Across the UK, rates of anxiety are on the up and it can leave those who suffer from the condition feeling isolated and alone. Anxiety causes many people to feel confused about what is happening, and interferes with how they think and feel, often worrying that something awful is about to happen. At Newcastle Psychologist & Counselling, our Specialist Anxiety Counsellors and Psychologists believe that the more you understand your anxiety; the better equipped you can become to learn the best coping strategies to manage it.
Symptoms of Anxiety
Our Newcastle based counsellors and psychologists are experienced and skilled with helping people deal with anxiety symptoms as well as the effect they might have. Anxiety symptoms can be physical or psychological and include increased heart rate, sweating, trembling, weakness, insomnia, increased feelings of stress, fear, social isolation and/or panic to name a few. These can be felt in any part of the body, taking over your thoughts, feelings and behaviours and leaving you feeling confused as to what is happening.
Often these symptoms occur as a result of catastrophic thoughts (“something bad is going to happen!”) or being in situations similar to previous traumatic experiences. Once the cycle of catastophic thoughts, anxiety and physical symptoms begin, this can maintain our anxiety leading to an escalation and panic.
Know Your Anxiety Symptoms
While many people experience anxiety symptoms rooted in thoughts, emotions, and their body, others might experience anxiety in just one or two areas. For example, some people are plagued with anxious thoughts but experience none of the physical symptoms. Often people start to behave in a way that keeps the anxiety going (for example, avoiding places they feel anxious). This in itself can lead to further problems as your sense of confidence and ability to cope can also shrink, as well as giving you a lower quality of life.
One effective approach to managing anxiety is to be able to interrupt the cycle once it starts – using positive self-talk or specific cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques to challenge your thoughts, relaxation techniques to help calm the nervous system and get rid of the tension that comes with anxiety, and confronting avoidance in a graded way, rather than trying to force yourself into the most difficult situation from the start.
Other Problems That Come with Anxiety
Anxiety can occur by itself and can be the result of trauma, repeated bullying, or even a longstanding habit. In many situations, our Specialist Anxiety Counsellors, Psychologists and Therapists find that there might also be other problems going on, such as depression, insomnia, nightmares or low self-esteem. In these instances, our psychologists and counsellors can help you work through your difficulties in a supportive way so that the cause, as well as the consequences, of your anxiety are soothed.
Don’t Be Afraid to Seek Help or Counselling for Anxiety
Regardless of what type of anxiety you are experiencing, our Specialist Anxiety Counsellors, Psychologists and Therapists can tailor a therapy or counselling approach suited to your personal needs that focuses on helping you deal with your anxiety symptoms. The service is also able to work with children (via our Specialist Child Counsellors and Child Psychologists), adults and families. By determining the cause and impact of your anxiety, we can focus on helping you develop coping techniques that tackle the negative thoughts, emotions, physical feelings, and behaviours that are causing your problem.
Seeking professional help, whether from your doctor or from a psychologist or counsellor, is a big step and in itself can cause anxiety. It is important to remember that you are not alone, and our experienced therapists and psychologists (based in Newcastle upon Tyne) have helped hundreds of people get on the road to recovery, one step at a time.
If anxious thoughts, behaviours and emotions are affecting your life, give us a call today on 07966 645 198 or contact us using the message box below.
Best wishes,
Dr Stuart Sadler
Lead Clinical Psychologist
