Anxiety and Social Anxiety Treatment

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is an automatic, unconscious and very natural response to worrying situations. It results in a number of thought, bodily and behavioural changes that ordinarily are adaptive and enable a higher level of performance. Anxiety may come on very quickly (such as in the case of panic) or slowly build (such as in anticipation of an event) but it normally passes with time.

For instance, a student may be worried when sitting an exam and therefore become anxious. Once anxious, at moderate levels, the student is better able to focus, sustain attention, avoid distraction, and think and write quickly. The student's anxieties built up slowing leading up to the exam, peaked while walking into the exam hall, and quickly faded as the exam time progressed. In this example the worry experienced was helpful to the situation and improved the student's functioning. However, our worries can also build up to the point where they becoming so frequent and distressing that we have trouble managing them, and they can adversely affect our home, work and social lives.

While anxiety is often caused by worrying thoughts it can also be the result of, or exacerbated by, poor sleep, physical illness, or the ingestion of certain foods, drinks and substances that stimulate the nervous system.

What are the symptoms of anxiety?

The cognitive symptoms of worry include rumination, racing thoughts, as well as impaired concentration and memory recall. The behavioural symptoms of worry include hypervigilance, pacing, restlessness, disturbed sleep, difficulties with multitasking, social awkwardness and withdrawal, engaging in safety behaviours and the avoidance of anxiety-provoking stimuli. Bodily symptoms can include hyperventilation, fatigue, trembling, chronically tight muscles, dry mouth, heart palpitations, nausea, headaches and chest pain. At severe levels anxiety can cause dizziness, frequent urination, incontinence, diarrhoea, vomiting and panic attacks.

What are the different types of Anxiety Disorders?

Generalised Anxiety Disorder - excessive worry over a range of health, work, relationship, money or other issues
Panic Disorder - sudden intense moments of terror which quickly fade
Agoraphobia - intense fear of open spaces or the fear to leave the home
Social Anxiety Disorder - excessively worrying about the negative appraisals from others and displaying anxiety in public
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - inability to control intrusive and unwanted thoughts that lead to anxiety which are temporarily alleviated by engaging in rituals or routine behaviours
Specific Phobias - disproportionally excessive fear of specific objects such as spiders, lifts, needles, or dentists
Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder - anxiety symptoms brought on by ingestion of vary substances such as cannabis or alcohol

BlueSky Psychology is a centre that specialises in treatment of Anxiety Disorders

We offer a range of scientifically proven techniques to control anxiety. Our staff can help you to develop the skills to take control of your anxiety so that it no longer controls you. We can help you calm your mind, settle your body, get some adequate sleep and experience well-being.