What is anxiety?

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety can be described as a feeling of unease, apprehension or worry. It may be associated with physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, feeling faint and trembling. It can be a normal reaction to stress or worry or it can sometimes be part of a bigger problem.

Many people tend to use the term “stress” instead of anxiety however where stress becomes overwhelming insofar as it begins interfering with day-to-day life, it can quickly become an anxiety disorder which, for some, can be very debilitating. It is often the case that anxiety can lead to forms of depression due to the isolation it can cause, and as such many of the population can experience both anxiety and depression at the same time.

At present, anxiety affects 15% of the UK population, with 1 in 10 adults experiencing a disabling anxiety disorder at some point in their life[1]. While 2.6% of the population experience depression and 4.7% have anxiety problems, as many as 9.7% suffer mixed depression and anxiety, making it the most prevalent mental health problem in the population as a whole.