Anxiety disorders
Patient education
- Anxiety can cause physical symptoms
- Effective treatment is available
- Seek help when it limits daily life
What it is
Persistent fear or worry that becomes hard to control and interferes with life. Anxiety disorders are treatable health conditions, not a failure of willpower.
When to seek urgent care
There is immediate risk of self-harm, a suicide plan, or the person cannot stay safe. Seek emergency care and stay with them if safe. New severe chest pain, collapse or severe breathing difficulty also needs emergency assessment; do not assume anxiety.
How it shows
Feeling on edge, avoiding situations, racing thoughts, muscle tension, poor sleep, stomach discomfort or a pounding heart. Symptoms may resemble physical illness, which sometimes needs checking too.
What to do
Book an appointment when anxiety affects daily life. Describe symptoms, triggers, caffeine or substance use and any medicines. Talking therapy, practical support and sometimes prescribed medicine can help.
Ordinary worry or an anxiety disorder?
Everyone worries sometimes. An anxiety disorder involves fear or worry that is hard to control, persists or leads to avoidance, and interferes with everyday life. Generalised anxiety can involve many subjects, while other disorders focus on panic attacks, social situations or particular fears.
Muscle tension, stomach discomfort, poor concentration, restlessness and poor sleep can accompany worry. A clinician asks about the pattern and may check for physical illness, medicine effects or substance use. You do not need to wait for a diagnostic time threshold before asking for help.
Treatment and small steps
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) teaches ways to respond to anxious thoughts and gradually change unhelpful avoidance. Some people also benefit from prescribed medicine. Treatment should fit symptoms, preferences, other health conditions and pregnancy status.
Regular sleep, gentle activity, less caffeine and support from someone trusted can help alongside treatment. Set small realistic goals. Do not use alcohol or borrowed sedatives to cope; sedatives can cause dependence. New chest pain, fainting or severe breathlessness should not be dismissed as 'just anxiety'.
Sources
- Generalized anxiety disorder: what you need to know · National Institute of Mental Health · Public domain text; images excluded