Everyone knows what it's like to feel anxious. Indeed, most people feel anxiety before a big or important event such as an exam, having a 'private' meeting with the boss, being pulled over for speeding. It's also the way your heart races when you are in danger. Anxiety gears you up for action, to face a threatening situation, to study harder for that exam or to keep you on your toes with the boss. In general, it helps you cope.

However, if you have an anxiety disorder, this normally helpful feeling can have the opposite effect – it can get in the way of coping and interfere with how you live your life. Anxiety disorders can make you feel 'on edge' most of the time, without any noticeable reason. The feelings that geared you up before just don't rest. You keep being wound up tighter and tighter. These feelings may make you so uncomfortable that you may even stop doing your normal everyday things. Sometimes these feelings can be so strong that they can terrify you and make you freeze up.

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health problems, and the term covers a wide range of conditions. Anxiety disorders are not a character weakness or a matter of having a 'bad case of nerves'. Feeling anxious is not your fault, it is not something you have brought upon yourself, and it is certainly not something to be ashamed of or to hide away from others who may be able to help you. Feeling anxious is a serious problem that can affect your work, your family and your social life. Sometimes people also have problems working out the difference between feeling anxious and depressed. Sometimes these go hand in hand, sometimes not – your doctor or mental health professional will explain all this.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS?
Anxiety can present with a wide range of signs or symptoms, sometimes dependent upon the type of anxiety disorder that a person may have. However, some of the very basic signs may include:

• Nausea,
• Chest pain or discomfort,
• Muscular aches, pains and headaches,
• Trembling, shaking or dizziness,
• Sweating,
• Feeling as if you are choking or having trouble breathing,
• Fearing that you are losing control or going crazy,
• Excessive worrying, and
• Constant and persistent thoughts about a particular situation or event.
These are only a few signs and the signs do vary. Some of these signs can also be symptoms of serious physical problems and it is important that you DO NOT assume that any of these are just anxiety – get them checked out by your doctor as soon as possible.

WHAT CAN I DO?

Today, we know a lot more about the causes and treatment of this problem. We also know that there are as many causes of anxiety disorders as there are people who have them. Anxiety can come from a variety of factors, and it is best to check out your own individual issues with a doctor or mental health professional. However, the good news is that there is a range of treatment options available and you can start on the road of recovery by saying to yourself that “today is a perfect time to start feeling better”. It is also important to know that not all anxiety conditions need medication. Often they will respond very well to some simple lifestyle changes and some changes in the way you actually think about yourself, your world and your life.

You may also like to use some of the following strategies to help yourself:
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle – eat nutritious meals,
• Try to ensure that you get enough sleep,
• Avoid too much caffeine (ask a health professional about how much is too much!),
• Try to get some regular exercise,
• Try to schedule some time to relax or unwind, and
• Practise basic stress management principles.