So, What is Anxiety?
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a natural, universal human response to stress or perceived threats. It is a complex emotional state characterised by feelings of worry, fear, unease, and apprehension. You may have heard it described as “feeling jittery” or having “jangled” or “frayed” nerves.
Keeping You Safe
From an evolutionary perspective and in its milder forms, anxiety is a beneficial and adaptive response, helping individuals to stay vigilant, be ready to act and therefore to stay safe. However, when anxiety becomes excessive, persistent, and uncontrollable, it can interfere with daily life. Anxiety often manifests with physical symptoms such as a racing heart, shallow breathing, sweating, muscle tension, and restlessness. It can also result in cognitive and emotional symptoms like racing thoughts, excessive rumination, and a heightened sense of dread.
Anxiety Today
Modern life with its many stressors, information overload, endless choice, and hyper-connectivity has resulted in high levels of anxiety in many people. Anxiety is now a common mental health issue, affecting millions of people worldwide. According to Forbes Health, citing a 2023 paper from esteemed medical journal The Lancet, “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of anxiety and depressive disorders grew. Depressive symptoms grew from a base of about 193 million people worldwide to 246 million, which is about 28%. Anxiety disorders grew from about 298 million people affected to 372 million, which is about a 25% increase.” So if you are struggling with anxiety, you are far from alone.
How Can Holistic Counselling Help with Anxiety?
Anxiety disorders, including generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder, are marked by excessive and sometimes irrational fears or worries that go beyond typical stress responses. These can lead to avoidance behaviours and impair an individual's ability to function in the world. Holistic counselling can help people effectively manage and reduce their symptoms through practical education, cognitive and behavioural strategies, and simple but useful tools such as breathwork and mindfulness.
If you’d like some help working through your anxiety or learn more about how counselling might help you, give Meegan a call today on 0414 136 528.