Anxiety can be a very serious issue for a number of people. Stress or Anxiety can come in all shapes and forms and can be very difficult to cope with, particularly as it is often linked to significant life changing events. Such as the death of a loved one, trauma, change in employment situations, change in financial circumstances, moving house or the ending of a relationship (Hunt, Andrews & Sumich, 2010).
Stress can display itself in a number of different ways. Many people have identified the following list as the most common symptoms of stress:
- Feelings of tiredness or fatigue
- Dizziness or light-headedness
- Sweating
- Irritable mood
- Restlessness or nervousness
- Inability to relax
- Excessive worry about the future or feeling on edge
- Difficulty concentrating
There are also a number of Anxiety and Stress-Related Disorders that can affect how a person functions in their every day life. Such as:
- Panic Disorder – unpredictable attacks of anxiety or panic
- Agoraphobia – anxiety about being in a place where escape may be difficult or embarrassing
- Social Phobia – a fear of being judged by other people, and may act in a humiliating manner in public (eg. eating in public, speaking in public, using public toilets)
- Specific Phobia – an irrational fear of a particular object or situation (eg. spiders, heights, small spaces etc)
- Generalised Anxiety Disorder – persistent and generalised and excessive feelings of anxiety without a known cause
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – persistent, intrusive, unwanted thoughts that are difficult to control and uncontrollable urges to perform particular acts (eg. Washing hands over and over, turning on and off light switches, checking and re-checking locked doors)
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder -– long lasting anxiety following a traumatic event (eg. physical/emotional/sexual abuse, natural disasters, life-threatening illness, car accidents)
How we can help
Shore Therapy has a wide range of experience working with clients who struggle with Anxiety or Stress-Related Disorders and those having a tough time coping with stressful personal situations.
The Therapists at Shore Therapy each have their own unique way of working with this issue, ranging from breathing control, relaxation training, ;mindfulness strategies, to sensory modulation, gradual exposure and talking therapy.
Hunt, C. J., Andrews, G, & Sumich, H. J. (2010). The management of mental disorders: Handbook for the anxiety, stress-related and somatoform disorders. World Health Organization Training and Reference Centre.