The mix of anxiety and depression is the biggest mental disorder in the UK today. Anxiety disorder can come in many forms such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorder and many more.

There are around 8 million people at any one time in the UK who are dealing with an anxiety disorder (Mental Health UK)

Anxiety and Fear are natural responses to protect us from real dangers and allow us to feel safe. Fear is created from the threat of imminent danger or the learnt response used to remind us of those dangers for future encounters, but should pass fairly quickly.

Anxiety is a response to possible future threats, however in some people this continued worry and fear of something possibly happening can get stuck and can be inappropraite or unwarranted such as attending a party or speaking in public, or anxious about the safety or their children when they are under the supervision of others, or even are adults themselves, or they may be anxious about losing people close to them or even going outseide the house. Whatever the anxiety is, each of them can take over someones life in a very restrictive and limited way, often leading to depression.

The human body was designed so that when confronted with danger the fight or flight response is fired in us, which allows our bodies to release adrenaline and stress hormones that allow us to fulfil either one of these responses. Either way the body’s heart quickens to pump blood to the heart quicker, extra weight is expelled to allow you to exert this high energy response to attack or run to get out of there when faced with a deadly creature or real danger.

However, in modern day life, danger and stress can come from a very different source such as home life, work and social settings where running away or physical attack are inappropriate and socially unacceptable. Hence the stress hormones and adrenaline are not used up in exertion and so remain in the body.

If this response gets stuck and you become trapped in a cycle of anxiety and fear you will still continue to physically produce these hormones and physiological changes, slowly wearing down your body having a negative effect on your mental and physical health. In addition to the above physical changes the reproductive system also is put on hold as rearing off spring in a perceived danger zone is not conducive to a successful outcome for you or the child.

So is it time to make that change and overcome this anxiety and release that fear that is serving you poorly and triggering at every opportunity for prolonged periods and at inappropriate times? Help for anxiety is at hand.