Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety is the most prevalent mental health challenge in Australia. While it’s perfectly normal to feel anxious in response to stressful situations—like before a big presentation or exam—anxiety becomes problematic when these feelings persist long after the stressful event has passed. When anxiety is experienced regularly and without a clear trigger, it can develop into an anxiety disorder, a condition that can significantly impact a person’s ability to function in daily life.
Some common symptoms of anxiety include:
- An intense feeling of dread or danger, sometimes related to a trigger but sometimes for no reasons at all
- Racing heart
- Tight, heavy chest
- Difficulty Breathing
- Racing thoughts
- Inability to think clearly or “brain fog”
- Chronic aches and pains in the body
- Hot and cold flushes
- Obsessive and compulsive behaviour
- Difficulty sleeping (taking a long time to fall asleep/waking early/not being able to get back to sleep)
- Nausea, pain, or “butterflies” in the stomach
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhoea and other digestive issues
Not everyone responds to treatments and techniques in the same way. However, techniques for anxiety management that your psychologist may explore with you include breathing techniques, mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). At The Rosy Room, all our psychologists have experience in treating anxiety disorders including generalised anxiety, specific phobias, social phobias, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
