Are you

Anxiety
Aware?
A guide to living
with Anxiety

Mental Health
Awareness Week 2014
12 – 18 May
Introduction
Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in
their lives, whether it’s preparing for a job interview
or bringing up a child. It is normal to experience
anxiety in everyday situations, however persistent
and excessive anxiety can cause more serious
mental health problems.

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health

problems in nearly every country in the world
and, while a low level of anxiety can be a useful
motivating force, in some cases it can take over
your life. This booklet explores what anxiety is,
how it affects us and what to do if it goes beyond
a ‘healthy’ level.

1
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is a type of fear usually associated with
a perceived threat or something going wrong
in the future, but it can also arise from something
happening right now. Unlike fear itself, which is
a response to an immediate danger, anxiety is an
ongoing sense of worry without a specific cause.

2
Most people get through passing moments of
anxiety with no lasting effect. But chronic anxiety
can affect concentration, have a damaging effect
on relationships or even stop people leaving
the house. Around 1 in 4 people in the UK will
experience a mental health problem like anxiety
each year, and it is likely that people don’t seek
help, meaning many remain without a diagnosis.

Therefore being able to recognise the different

forms of anxiety and how they affect us, as well
as adopting positive coping strategies, is vital.

3
What are the different types
of anxiety?
Different types of anxiety have their own
characteristics and cause our bodies to react
in a variety of ways.

Agoraphobia is an intense anxiety which triggers

a panic response, commonly associated with
open spaces. Onset of agoraphobia is usually
between the ages of 18 and 35.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is the most

commonly diagnosed anxiety disorder and usually
affects young adults. While feelings of anxiety are
normal, people with GAD find it hard to control
them to an extent that limits their daily life.

Panic is an exaggeration of the body’s normal

response to fear, stress or excitement. Symptoms
include a pounding heart, feeling faint, sweating,
shaky limbs, nausea, chest pains, breathing
discomfort and feelings of losing control.

4
A phobia is an intense and irrational fear
of a specific object or situation which makes
the person experiencing it go to great lengths
to avoid it.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),

or syndrome, is a reaction to highly stressful
or traumatising events. People commonly
experience flashbacks, panic attacks,
nightmares or avoid situations that might
trigger memories of the event.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCD)

are characterised by unwanted, intrusive,
or repetitive feelings that make the individual
feel driven to do something to get rid of the
obsessive thoughts.

5
What makes you anxious?
Feelings of anxiety can be caused by lots of things
and vary according to what you’re worried about
and how you act when you feel apprehensive.

They depend on many factors, like your genes,

how you were brought up, what’s happened to
you in your life and the way you learn and cope
with things. Just knowing what makes you anxious
and why can be the first steps to managing
anxiety. Our survey asked UK adults about
what makes them most anxious.

6
Financial issues
Almost half of those surveyed (45%) said that
financial issues caused them to feel anxious.
People of working age, in part-time employment
and the unemployed were far more worried about
their finances than those aged 55 and over, which
is perhaps unsurprising given the increase in
anxiety since the start of the economic recession.

Work
Work issues, such as long hours, were a cause of
anxiety for over a quarter of people (27%). People
diagnosed with anxiety and depression have one
of the lowest rates of employment, so it makes
sense that 17% said the fear of losing their job
or unemployment caused them to feel anxious.

Loved ones
Anxiety related to family and relationships
featured prominently in the survey, with personal
relationships causing anxious feelings for 26%
of people, particularly those aged 18–24 (44%)
and students (46%).

7
Ageing
The thought of growing old caused anxiety in
36% of those aged 55 years and above, compared
to just 15% of 18–24 year olds. Similarly 29%
of the people surveyed from the oldest age
group felt anxious about the death of a loved one
compared to 13% from the youngest age group.

Loneliness
Interestingly young people aged 18–24 (28%)
were twice as likely to mention loneliness as
a cause of anxiety than those aged 55 and over
(14%). Women (19%) were slightly more likely
than men (13%) to mention loneliness, while
students, people working part-time and or
not working were most likely to worry about
being alone.

Source: YouGov Plc April 2014

8
What are the signs of anxiety
and how do you spot them?
Life is full of potentially stressful events and it
is normal to feel anxious about everyday things.
There can be a single trigger or event that raises
anxiety levels, but generally it may be a number
of things that increase anxiety levels, including
exams, work deadlines, how we think we look,
going on a first date or whether we feel safe
travelling home late at night.

Anxiety has a strong effect on us because it is

one of our natural survival responses. It causes
our minds and bodies to speed up to prepare
us to respond to an emergency.

9
These are some of the physical things that
might happen:

–– Rapid and/or irregular heartbeat

–– Fast breathing
–– Weakened/tense muscles
–– Sweating
–– Churning stomach/loose bowels
–– Dizziness
–– Dry mouth

Anxiety also has a psychological impact,

which can include:

–– Feeling worried all the time

–– Trouble sleeping
–– Lack of concentration
–– Feeling irritable
–– Feeling depressed
–– Loss of self-confidence

It can be hard to break this cycle, but you can learn

to feel less worried and to cope with your anxiety
so it doesn’t stop you enjoying life.

10
Managing anxiety

“A person cannot
just simply decide
not to be anxious
anymore”
(Anxiety Care UK).
Fear and anxiety can affect all of us every
now and then. Most people get through passing
moments of anxiety with no lasting effect. People
experiencing anxiety in their everyday lives often
find the personal resources to cope through
simple remedies.

11
Helping yourself
Talking it through
Although it can be difficult to open up about
feeling anxious, it can be helpful to talk to
friends, family or someone who has had a similar
experience. Although you might feel embarrassed
or afraid to discuss your feelings with others,
sharing can be a way to cope with a problem
and having someone to listen to you can help
you feel supported.

Face your fear

You are more likely to do the things you want,
or need, to do by breaking the cycle of constant
avoidance. The chances are the reality of the
situation won’t be as bad as you expect, making
you better equipped to manage, and reduce,
your anxiety.

12
Know yourself
Make a note of when you feel anxious,
what happens and the potential triggers.
By acknowledging these and arming yourself
with tips to deal with these triggers, you will be
better prepared in anxiety-inducing situations.

Relax
Learning relaxation techniques can help you
calm feelings of anxiety. Practices like yoga,
meditation or massage will relax your breathing
and help you manage the way you feel about
stressful experiences.

Exercise
Even small increases in physical activity levels
can trigger brain chemicals that improve your
mood, wellbeing and stress levels. This can act
as a prevention and treatment for anxiety as well
as lead to improved body-image, self-esteem
and self-worth.

13
Healthy eating
Eat lots of fruit and vegetables and try to avoid
too much sugar. Very sweet foods cause an initial
sugar ‘rush,’ followed by a sharp dip in blood
sugar levels which can give you anxious feelings.
Caffeine can also increase anxiety levels so
try to avoid drinking too much tea or coffee.

Avoid alcohol or drink in moderation

It’s very common for people to drink alcohol when
they feel nervous to numb their anxiety, however
the effect that alcohol has on how you feel is
only temporary. When it wears off you feel worse,
potentially more anxious, and your brain will be
less able to deal with anxiety naturally.

Faith/spirituality
If you are religious or spiritual, it can help you feel
connected to something bigger than yourself. It
can provide a way of coping with everyday stress.
Being part of a Church or other faith group can
be a valuable support network.

14
Getting help
If you feel anxious all the time, for several weeks
or if it feels like your anxiety is taking over your life,
then it’s a good idea to ask for help or try one of
the websites or numbers listed at the back of this
booklet. It may be hard to admit to fears that most
other people don’t seem to have, but asking for
help is a sign of strength. The first step is usually
to see your GP who will be able to advise you
on the different treatments available.

Talking therapies like counselling or Cognitive

Behavioural Therapy (CBT) are very effective for
people with anxiety problems. CBT helps people
to understand the link between negative thoughts
and mood and how altering their behaviour can
enable them to manage anxiety and feel in control.

Mindfulness is a variation of CBT focusing on

changing the relationship between the individual
and their thoughts. Using meditation can help
people be ‘mindful’ of their thoughts and break
a pattern of negative thinking.

15
Guided self-help is usually based on CBT
methods and aims to help the person understand
the nature of their anxiety and equip them with
the necessary skills to cope with it. This works
by educating the individual to challenge unhelpful
thinking, evaluate their symptoms and gradually
expose themselves to the source of their anxiety.

Medication is used to provide short-term help,

rather than as a cure for anxiety problems. Drugs
may be most useful when they are combined
with other treatments or support, such as
talking therapies.

Support groups are designed for individuals to

learn about managing anxiety from asking other
people who have experienced it. Local support
or self-help groups bring together people with
similar experiences to share stories, tips and try
out new ways of managing their worries. Your
doctor, library or local citizens advice bureau will
have details of support groups near you.

16
17
Support and information

Mental Health Foundation

Our website offers information on mental health,
mental health problems, self-help and how to
get help.

mentalhealth.org.uk
020 7803 1100

Anxiety UK
anxietyuk.org.uk
08444 775 774

Anxiety Care
anxietycare.org.uk
020 8478 3400

Be Mindful
Online course in Mindfulness therapy
bemindful.co.uk

NHS Choices
nhs.uk

18
British Association for Behavioural
and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP)
babcp.com
01617 054 304

Samaritans
samaritans.org
jo@samaritans.org
08457 909 090

The British Association of Counselling

& Psychotherapy
bacp.co.uk
01455 883 300

The British Psychological Society

bps.org.uk
01162 549 568

UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)

psychotherapy.org.uk
020 7014 9955

19
We hope you found this booklet useful and
informative. The Mental Health Foundation is
an independent charity. We rely on the support
of people like you to fund our pioneering
research and information provision.

To find out how you can donate or become

involved with the work of the Foundation,
contact us.

Website: www.mentalhealth.org.uk/support-us/
get-involved/

Telephone: 020 7803 1121

Email: supporter@mentalhealth.org.uk
Design by Praline

20
Mental Health Foundation
Colechurch House
1 London Bridge Walk
London SE1 2SX
United Kingdom
Telephone
020 7803 1100
info@mentalhealth.org.uk
mentalhealth.org.uk
facebook.com/mentalhealthfoundation
twitter.com/mhf_tweets
mentalhealth.org.uk/newsletter

Including the

Registered Charity No.

England 801130
Scotland SC039714
Company Registration No. 2350846

© Mental Health Foundation 2014