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Anxiety disorders are mental health conditions where fear, worry, or nervousness become overwhelming and interfere with daily life.

They are very common and treatable, especially with support from services such as the NHS.

Anxiety is not weakness — it is the body’s alarm system working too strongly.

• Constant worry about many things
   
• Feeling tense most days
   
• “What if…” thinking
   

• Sudden panic attacks
   
• Fast heart, breathlessness, dizziness
   
• Fear of having another attack
   

• Fear of being judged or embarrassed
   
• Avoiding social situations
   
• Blushing, shaking, sweating
   

• Strong fear of specific things
   
• Examples: heights, flying, needles, animals
   

• Constant worry about illness
   
• Checking symptoms often
   
• Fear of serious disease
   

Anxiety affects both mind and body:

✅ Constant worry
✅ Racing thoughts
✅ Fear of losing control
✅ Difficulty concentrating
✅ Feeling on edge

✅ Fast heartbeat
✅ Shortness of breath
✅ Sweating
✅ Shaking
✅ Stomach problems
✅ Tiredness

These symptoms are real — they are caused by stress hormones.
 

Anxiety usually has many causes together:

🧬 Family history
😞 Trauma or stress
😴 Poor sleep
🩺 Long-term illness
💊 Medication effects
🍺 Alcohol / caffeine
🤍 Loneliness
📈 Life pressure

It is not your fault.

Most people improve with the right help.

• CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy)
   
• Counselling
   
• Exposure therapy (for phobias)
   

• Antidepressants (when needed)
   
• Prescribed by doctors
   

• Regular sleep
   
• Gentle exercise
   
• Healthy meals
   
• Reducing caffeine
   
• Relaxation routines
   

• Calm music
   
• Breathing exercises
   
• Mindfulness
   
• Daily routines
   

Try this when anxious:

1️⃣ Breathe in slowly for 4 seconds
2️⃣ Breathe out slowly for 6 seconds
3️⃣ Repeat 10 times

➡️ This tells your brain: “I am safe.”

Please seek support if anxiety:

❗ Lasts more than 2 weeks
❗ Stops you going out
❗ Affects sleep or eating
❗ Causes panic attacks
❗ Makes you feel hopeless
❗ Leads to self-harm thoughts

In the UK:
📞 Call 111 for urgent advice
📞 Call 999 if in danger

💙 Anxiety is treatable.
💙 You are not broken.
💙 You can learn to feel safe again.
💙 Many people recover

Panic Disorder is an anxiety condition where panic attacks happen repeatedly and unexpectedly, followed by ongoing fear about having another one. The fear itself can start to control daily life—but with the right support, it is manageable.

A panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear that peaks within minutes. It can feel frightening and overwhelming, even when there’s no real danger.

Common symptoms include:

• Racing or pounding heart
   
• Shortness of breath or feeling like you can’t breathe
   
• Chest pain or tightness
   
• Dizziness, light-headedness, or feeling faint
   
• Sweating, shaking, or chills
   
• Nausea or stomach upset
   
• Tingling or numbness
   
• Feeling unreal or detached
   
• Fear of dying, losing control, or “going crazy”
   

⚠️ These symptoms are real and distressing—but not dangerous.

Panic Disorder isn’t just a one-off panic attack. It usually includes:

• Repeated panic attacks
   
• Persistent worry about future attacks
   
• Avoidance of places or situations (shops, buses, crowds, being alone)
   

Over time, life can start to shrink—but it doesn’t have to stay that way.

Panic Disorder often develops from a mix of:

• A sensitive nervous system
   
• Stress, trauma, or long-term anxiety
   
• Fear of physical sensations (like heart rate changes)
   
• Genetic or biological vulnerability
   

The body’s fight-or-flight response becomes overactive.

Many people feel much better with the right combination of support:

Psychological support

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
   
• Learning to respond differently to panic sensations
   

Practical coping tools

• Slow, paced breathing
   
• Grounding techniques (5–4–3–2–1 senses)
   
• Reassuring self-talk: “This will pass. I am safe.”
   

Lifestyle support

• Regular routines
   
• Gentle movement
   
• Reducing caffeine and alcohol
   
• Music-assisted calming routines 🎧
   

Medication

• Sometimes prescribed to reduce frequency or intensity (via GP or psychiatrist)
   

Get immediate help if panic symptoms come with:

• Chest pain that feels new or different
   
• Fainting or collapse
   
• Thoughts of harming yourself
   

Panic attacks feel terrifying—but they always pass.
You are not weak. You are not broken.
With the right support, panic does not have to run your life.

Social Anxiety Disorder (also called social phobia) is more than shyness. It’s a strong, ongoing fear of social situations where a person worries about being judged, embarrassed, or humiliated by others.

This fear can quietly shape daily life—but it can be eased with understanding and the right support.

People with social anxiety often feel intense fear before, during, or after social situations.

Common emotional symptoms

• Fear of being judged, criticised, or rejected
   
• Worry about saying or doing the “wrong thing”
   
• Feeling embarrassed easily
   
• Avoiding attention or eye contact
   

Common physical symptoms

• Blushing
   
• Sweating
   
• Shaking or trembling
   
• Racing heart
   
• Nausea or stomach discomfort
   
• Dry mouth
   
• Feeling frozen or unable to speak
   

These reactions are automatic—not a choice.

• Speaking in groups or meetings
   
• Talking to strangers
   
• Using the phone
   
• Eating or drinking in public
   
• Public transport or queues
   
• Being watched while doing something
   
• Social gatherings or appointments
   

Some people fear many situations; others fear only specific ones.

Social anxiety becomes a disorder when:

• Fear lasts 6 months or more
   
• Avoidance starts limiting daily life (work, healthcare, relationships)
   
• Distress feels overwhelming or constant
   

Avoidance brings short-term relief—but long-term it keeps anxiety going.

It usually develops from a mix of:

• Sensitive or highly alert nervous system
   
• Past embarrassment, bullying, or criticism
   
• Fear of negative evaluation
   
• Low confidence shaped by experiences (not personality flaws)
   

The brain’s threat system becomes overprotective in social settings.

Support is very effective, especially when gentle and consistent.

Psychological support

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
   
• Learning to challenge self-critical thoughts
   
• Gradual exposure at a safe pace
   

Practical coping tools

• Slow breathing (longer exhale than inhale)
   
• Grounding through the senses
   
• Neutral focus: noticing objects, sounds, textures
   
• Compassionate self-talk: “I don’t need to be perfect.”
   

Lifestyle & daily support

• Predictable routines
   
• Short, planned social exposure
   
• Music-assisted calming before and after outings 🎧
   
• Reducing caffeine
   

Medication

• Sometimes helpful for persistent or severe symptoms (via GP or specialist)
   

Reach out for urgent support if social anxiety is linked with:

• Panic attacks
   
• Depression or isolation
   
• Avoiding medical or essential appointments
   
• Thoughts of self-harm
   

Social anxiety is not a weakness.
It’s a nervous system trying to protect you—just a little too loudly.

Progress can be slow and gentle—and that’s okay.
You deserve comfort, safety, and connection at your own pace.

Specific Phobias are intense, persistent fears of particular objects or situations. The fear is far stronger than the actual danger—and the body reacts as if there’s an emergency.

You’re not “overreacting.” This is a real nervous-system response, and it’s very treatable.

People can have one or several phobias. Common categories include:

Animals

• Spiders (arachnophobia)
   
• Dogs
   
• Snakes
   
• Insects
   

Natural environment

• Heights
   
• Storms
   
• Water
   
• Darkness
   

Situational

• Flying
   
• Lifts (elevators)
   
• Driving
   
• Tunnels
   

Blood, injection, injury

• Needles
   
• Medical procedures
   
• Seeing blood
  (This type can cause fainting rather than panic)
   

Other

• Choking
   
• Vomiting
   
• Loud sounds
   
• Certain textures or objects
   

When faced with the feared object or situation, people may experience:

• Rapid heartbeat
   
• Shortness of breath
   
• Sweating or shaking
   
• Nausea or dizziness
   
• Urge to escape immediately
   
• Panic attacks
   

Avoidance brings short-term relief—but it strengthens the fear over time.

Specific phobias can form from:

• A frightening or painful experience
   
• Witnessing fear in others
   
• Childhood learning
   
• A sensitive threat system in the brain
   
• Genetics + life experience
   

The brain learns: “This is dangerous”—even when it isn’t.

Specific phobias respond extremely well to the right support.

Psychological support

• Gradual exposure therapy (step by step, never forced)
   
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
   
• Learning that fear can rise and fall safely
   

Practical coping tools

• Slow breathing before and during exposure
   
• Grounding (naming what you can see, hear, feel)
   
• Muscle relaxation
   
• Reassuring statements: “I can handle this.”
   

Lifestyle & regulation

• Predictable routines
   
• Preparing ahead for feared situations
   
• Music-assisted calming before exposure 🎧
   
• Avoiding caffeine before exposure practice
   

Medication

• Usually not needed, but sometimes used short-term for severe cases (GP advice)
   

Get support if a phobia:

• Stops travel, healthcare, or work
   
• Causes panic attacks
   
• Leads to significant avoidance or isolation
   
• Has been present for many years
   

A phobia is a learned fear—and learned fears can be unlearned.

You don’t have to be brave all at once.
Tiny steps count. Pauses count. Rest counts.

Health Anxiety is an anxiety condition where worry about health becomes constant and overwhelming, even when medical reassurance has been given. The fear isn’t imagined—the anxiety is real—but the danger your mind predicts usually isn’t.

You’re not being dramatic. Your nervous system is stuck on high alert.

People with health anxiety often experience:

Thoughts & worries

• “What if this symptom means something serious?”
   
• Repeated fear of serious illness (heart attack, cancer, neurological disease)
   
• Difficulty trusting test results or doctors’ reassurance
   
• Googling symptoms repeatedly (often makes it worse)
   

Behaviours

• Constant body checking (pulse, breathing, lumps, pain)
   
• Seeking reassurance from doctors, family, or online
   
• Avoiding hospitals or visiting them frequently
   
• Monitoring every bodily sensation
   

Physical sensations

• Chest tightness
   
• Dizziness
   
• Shortness of breath
   
• Tingling, pain, or stomach upset
  (anxiety itself creates many of these symptoms)
   

Health anxiety runs in a loop:

1. Normal body sensation appears
    
2. Mind interprets it as dangerous
    
3. Anxiety rises
    
4. Body produces more symptoms
    
5. Fear increases
    
6. Reassurance gives short relief
    
7. Doubt returns → cycle repeats
    

This is how anxiety works, not a sign of real illness.

It often starts after:

• A real illness or medical scare
   
• Seeing someone else become seriously ill
   
• Long-term stress or trauma
   
• Living with a chronic condition or disability
   
• High sensitivity to body sensations
   

Your brain is trying to protect you—just too intensely.

Health anxiety responds very well to the right approach.

Psychological support

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
   
• Learning to tolerate uncertainty
   
• Reducing reassurance-seeking safely
   

Practical coping tools

• Grounding in the present moment
   
• Slow breathing (longer exhale than inhale)
   
• Naming sensations neutrally: “tightness, not danger”
   
• Setting limits on symptom checking & Googling
   

Lifestyle & regulation

• Regular daily routines
   
• Gentle movement
   
• Music-assisted calming routines 🎧
   
• Reducing caffeine and late-night screen use
   

Medication

• Sometimes helpful when anxiety is severe or long-standing (via GP or specialist)
   

Always seek medical advice for:

• New, severe, or worsening symptoms
   
• Symptoms your doctor has told you to monitor
   
• Any symptom that feels genuinely different
   

Health anxiety support works alongside proper medical care—it doesn’t replace it.

Health anxiety doesn’t mean you’re unhealthy.
It means you care deeply about staying safe.

Learning to live with some uncertainty is hard—but freedom grows there. 

Health Anxiety is an anxiety condition where worry about health becomes constant and overwhelming, even when medical reassurance has been given. The fear isn’t imagined—the anxiety is real—but the danger your mind predicts usually isn’t.

You’re not being dramatic. Your nervous system is stuck on high alert.

People with health anxiety often experience:

Thoughts & worries

• “What if this symptom means something serious?”
   
• Repeated fear of serious illness (heart attack, cancer, neurological disease)
   
• Difficulty trusting test results or doctors’ reassurance
   
• Googling symptoms repeatedly (often makes it worse)
   

Behaviours

• Constant body checking (pulse, breathing, lumps, pain)
   
• Seeking reassurance from doctors, family, or online
   
• Avoiding hospitals or visiting them frequently
   
• Monitoring every bodily sensation
   

Physical sensations

• Chest tightness
   
• Dizziness
   
• Shortness of breath
   
• Tingling, pain, or stomach upset
  (anxiety itself creates many of these symptoms)
   

Health anxiety runs in a loop:

1. Normal body sensation appears
    
2. Mind interprets it as dangerous
    
3. Anxiety rises
    
4. Body produces more symptoms
    
5. Fear increases
    
6. Reassurance gives short relief
    
7. Doubt returns → cycle repeats
    

This is how anxiety works, not a sign of real illness.

It often starts after:

• A real illness or medical scare
   
• Seeing someone else become seriously ill
   
• Long-term stress or trauma
   
• Living with a chronic condition or disability
   
• High sensitivity to body sensations
   

Your brain is trying to protect you—just too intensely.

Health anxiety responds very well to the right approach.

Psychological support

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
   
• Learning to tolerate uncertainty
   
• Reducing reassurance-seeking safely
   

Practical coping tools

• Grounding in the present moment
   
• Slow breathing (longer exhale than inhale)
   
• Naming sensations neutrally: “tightness, not danger”
   
• Setting limits on symptom checking & Googling
   

Lifestyle & regulation

• Regular daily routines
   
• Gentle movement
   
• Music-assisted calming routines 🎧
   
• Reducing caffeine and late-night screen use
   

Medication

• Sometimes helpful when anxiety is severe or long-standing (via GP or specialist)
   

Always seek medical advice for:

• New, severe, or worsening symptoms
   
• Symptoms your doctor has told you to monitor
   
• Any symptom that feels genuinely different
   

Health anxiety support works alongside proper medical care—it doesn’t replace it.

Health anxiety doesn’t mean you’re unhealthy.
It means you care deeply about staying safe.

Learning to live with some uncertainty is hard—but freedom grows there.