Did you know, 1 in 3 Australian women will experience anxiety during their lifetime?
Anxiety is the most common mental health problem in Australia and as a woman, anxiety can affect you anytime, during your teenage years, during and after pregnancy and in the later stages of your life.
Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension and fear, characterised by worried thoughts and physical symptoms such as palpitations, sweating and nausea.
These feelings can make it difficult to manage work, homelife and your family, and make the simplest of tasks and situations seem extremely stressful.
Anxiety disorders often make situations appear much worse than they are and seriously affect your daily life, including your ability to concentrate, sleep and carry out everyday tasks.
Here are six common signs you could be experiencing anxiety.
While we all experience normal levels of stress and worry at one time or another, like before a job interview or moving house, anxiety can have a serious impact on how you function in daily life.
If you can’t carry out every day tasks without excessive fear and worry, you could be experiencing anxiety and it’s time to seek help.
Do you find yourself excessively worrying about everything?
If you have an anxiety disorder, small challenges can seem distressing and out of control. You’ll get carried away with your thoughts and everyday occurrences can seem overwhelming.
A panic attack can be triggered by a stressful event, or come out of the blue. It’s a brief episode of intense anxiety often accompanied by shortness or breath, lightheadedness, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, sweating, trembling and muscle tension.
Panic attacks can be extremely scary, as you feel out of control and it can leave you feeling exhausted and tired. These attacks can last up to half an hour at a time.
If you experience a panic attack, it’s important to remember that it will soon pass and it’s not life threatening. Try and focus your attention on something outside your body. Instead of focusing on the symptoms you are experiencing, tune in to the environment around you, something you can see or even a song you like to sing.
Does leaving the house or attending a friend’s birthday party leave you feeling a bit panicky or anxious?
If it’s becoming harder for you to find the motivation to socialise and you’re more reluctant to leave home, you could be experiencing anxiety.
Individuals experiencing anxiety will often associate leaving the safety of their home with fear and anxious feelings related to being outside, in public places or being around a large number of people at once.
Fatigue, insomnia and waking up in the middle of the night can be signs you are experiencing anxiety. Constant worrying and anxious thoughts can keep you awake and cause fatigue during the day.
Considering anxiety disorders are also associated with excessive worrying, it’s not surprising that someone suffering with anxiety will also experience agitation and irritability.
This irritability can affect all aspects of your life, seeping into both your personal and professional relationships.
There are many natural ways that may help to reduce anxiety including:
If anxiety is affecting your everyday life, it may be time to speak to a professional. At Grace Private we provide excellence in care for women of all ages.
We believe every woman deserves to live her best life. Our psychologists Karen White and Kerryn Blunt can assist you with anxiety issues using a variety of evidence-based therapeutic interventions.
You can request an appointment with one of our experienced psychologists at www.graceprivate.com.au (Medicare rebates available if you have a referral from your GP).
