Anxiety and panic attacs

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a normal emotional and physiological response to feeling threatened. People differ as to how vulnerable they feel in different situations: this can be influenced by past experiences as well as by the beliefs and attitudes they hold about these situations. Some general situations which often cause anxiety include:

leaving home and / or adapting to life at university
moving to a new area or new job
giving presentations, or performing in social situations
coping with work and exams
dealing with relationships or the lack of relationships
sexuality issues
preparing to leave university.

But sometimes it is specific situations that are anxiety provoking

apprehension about entering new or situations
having to deal with people in authority
worrying about whether you have chosen the right course or job
panic about facing exams or making a presentation
worrying about social acceptance and approval, or about failure, criticism or rejection from others
fears about health.

The experience of anxiety can range from mild uneasiness and worry to severe panic. At a reasonable level, short bursts of anxiety can motivate us and enhance our performance, but if anxiety becomes too severe or chronic, however, it can become debilitating. Anxiety typically involves an emotional component (e.g. fear, nervousness), a physiological component (e.g. fast breathing, trembling, dry mouth, heart racing, stomach churning) and a cognitive component (frightening or negative thoughts, e.g. I'm going to fail/make a fool of myself/loose control). These can then affect our behaviour, for example by putting off or stopping work, avoiding people or situations, not sleeping, drinking too much or taking illicit substances.

Panic Attacks

A panic attack is a severe experience of anxiety. People may feel intense dread, experience various physical symptoms and have extreme thoughts of losing control, going mad, having a heart attack or dying. It is also possible to become afraid of panic attacks themselves because the experience can be so unpleasant. Paradoxically this tends to make a person even more read more