How Anxiety Affects Mental Health

Anxiety is a natural human response which many of us experience from time to time. When it becomes excessive and/or chronic, it can affect our mental and physical wellbeing which impacts our overall quality of life. Over time, anxiety can negatively affect our work, relationships and general self-care. Understanding anxiety, how it works, the symptoms, and how to access support can help you support yourself or someone else in managing anxiety.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of excessive worry, tension and/or fear. It typically occurs in response to something that is about to happen (such as an upcoming social event), or situations that we fear may happen in the future. Our wellbeing and our ability to manage anxiety are intrinsically linked.

Anxiety feels different for everyone; it all stems from our response to a perceived threat, and our response to potential threat differs based on our temperament, personal history and current circumstances.

How can anxiety develop?

While anxiety can develop in various ways, it’s worth noting that it can be difficult to pinpoint one exact trigger; often, various causes and/or triggers contribute to feelings of anxiety.

Symptoms of anxiety tend to emerge when we are children and can persist into adulthood, but this is not always the case. Difficult experiences in childhood could trigger anxiety, particularly if the experiences caused trauma or left us feeling unsafe. Examples of traumatic early experiences include abuse, neglect, bereavement or bullying.

Anxiety can also be triggered by negative experiences in adulthood. Distressing life events, financial and/or housing worries, heath problems, job insecurity, and many other difficult experiences can cause feelings of anxiety. Certain groups of people are more likely to experience anxiety due to inequality and discrimination, such as LGBTQ+ people or people from racial or ethnic minority groups.

What is an anxiety disorder?

Anxiety is our reaction to stressful situations and is completely normal when proportionate to the situation. The feeling of anxiety is usually short-lived and situational, such as when we experience heightened anxiety just before a presentation at work, and generally lessens once the situation that’s causing anxiety is over. Anxiety becomes a disorder when we are experiencing persistent, disproportionate and disabling levels of anxiety. The anxiety can last weeks, months or even years, and can feel far more intense and difficult to manage than regular anxiety.

Examples of anxiety disorders are:

• Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

• Separation anxiety disorder

• Agoraphobia

• Social Anxiety Disorder

• Selective mutism

• Panic disorder

• Phobias

There are various other conditions which are not considered as anxiety disorders but of which feelings of anxiety are common, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder). Although not an official diagnosis recognised by the DSM-5, high functioning anxiety is a real concern that can affect wellbeing and daily functioning.

What are the symptoms of anxiety?

The symptoms of anxiety differ from person to person. People often experience the following cognitive and emotional symptoms when dealing with anxiety:

• A feeling of dread

• Feeling panicky or overwhelmed

• Irritability

• Difficulty concentrating

• Racing thoughts

• Feeling on edge

• Feeling like you’re unable to relax

• Constant worry and/or rumination

• Low mood or pessimism

Fight, flight, freeze and fawn

Just like animals, when we feel under threat, our bodies produce an involuntary survival response. We respond instinctively from the limbic system of the brain, which is a primitive structure responsible for our survival and emotional reactions. Our brains trigger the release of a surge of adrenaline which helps us feel alert enough to face a potential threat.

If this threat persists, or we perceive that the threat is persisting, cortisol is released which promotes further alertness. Heightened physical arousal can lead to increased heart rate, rapid breathing and muscle tension, which can leave us feeling shaky. These hormones can also cause the following behavioural responses to a threatening situation:

Fight

This involves confronting a threat. In this response, we act with aggression and try to overpower the perceived threat. This aggression may not necessarily be physical, it could be shouting at another person or even crying in an outburst of anger.

Flight

When we feel that we cannot overcome a perceived threat, we may produce a ‘flight’ response. This may look like avoiding a situation, feeling the urge to flee or escape, or panicking.

Freeze

As the name implies, this response leaves us feeling ‘stuck’. Signs of a freeze state can involve feeling a sense of dread, or conversely, feeling ‘numb’ and disconnected from a situation. This inability to respond is a survival mechanism in which we aim to avoid detection from a predator by remaining motionless.

Fawn

A state that causes a person to appease or please the threat to avoid being harmed. In our day-to-day lives, this can involve having weak boundaries, being overdependent on the validation and opinions of others, and over-compensating to avoid disappointing others.

Long term effects of anxiety

Anxiety can affect our physical, social and mental wellbeing if we don’t manage it effectively or seek appropriate support. Some of the long-term effects of anxiety on our health include:

• Low self-esteem and confidence

• Distorted thought patterns or a negative worldview

• Difficulty forming or maintaining relationships

• Gastrointestinal or cardiovascular problems

• Reduced immune function

• Thoughts of self-harm or suicide

How to get support for anxiety

Going through anxiety can be a terrifying experience, particularly if it becomes persistent and affects your day-to-day functioning. It can also be difficult to support a colleague, friend or family member when they’re experiencing anxiety.

Here are some ways to get support for anxiety:

1. Speak to your GP

Although this might feel like a scary first step, it’s important to discuss your symptoms with your GP if you feel like they’re becoming unmanageable. Your GP should complete an assessment, which may involve a questionnaire asking how often you’re feeling worried or on edge. After this, the GP will explore treatment options with you. The GP will likely explore self-help materials, medications or a referral to NHS Talking Therapies, as therapy has been shown to help with anxiety

2. Call your EAP

If your workplace has an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), you can get access to counselling support. At HA | Wisdom Wellbeing, our qualified counsellors can help you deal with the effects of anxiety by giving you a safe space to discuss your feelings and guiding you through healthy coping mechanisms. Counsellors at HA | Wisdom Wellbeing utilise solution focused brief therapy, which has been shown to have numerous benefits for individuals who require short-term intervention for mental health concerns.

3. Try to stay calm

Sometimes supporting someone experiencing anxiety and/or a panic attack, can be a frightening experience, and it’s important to focus on regulating your own emotions as well as offering the person your help.

Let them know you are here for them and encourage them to take deep breaths - it may be helpful to follow the action together to ensure that you also remain calm and grounded. Asking the person to identify colours or objects around them can help ground them in the present moment and reduce their anxiety levels.

4. Educate

Learning about anxiety is beneficial to help you understand how and why it affects the mind and body and, by extension, how to better manage symptoms. Researching coping skills for anxiety can help you feel more in control and empowered when mitigating the negative impact of anxiety. For instance, you may discover that exercise helps anxiety symptoms ease off or discover that practicing a few mindfulness techniques lessens its effects. It can help you recognise the feelings you may be experiencing, as well as spot the signs in others. If, for instance, a colleague has come to you for support, it might be beneficial to ask questions about what they’re experiencing, so you can take steps to ensure they’re accommodated and understand what their triggers may be.

3. Look after yourself

It can be challenging to support others who are going through a rough time. It’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed or ‘drained’. If you want to ensure you can support people as best as possible, it’s important to look after yourself first and foremost.

• Set boundaries by only taking on what you can handle

• Share your caring role with others if you’re able to do so and the person in need consents to it

• Reach out to others about how you are feeling

• Seek out support for yourself by using your EAP

6. Signpost support

If you’re an employer, you need to ensure your people have support in place that’s as accessible as possible. As 79% of employees are experiencing moderate-to-high stress, it's important to ensure you’re signposting your people to appropriate places for support, as well as ensuring your company culture is a place that destigmatises mental health problems. Are you able to introduce a wellbeing program that can help reduce anxiety and stress? What do your people need to thrive?

How HA | Wisdom Wellbeing can help with anxiety

At HA | Wisdom Wellbeing, our EAP is the UK’s leading provider of mental health and wellbeing support. If you find that you’re experiencing anxiety, or have witnessed an individual suffering from it, our EAP can help. With access to our helpline 24/7, 365 days a year, you can get support for anxiety at any time of day, all year round.

Conclusion

Anxiety and anxiety disorders can be hard on the body and mind. That’s why it’s important to know the signs and symptoms, as well as avenues through which you can seek personal support or signpost others. With the right support systems in place, anxiety and anxiety disorders can be effectively managed for a better quality of life, both in and out of work.