We all have feelings of anxiety, worry and fear sometimes.  These can be normal responses to  certain situations.  These feelings can give you an awareness if risks and what you need to do in a difficult or dangerous situation.  This reaction is known as fight or flight. 

Your brain responds to a threat or danger by releasing stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.  Even if the danger is not real, these hormones cause the physical symptoms of anxiety.  Once the threatening situation has stopped your body will usually return to normal. 

However, if you have an anxiety disorder these feelings of fear and danger can be ongoing and interrupt your daily routine long after the threat has gone.   

Everyone’s experience of anxiety disorders is different and not everyone will experience the same symptoms – these generally fall into 2 groups 

• mental symptoms eg feeling irritable, heightened alertness

• physical symptoms eg sweating, hair loss

There are a number of different types of anxiety disorder eg phobias, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder 

General strategies 

• Recognising the cause of the symptoms 

• Learning to manage the symptoms

• Self care  - diet, sleep, exercise, daily routine 

• Breathing exercises  - complete regularly and as part of a daily routine