Anxiety

Anxiety is a normal, human feeling of fear or panic. When we face stressful situations, it can set off our brain’s in-built alarm bell system, which tells us something isn’t right and that we need to deal with it. Our brain wants the difficult situation to go away, so it makes us feel more alert, stops us thinking about other things, and even pumps more blood to our legs to help us run away.

Most of us worry sometimes – about things like friendships or money – and feel anxious when we’re under stress, like at exam time. But afterwards we usually calm down and feel better.

But when you’re not in a stressful situation, and you still feel worried or panicky, that’s when anxiety can become a problem.

Celebrity vlogger Zoe Sugg (Zoella) revealed that she often suffers from anxiety, so she’s had some professional help to learn tools and techniques that help her manage it and live a calmer life.

The symptoms of anxiety.

You might start out just feeling generally anxious, but if your symptoms get worse or last longer than they should, it could be time to get some support. Symptoms include:

feeling nervous, on edge, or panicky all the time
feeling overwhelmed or full of dread
feeling out of control
having trouble sleeping
low appetite
finding it difficult to concentrate
feeling tired and grumpy
heart beating really fast or thinking you’re having a heart attack
having a dry mouth
trembling, or having wobbly legs
feeling faint
stomach cramps and/or diarrhoea/needing to pee more than usual
sweating more than usual
getting very hot

What to do about anxiety

Feeling constant anxiety can be a sign that something in your life isn’t right, and you may need some help figuring out what that is.

Talk to your GP
If they think you’re suffering from anxiety, whether mild or severe, they can suggest different types of treatment that might help. They can also offer regular check-ups to see how you’re doing.