What is anxiety all about?
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful or challenging situations. It can range from feeling slightly worried to feeling like you are going to lose control and panic. Everyone will experience anxiety at some point in their life, but if your anxiety persists then it may be helpful to seek out professional advice.
There are many different forms of anxiety, each with its unique symptoms. The main types of anxiety include:
Panic Disorder – This involves experiencing sudden and intense episodes of fear or terror that cannot be explained. Symptoms typically include physical sensations such as shaking, dizziness, rapid heartbeat and sweating.
Social Phobia – People with this type of anxiety feel a deep fear of being judged or humiliated in social situations, and often experience physical symptoms such as blushing or sweating.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – People with OCD become preoccupied with certain thoughts which then lead to their repeated behaviour, such as excessive handwashing or counting.
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – People with GAD constantly worry about a variety of things, such as their health or finances. This can lead to feelings of constant tension and restlessness.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – PTSD is a type of anxiety that occurs following a particularly traumatic event. Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares and difficulty sleeping.
If you recognise any of these symptoms in yourself or someone else, it is important to seek professional help. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Counselling/Psychotherapy are two evidence-based treatments for anxiety that are effective in reducing symptoms. It is also important to remember that anxiety is a normal emotion and it can be managed with the right support.
What are the symptoms of anxiety?
Symptoms can vary depending on the type of anxiety, but they generally include feelings of fear and unease as well as physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, sweating, trembling and shortness of breath.
Other common symptoms are difficulty concentrating, restlessness, feeling on edge or irritable and avoiding certain situations or people. It is important to recognise when these symptoms become more frequent or intense, as this may be a sign that professional help is needed.
Additionally, it is important to remember that everyone experiences anxiety differently, so it is important to seek professional advice in order to determine the best course of treatment.
The bottom line is, Anxiety is a normal emotion and can be managed with the right help. There are many different types of anxiety, each with its own unique symptoms and treatments. If you recognise any of the symptoms in yourself or someone else, it is important to seek professional help. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and counselling/psychotherapy are two evidence-based treatments for anxiety that can be effective in reducing symptoms.
The rise of Anxiety clinics
There has recently been a massive surge in anxiety and other forms of anxiety being diagnosed. Increased awareness combined with growing social acceptance means that people are more open about coming forward with what they see as personal flaws.
The simple truth is anxiety and mental health conditions affect everyone, it’s more how someone is equipped to deal with it when it arrives. What generally exacerbates the situation is when someone’s life is turned upside down all at once.
For example, things might be going swimmingly, but you then lose a family member to cancer, you have arguments with your partner, whom you’ve been with for many years and they want to leave, and you lose your job. It’s easy to see how things can spiral out of control.
So with this rise in diagnosis of anxiety, as well as an increased willingness to come forward with an issue Anxiety clinics have popped up all over Surrey. There are varying levels of clinics too. The fanciest I have seen is a place called The Balance.
It is offering 1-1 residential care with a personalised chef and diet plan, and a 24-7 live-in therapist. I’m sure it probably costs a king’s ransom but it just shows the level to which we are now investing in this field and shows that even high-profile, rich people suffer from it as much as the everyday person.
That is the eventual goal at Guildford Therapy, to offer treatment and therapy that everyone can access. Currently a small operation, however, we are fully accredited and highly qualified and motivated to assist you in your hour of need. We are available round the clock and can book you in for personal or group consultations.
How Brian at Guildford Therapy can help you?
At Guildford Therapy I offer psychotherapy and counselling in Surrey and have many years of experience providing psychotherapy in private practice and the NHS. Based in Guildford, Surrey, I offer therapy services to a wider area too, including Godalming, Woking, Cranleigh, Farnham, Aldershot, Farnborough and Haslemere.
Psychotherapy and counselling are about helping you to enrich your life, grow and reach your potential. This may well include dealing with specific things that are currently troubling you. The process happens as you talk, either with a therapist or with a therapist and members of a therapy group, in a safe, confidential, sensitive, respectful and non-judgemental environment.
It may also be that Covid and its restrictions have put you in closer touch with aspects of your life that you would like to improve. Therapy may be able to help here.
Analytic psychotherapy and counselling go beneath blockages to growth to find their origins and work through them. Therapy in particular works with the unconscious mind. It aims to uncover why someone is feeling or behaving as they are and operates at a deep level to bring about change.
Don’t hesitate to reach out and connect with me today, where I guarantee you the utmost confidentiality, respect, and understanding. It may be the most rewarding decision you ever make!