We live in stressful times. 21st century western society is designed to promote stress as a way to maximise productivity and stress also reinforces our sense of need which in turn makes us driven consumers of material comfort and distraction.
Let’s be honest a happy contented society is unlikely to be as economically dynamic as a stressed one.
Stress is not all bad either - temporarily raised levels of stress are natural and
What are the symptoms of anxiety?
Physical symptoms
• diarrhoea
• difficulty swallowing
• dizziness
• dry mouth
• frequent urination
• rapid heartbeat or palpitations
• shortness of breath
• sweating
• tightness or pain in chest
Psychological symptoms
• fear of ‘going mad’
• feeling unreal and out of control
(depersonalisation)
• inability to concentrate
• insomnia
• irritability or anger
• excess worrying
• apprehension
Anxiety is something we all experience on occasion, for example, before exams
or interviews. Temporary anxiety can be useful in response to a genuine threat or
stressor - feeling nervous before an exam can make you more alert, and enhance
performance. However, if anxiety is overwhelming, your performance may suffer.
Some people seem naturally more anxiety prone, with more difficulty switching off the
symptoms of stress, and the thoughts which perpetuate anxiety. For many people,
anxiety can be distressing and disabling.