Anxiety can arouse difficult emotions such as anger, frustration, panic and fear. 

It can affect our ability to concentrate and focus, leading us to believe we are losing our memory or ‘going mad’. It can keep us on continual alert and unable to relax.

We can experience physical sensations such as feeling or being sick, shaking, palpitations, difficulty speaking or breathing, crying, headaches, dizziness, rising panic and full panic attacks.

Socially, it can have a devastating effect on relationships. We may become critical of ourselves and others, feel disconnected and push people away. We may believe that we are ‘too much’. 

Long term or persistent anxiety can lead to hopelessness, sadness and weariness, as if the colours of life has drained away. This low mood can tip over into depression and we may experience loss of motivation and a wish to withdraw from others or from life itself.  We can feel useless and hate the impact we are having on loved ones, but not know how to change it.

How counselling can help

Anxiety is in fact our body and mind’s way of telling us that something in our life needs to be urgently addressed. It can be a call to action and it invariably is linked to a concern about future events that may or may not happen. Together we can work out what is causing you to feel threatened and overwhelmed. We will identify what it would mean to live without anxiety and depression and what steps can be taken to move towards this way of living, practically, physically and emotionally. Anxiety and courage often go hand in hand, making the step to come to counselling is that show of courage.