2 years of Covid, energy prices and whatever else the news throws at us!
Anxiety isn’t a one-size-fits-all blanket of symptoms. You are unique, so you’ll probably have your own menu of how anxiety shows up in your body. The list below contains some of the most common symptoms:
- Breathlessness – feeling your heart racing, or that you can’t catch your breath. Your breathing can be rapid and shallow.
- Uncontrollable fears – of things like crowded places, eating in public places or driving.
- Catastrophising – A strong belief that something bad, like an accident will happen at any moment.
- Wandering mind – An inability to concentrate and remember anything.
- Repetitive movements – such as walking around the same area over and over again, or repetitively twitching your fingers or toes.
- Numbness in your hands, fingers, toes, and legs, or feeling like you can’t stand up.
- Dry mouth episodes or trouble swallowing.
- Fear of people around you and the strong desire to be alone.
- Inability to leave your home.
- Feeling that you can’t cope. Normal activities become overwhelming to you.
Take a nice deep, full breath in & sigh when you breathe out. I hope reading that lot hasn’t triggered your anxiety! If it has, go for a walk or speak talk to someone. Try not to worry, I know easier said than done!… But, the good news is, help, support and advice is readily available. All you need to do is look for it.
If you have any of the symptoms above & don’t know what to do next, speak to your GP. Please get thesupportyou deserve. Yes, that’s right…You. Deserve. Support.
I’ll say that again just in case you didn’t hear me. You. Deserve. Support. Got that?
Understanding anxiety will help you overcome your suffering and the effects it has on your body.
Relaxation techniques such as mindfulness and other talk therapies are designed to help you tame the symptoms of anxiety and can be done anywhere. Anxiety is not something to be ashamed of. Be kind to yourself. Treat yourself as you would treat a cherished friend who told you they felt anxious.
Don’t try and conquer this on your own, there’s no need to d-i-y your recovery. But if you insist, I’d recommend learning a few breathing techniques to tame racing thoughts, so you start to feel more in control. There’s links to some free audios that will guide you through easy breathing exercises. Again, speak to your GP.
I hope you’ll take a step towards taming anxiety today. And just watch what taming that little terroraway does for your self-esteem…
See you in the next post,
Onward with the adventure my friend, we’re in this together!
Tracey 🙂
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