What is anxiety?
Everyone gets anxious. It's the feeling we have when faced with something we're frightened of. Exams is a good example. We all worry about them, we tell ourselves "I know I'm going to fail", our heartbeat and breathing speed up as we walk into the hall to find our seat.
A little anxiety is good for us. Otherwise how would we motivate ourselves through A/S Revision?
But sometimes anxiety becomes a problem. If you answer yes to any of these,you may be suffering from anxiety:
- Do you get anxious or worried lots of the time?
- Do you get anxious about stuff other people are cool about?
- Have you started to avoid situations that make you anxious?
- Is it starting to get in the way of your life?
Don't beat yourself up. About one in twenty of us suffer from anxiety at some point. Sometimes our anxiety is triggered off by a difficult event in our lives: Divorce. Death. Illness. Bullying. Unpleasant stuff that puts us on our guard. So we get anxious about other things. We're not losing the plot. And we can learn to deal with it.
Stuff to try:
Deep breathing. I'm serious. 3 seconds in, 3 seconds out through the nose. Wait 3 seconds then try again. Try breathing using your tummy not your chest. Keep at it for five minutes. See?
Ditch caffeine, alcohol and cigarettes. Detox your mind. And as for drugs: Do I need to say? You know they mess with your mind.
Exercise. The biggest chill out. Don't ask me why it works. It just does. So get sweaty.
Stop fixing on the bad stuff. For every negative thought: "I am useless at maths", chuck in a positive one "But I am mint at roller-blading".
Make a list of all the things you're stressing over. Try fixing one a week. Just one. Go slow.
And remember: Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday. Did it get us anywhere?
If you're still anxious...
Get some support. Counsellors are brilliant at helping us crack anxiety. Speak to your GP about how to find one in your area. Or maybe there's a counsellor at school. You'll be amazed at how much they can help.
Further help and advice
Understand your anxiety
More about anxiety
Written by Dr Melissa Sayer
Last updated 3rd July 2007
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MINI, 13, 13, 13
I suffer panic attacks and find them realllllllllllllllllllllly scary especially when all you think about is when it will happen, mine tend to happen at skool and r embarrasin my chest hurts and i hyperventilate all i feel is i want to cry. breathing does work. focous on sumin different sumin possitive i only eva thnk negative. read and doodle or just talking usually helps
sarah, 18
i find having sex helps me cope... well its better than beating him up
sophie , 19
I suffer from anxiety,stress,depression and slight aggoraphobia.I find it extremely hard to deal with everyday things like going to work,shopping or going out with friends is a struggle,extreme feelings come over me of nausea,i shake,sweat and my chest tightens up and makes it hard to breathe,these are some signs of a panic attack.Im seeing a counsellor to try and deal with my problems,this is a very good way of opening up to someone who you feel totally understands what youre on about.I'm considering hypnotherapy for a quick way to get rid of my problems,this doesnt always work for everybody but Im going to take a chance!If youre going to have hypnotherapy do some research about it first though,Ive heard you shouldn't have hypnotherapy if you suffer from epilepsy.Do abit of research on the hypnotherapist your considering going to see aswell,make sure theyre registered and recognised hypnotherapists.I find my problems really frustrating as Im in my prime of wanting to go out and experience different things like I love going to gigs but I feel like what im trying to deal with holds me back so much.I think anybody suffering from anxiety should always remember youre not alone there are so many other people feeling the same as you,talk to somebody,cry if you need to cry,get your emotions out but always stay strong and positive no matter how hard things get.Dont let your problems beat you.Id also say dont do drugs and if you do dont do them too much,they wont help with your mind,I used to and to be honest I dont think I'd have these problems or atleast they wouldnt be as strong and hard to deal with if I hadnt done drugs so much.good luck and stay strong.
Shane, 18
I suffer from anxiety and panic disorder. And reactive depression. Im alot better now but when i get stressed my chest tightens and my hands go all numb and i end up having a panic attack. Its a viscious circle but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You'l learn to control your emotions and overcome the stress in your lives.Remember stay strong yeah and you'l be ok. :)It takes time but anyone who is stressed speak to someone. it really helps. Especially the samaritans, there fantastic. Also try writing your feelings down on a notebook, i find it really helps.x
chicken, 21
i get so stressed it hurts my chest and i cant sleep, to calm me down i put the TV on and whatch something that is none stressfull like cartoons, or home shopping channels its a big help if i take may attenton on to something meaningless and funny.
aaa11,
if ur stressed then talk to some one youll find its easy to talk and you wont fell so stressed once youve let it all out
onelife
bodymind_everyone_anxiety