What you need to know
Anxiety is a normal emotion that we all have. It’s when you feel fear or panic. It’s natural to worry about things such as exams or difficult situations and then when they pass you feel better. Anxiety becomes a problem when you still feel fear or panic for no obvious reason. The symptoms of anxiety are both physical and psychological.
Sometimes in the teenage years you may get more ups and downs with anxiety though so it’s worth having a look into why we get anxious and what to do to help yourself, if you feel it’s getting too much to cope with.
Symptoms include:
- Heart beating faster
- Breathing becomes quicker and shallower
- Palms become sweaty
- Thoughts racing
- Muscles tense
- Dry mouth
- Butterfly feeling in stomach (tummy)
- Speak to your public health nurse or your GP
- Talking therapies such as CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) may help
- Become familiar with the signs and symptoms you experience
- Practice a breathing technique that works for you when you feel calm so you will be able to use it when you feel panic (see mindfulness)
- Try not to avoid situations that make you feel anxious
- Recognise your ‘negative’ thoughts and try to think more rationally
There are many resources and apps that are available to support with anxiety. Some of these include: