Common symptoms include:

-         heart palpitations

-         -excessive sweating

-         “jelly legs”

-         disturbed sleep

-         feeling of disorientation

-         muscle tension and pain

-         irritability

-         inability to concentrate

-         desire to “escape”

-         fear of dying

-         feeling of oncoming disaster

-         avoidance of people and situations

-         frequent urination

-         feeling of being “on edge”

-         fear having a heart attack due to symptoms

Anxiety disorders can be diagnosed by a mental healthcare expert according to internationally recognised criteria set out in what is known as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV (DSM IV).  This manual breaks anxiety into a number of sub categories;

 General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – on-going feelings of fear, apprehension and excessive worry and agitation unexplained by current life events

Panic Disorder ( Panic Attacks)  sudden onset of fear and terror for no obvious reason

 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – plagued by thoughts and fears that cause the person to perform certain rituals such as repeated hand washing etc.

 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – develops following a trauma such as warfare, abuse, accident, natural disaster, bereavement etc and leads to frightening flashbacks, memories, disturbed sleep and day-to-day functioning

Social Anxiety Disorder  (Social Phobia) – fear of being judged negatively by others or public embarrassment

Specific Phobia – irrational fear of a specific object / situation

Anxiety causes us to think in ways that cause more anxiety

Changes, transitions and upheavals in our everyday lives such as work, unemployment, divorce, school / college, ill health, bereavement and many more can cause anxiety.  Researchers are not yet certain why it is that some people will go on to develop an anxiety disorder while others can return to normal functioning.  It is probably due to a number of factors including genetics, brain chemistry, number of life stressors and social learning that combine to increase the likelihood of developing a disorder.  For example, some people may be born with an imbalance of what are known as neurotransmitters, chemicals in the brain that help nerve cells to communicate with each other, while others might have grown up in a household of high anxiety which can in turn cause physical changes in their own nervous system making them more prone to suffering from an anxiety disorder.  Anxiety disorders are more common in women than in men.

Anyone experiencing symptoms of anxiety should first contact their local doctor who may prescribe medication if the problem is severe.  Whether or not medication is necessary the person should also see a mental health professional as research has shown that psychological intervention with or without medication greatly improves the outcome and can return a person to normal functioning.  A mixture of cognitive behavioural and relaxation techniques are the methods normally shown to have most effect in treatment.

If you would like more information or advice please contact the Access Psychology Ireland clinic on