Anxiety is a very common health problem, and many researchers believe at least 300 million people worldwide live with it. Anxiety can manifest itself in different ways, and it can be temporary or long-term. Each individual living with anxiety often has their own unique experience and combination of symptoms, most manifesting from childhood experiences, although there are many traits of anxiety which are common in most people.

When we think of anxiety, many people think about a state of worry and stress. While this is true in some ways, anxiety disorders go deeper than that and can have many different effects. People may experience the effects of anxiety differently and in different ways, which is why it can sometimes feel challenging to find the right type of support for you. While it’s important to understand what anxiety does to your mind and how you can help yourself to manage some of the effects of this, it’s also important to consider what anxiety does to your body. There are 10 times more messages going up from the body to the mind than going down from the mind to the body.

Anxiety disorders are very common, in both adults and children. Many people, however, don’t receive a diagnosis, or may develop anxiety related experiences later in their lives. Living with anxiety isn’t easy – people report different side effects of anxiety in different ways. Environmental factors, such as living conditions and financial difficulties, can also impact anxiety and either increase the risk of developing an anxiety disorder or exacerbate an existing condition. Let’s consider some of the side effects of living with anxiety.

A large percentage of the population find themselves worrying – maybe it’s because of work problems, relationship problems, financial problems or something completely different. For some it feels as though it comes from nowhere and all of a sudden. For many of us, our worries and stresses are unique to ourselves. Few people may share their concerns and worries, but nobody else will have the exact combination of worries that you have. Likewise, people will respond to different strategies and therapies when it comes to de-stressing and focusing on easing worries and anxieties. However, there are some things you can do to stop worrying so much using evidence based neuroscientific approaches which many people report have been highly effective for them.

Millions of people around the world live, or struggle with anxiety disorders, but many people are unaware that there is more than one type of anxiety. While ‘anxiety’ is a common word that many of us have heard, there are various types of anxiety. It’s important to understand the difference between these disorders (labels with unique symptoms), particularly if you struggle with anxiety yourself or are supporting somebody else with anxiety.