What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe.

Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their life. For example, you may feel worried and anxious about sitting an exam, having a medical test, a job interview, or going to a new place for the first time.

The term anxiety refers to the feeling we get, but this can affect our mind and bodies in a number of different ways, depending on our disposition and the situation.

There can be a few ways anxiety can affect us, such as;

• Tension: Bodily tension, muscle pain, aches, sore body.

• Apprehension: Unease, worrying, brooding, overanxiousness, paranoia, sense of foreboding.

• Restlessness: Overactivity, sweating, palpitations, dizziness, lump in throat, frequent urination or diarrhoea (overactivity of the autonomic nervous system)

During times like these, feeling anxious can be perfectly normal.

When your anxiety is mild, there are a few ways to “self-help” when you’re struck by it, such as;

• Getting outside in the fresh air/walking

• Mindfulness (check previous blog posts for more information on this).

• Using essential oils targeted at symptoms of anxiety, (it has long been known that certain essential oils have properties that that can aid in anxious times - blog post to follow).

• Meditation

• Talking to a family member or friend about how you are feeling

• Playing some music and dancing, getting your body moving is a great way to release endorphins, which is the happy hormone!

But if you are finding it hard to control your worries, and your feelings of anxiety are more constant, and it’s affecting your daily life, please speak to a medical professional and get some help, you deserve to be listened to.

If you're in crisis and need to talk right now, there are many helplines staffed by trained people ready to listen. They won't judge you, and could help you make sense of what you're feeling.

• Samaritans. To talk about anything that is upsetting you, you can contact Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can call 116 123 (free from any phone), email jo@samaritans.org or visit some branches in person. You can also call the Samaritans Welsh Language Line on 0808 164 0123 (7pm–11pm every day).

• SANEline. If you're experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else, you can call SANEline on 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm–10.30pm every day).

• National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK - 0800 689 5652 (6pm to midnight every day).

• Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). 0800 58 58 58 (5pm–midnight every day) Or if you prefer not to speak on the phone, you could try the CALM webchat service.

• Shout. If you would prefer not to talk but want some mental health support, you could text SHOUT to 85258. Shout offers a confidential 24/7 text service providing support if you are in crisis and need immediate help.

• The Mix. If you're under 25, you can call The Mix on 0808 808 4994 (3pm–midnight every day), request support by email using this form on The Mix website or use their crisis text messenger service.

• Papyrus HOPELINEUK. If you're under 35 and struggling with suicidal feelings, or concerned about a young person who might be struggling, you can call Papyrus HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141 (weekdays 10am-10pm, weekends 2pm-10pm and bank holidays 2pm–10pm), email pat@papyrus-uk.org or text 07786 209 697.

• Nightline. For students check the Nightline website to see if your university or college offers a night-time listening service. Nightline phone opehttp://nightline.ac.uk/want-to-talk/rators are all students too.

• Switchboard. If you identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, you can call Switchboard on 0300 330 0630 (10am–10pm every day), email chris@switchboard.lgbt or use their webchat service. Phone operators all identify as LGBT+.

• C.A.L.L. If you live in Wales, you can call the Community Advice and Listening Line (C.A.L.L.) on 0800 132 737 (open 24/7) or you can text 'help' followed by a question to 81066.

• Helplines Partnership. For more options, visit the Helplines Partnership website for a directory of UK helplines. Mind's Infoline can also help you find services that can support you. If you're outside the UK, the Befrienders Worldwide website has a tool to search by country for emotional support helplines around the world.
  

© Mind. This information is published in full at mind.org.uk Please follow this link if you wish to visit Mind's website - www.mind.org.uk

Disclaimer

The information I (Enchanted Wicks) share is for the purpose of general interest, and is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment by a licensed medical practitioner.

While every effort has been made to provide accurate and up to date information, no expressed or implied guarantee as to the effects of the suggestion can be given, either now or in the future.

Source: NHS website & Mind website.