Do you worry about everything? What does this mean?

When worry is excessive and is difficult to manage for an individual, the ‘worry mindset’ can feel overwhelming and is often physically and mentally exhausting. It may also be a sign of an anxiety condition.

The symptoms of anxiety conditions sometimes initially appear a little invisible and not all that clear. They often develop slowly over time and, given we all experience stress, nerve-wracking situations, and/or worry at various points in our lives, it can be hard to know how much is too much.

The type of worry experienced by people with an anxiety condition is:

* not always connected to a stressful life event,
* more frequent or persistent, and
* impacts on their day-to-day functioning (i.e. at school, work, relationships) and quality of life.

While each individual will experience an anxiety condition with its own unique features, there are some common symptoms including:

* Psychological: worry, excessive fear, obsessive thinking or catastrophizing
* Physical: restlessness, or feeling tense,panic attacks, hot and cold flushes, racing heart, tightening of the chest, quick breathing, wound up and edgy
* Behavioural: avoidance of social situations, places or events that make you feel anxious which can impact on school/university, work or social life

Everyone’s different and it’s often a combination of factors that can contribute to developing an anxiety condition. Some of these include:

* Family history of mental health conditions
* Personality factors
* Sudden or ongoing stressful life events
* Physical health conditions
* Mood disorders and other mental health conditions
* Substance abuse

It’s important to remember that you won’t always be able to identify the cause of anxiety or change difficult life circumstances that appear unfamiliar, unexpected and or uncontrollable.

The most important thing is to recognise the signs and symptoms and seek advice and support.

The team of Psychologists at Attuned Psychology are skilled and experienced at helping you to identify and manage any anxiety conditions that may be impacting your life. Contact us if you would like to take the opportunity to learn more about anxiety and how to manage it more effectively.