How does anxiety affect mental health?

Many of us experience anxiety from time to time, but when it becomes excessive and/or chronic, it can affect our quality of life, mental and physical wellbeing. Over time, this can spill into areas such as work, relationships and self-care. Understanding anxiety, how it works, the symptoms that can be experienced and how to get support can help you or another individual going through the motions.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of excess worry, tension and fear. It can come on when an event is about to happen (such as going to work or even a social event), or even situations that may not happen until well into the future.

It’s an emotion that feels different for everyone, and it all stems from a natural human response to a perceived threat. What this threat may be, differs from person to person.

How can anxiety develop?

Anxiety can develop in various ways, such as genetics, environment, upbringing, medical conditions, trauma and even a combination of these things. It can also develop through:

• Employment status

• Being LGBTQIA+

• Being from a different race or ethnicity

• Divorce

• Finance

• Job insecurity and more.

What is an anxiety disorder?

Anxiety and anxiety disorders are often used interchangeably, but there are some differences.

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful situations. They’re often short-lived and are situational (such as before a presentation at work). It generally lessens once the situation that’s causing anxiety is over. On the other hand, anxiety disorders are mental illnesses that affect daily life. They’re often ongoing (lasting weeks, months or even years), can feel far more intense and can sometimes feel impossible to manage.

• Examples of anxiety disorders are:

• Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• Agoraphobia

• Social Anxiety Disorder

• Selective mutism

• Panic disorder and more.

What are the symptoms of anxiety?

Feelings of anxiety differ from person to person. When it comes to mental symptoms, people may experience the following when going through anxiety:

• A feeling of dread

• Feeling panicky

• Irritability

• Difficulty concentrating

• Racing thoughts

• Feeling on edge

• Feeling like you’re unable to relax

• Constant worry and/or rumination

• Low mood

Fight, flight, freeze and fawn

You may have heard these terms as reactions to stressful or ‘threatening’ situations that in turn can affect feelings of anxiety and anxiety disorders.

Just like animals, when we feel under threat, our bodies have a reaction. You may feel a surge of adrenaline when you feel excitement, or cortisol for alertness. When situations calm down, we may ‘shake’ – which is a natural reaction to our bodies releasing new hormones to help us relax.

Fight

This involves confronting a threat. Your body tries to prepare for a ‘fight’, but may not necessarily be physical. It could be shouting at another person, or even crying in an outburst of anger

Flight

The body’s response to feeling like it cannot overcome a perceived threat. It may look like avoiding a situation, feeling the urge to flee, or panicking

Freeze

As the name implies, it makes you feel ‘stuck’. Signs of a freeze-state can involve feeling a sense of dread, or conversely, feeling ‘numb’ and disconnected to a situation

Fawn

A state that causes a person to cover up distress and anxiety. This can involve having little to no boundaries, being overdependent on validation and opinions, and over-compensating as to not ‘disappoint’ others.

Long term effects of anxiety

Anxiety can affect our physical and mental wellbeing, even when it’s short-lived. If you or someone you know has been experiencing anxiety for some time, or has an anxiety disorder, the long-term effects of anxiety can influence mental wellbeing overtime. Some of the long-term effects of anxiety on mental health include:

• Difficulty concentrating, even on simple tasks

• Mood swings

• Fatigue

• Feeling tense

• Apathy

• Intrusive thoughts and memories

• Low mood and even depression

• Difficulty in developing rational responses to situations

How to get support for anxiety

Going through anxiety yourself can be a terrifying experience. 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 can be a scary step to take, a doctor can help signpost you to talking therapies on the NHS as well as prescribe medication if they feel it’s clinically appropriate to your situation.

2. Call your EAP

If your workplace has an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), you can get access to counselling support. Trained counsellors can help you deal with the effects of anxiety by giving you a safe space to discuss your feelings, as well as guide you through healthy coping mechanisms when you feel anxious feelings begin to arise.

3. Try to stay calm

If you are witnessing someone experience anxiety and/or a panic attack, it can be a frightening experience, and it’s important to try to remain calm if you are emotionally able to do so.

Let them know you are here for them and encourage them to take deep breaths (you may even find it helpful to follow the action together). It may also help to ask them to identify colours or objects around them, as this can help ground them.

4. Educate

Learning about anxiety is beneficial to really understand how it affects the mind and body. It can help you recognise the feelings you may be experiencing, as well as spot the signs in others. If say 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, as well as know what the triggers may be.

5. Look after yourself

It can be really challenging to support others who may be 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

79% of employees are experiencing moderate-to-high stress. That’s why it’s important to ensure you’re signposting 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?

Related article "How to Manage Anxiety"

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. We are also able to support those who may be dealing with the effects of an anxiety disorder and have clinical support systems in place in order to support those individuals – such as Critical Incident Stress Management (CISMD).

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 to seek support and/or signpost it to others. With the right support systems in place, anxiety and anxiety disorders can be managed for a better quality of work both in and out of work.