We have all heard the term anxiety, but what does it mean?

First off, anxiety is a normal human reaction to stress.  It is your brain and body’s way of coping with stress. Many things in our lives can trigger anxiety: job stress; relationship problems; financial issues; taking an important exam at school; etc.  All of us have experienced some type of anxiety in our lives at some point.

This is completely normal.  Usually the anxiety goes away when we have been able to deal with the triggering problem.  However, anxiety becomes more serious when it becomes excessive and unmanageable.  Sometimes people will feel anxiety for no reason at all, they might wake up with a pit in their stomach feeling.  They may begin to have irrational fears and start to avoid certain situations due to these intense feelings.

Some people might also start to fear the anxiety itself; they may feel that they will have a heart attack or that they are beginning to lose their mind.  One of the top reasons for ER visits at hospitals are anxiety and panic attacks.

Here are some of the most common symptoms of anxiety:

• Increased heart rate
• Difficulty breathing/shortness of breath
• Feeling disoriented
• Excessive shaking/trembling
• Chest pain
• Numbing/tingling sensation in the body
• Neck tension
• Unexplained feelings of dread/doom
• Nausea
• Sleep disturbances

These are just some of the symptoms you might feel if you are having anxiety issues.  Obviously experiencing these types of symptoms on an ongoing basis can be very scary and debilitating.  Anxiety that is ongoing can also lead to depression if not treated. This is why so many times both anxiety and depression can be present at the same time.

There are also many different types of anxiety disorders which include:

• Social Anxiety Disorder – A fear of being judged in social situations
• Panic Disorder – Experiencing high intensity fear and anxiety attacks at random times (panic attacks)
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder – An ongoing persistent feeling of anxiety and worry.

There was a time when I myself used to experience intense anxiety in my own life, so I can completely relate to those who are struggling.  Unless you have experienced extreme anxiety yourself it can be difficult to understand or relate with those who have.  Because I have had my own battles with anxiety in my life,

I feel it has made me a more empathetic and compassionate therapist because I can literally understand what my clients are going through because I have been there myself.