Anxiety: Understanding Symptoms and Learning to Manage it

Anxiety: Understanding Symptoms and Learning to Manage it

Anxiety is a natural response of our body to situations perceived as dangerous or stressful. It manifests itself in a range of physical and mental symptoms that can become disabling if not managed properly. Although we all experience moments of anxiety in our daily lives, when it becomes chronic or excessive, it can significantly affect our quality of life.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is an emotion characterised by a feeling of worry, fear or restlessness. It is often accompanied by physical symptoms such as palpitations, sweating, muscle tension and breathing difficulties. These symptoms are the result of the activation of the ‘fight or flight’ system, an ancestral response of our body to danger.

However, anxiety can become dysfunctional when it occurs without a real threat or when the reaction is out of proportion to the situation. In these cases, we speak of anxiety disorders, which include conditions such as generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, phobias and social anxiety.

The Most Common Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety manifests itself through a wide range of symptoms, which may vary from person to person. Among the most common symptoms are:

• Physical symptoms: tachycardia, muscle tension, tightness in the chest, dizziness, sweating and trembling.
• Cognitive symptoms: recurrent thoughts of worry, difficulty concentrating and a sense of imminent danger.
• Behavioural symptoms: avoidance of anxiety-generating situations, restlessness, tendency to postpone activities.

How Cognitive Behavioural Orientation (CBT) Can Help

The cognitive behavioural approach (CBT) has proven particularly effective in the management of anxiety disorders. CBT is based on the idea that our thoughts, emotions and behaviour are interconnected. Negative or distorted thoughts can contribute to maintaining or amplifying anxiety, and CBT aims to break this vicious cycle.

CBT strategies for Anxiety Management:

1. Recognising automatic thoughts: Anxiety often results from catastrophic automatic thoughts. CBT teaches how to identify them and replace them with more realistic and positive thoughts.
2. Gradual exposure: To reduce avoidance, which often fuels anxiety, CBT involves gradual exposure to feared situations. This allows for the restructuring of dysfunctional beliefs related to those situations.
3. Relaxation techniques: Learning to relax the body through diaphragmatic breathing or progressive muscle relaxation helps reduce the body’s anxious response.
4. Mindfulness: Integrating mindfulness into therapy can help patients focus on the present, reducing attention on anxious thoughts and improving awareness of their emotional state.

When it is Important to Seek Help

Although we can all experience moments of anxiety, it is crucial to recognise when it becomes an obstacle to our daily lives. If anxiety is affecting your work, interpersonal relationships or general well-being, it may be time to seek professional support. As a psychologist with a cognitive behavioural orientation, I can help you identify the factors that contribute to your anxiety and develop personalised strategies to manage it. Therapy is not limited to reducing symptoms, but aims to improve your quality of life by providing you with tools to deal with anxiety effectively and sustainably.