Anxiety involves a cluster of thoughts, physical sensations, and behaviours that arise when we perceive danger or feel under pressure. This is sometimes called the ‘fight, flight, or freeze’ response. While this response is helpful in genuinely dangerous situations, it can become a problem when it is triggered too often, too intensely, or in situations where there is no real threat.
Anxiety can show up in different ways. Common experiences include:
- Thoughts: excessive worry, catastrophising, difficulty concentrating, a sense of dread.
- Physical sensations: racing heart, shortness of breath, muscle tension, sweating, dizziness, or nausea.
- Behaviours: avoiding situations, seeking reassurance, or finding it hard to rest or relax.
Anxiety can take a number of different forms, including:
- Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) — persistent worry about a wide range of everyday matters
- Panic disorder — recurrent panic attacks and fear of further attacks
- Social anxiety — intense fear of social situations and being judged by others
- Health anxiety — persistent worry about having or developing a serious illness
- Phobias — intense fear of specific objects, situations, or activities
- OCD and PTSD — though distinct conditions, these often involve significant anxiety
Anxiety is very treatable. A range of effective psychological therapies can help you to understand and manage anxiety, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), and EMDR. Therapy can help you to:
- Understand what is driving your anxiety and what keeps it going
- Challenge unhelpful thoughts and assumptions
- Gradually face situations you have been avoiding
- Develop practical skills to manage anxious feelings in the moment
- Build long-term resilience and confidence
Anxiety affects millions of people and is nothing to be ashamed of. Seeking support is a sign of self-awareness and courage. With the right help, most people find that anxiety becomes significantly more manageable — and many go on to live full, rich lives with far greater freedom and confidence.
