Anxiety: signs, causes and treatments
You may get a little anxious at certain points in your life. But when it interferes with your everyday life, help and support is available.
Jump to section: Signs and symptoms | Causes | Treatment | Where to get help
What is anxiety?
A national study of mental health and wellbeing (2020–22) found that more than one in six Australians (17.2 per cent) had experienced a form of anxiety in the previous 12 months.
Anxiety may appear when you are worried or nervous about something. Anxiety may be triggered by a work presentation, an exam or a situation that left you rattled. It’s okay to feel a little anxious. In fact, anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress, which can help you avoid dangerous situations or motivate you to solve a problem.
Anxiety should be a feeling that comes and goes, and it becomes an issue when it hangs around longer than usual. If you develop an anxiety condition, the feeling can stick with you all the time and it can become so intense that it interferes with your life.
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Signs and symptoms of an anxiety condition
Everyone experiences anxiety differently, but it can be hard to recognise when it becomes an issue. According to Beyond Blue, normal anxiety tends to be limited in time and connected to a stressful situation or event. The type of anxiety experienced by people with a condition is more frequent or persistent and isn’t always connected to an obvious challenge.
Because anxiety is different for everyone, there is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to symptoms but here are some common examples:
Physical
Panic attacks, hot and cold flushes, racing heart, a tight feeling in the chest, quick breathing, restlessness, or feeling tense, wound up or edgy.
Psychological
Excessive fear, worry, catastrophizing, or obsessive thinking.
Behavioural
Avoidance of situations that make you feel anxious which can impact on study, work or social life.
Beyond Blue has an online K10 screening test for anxiety and depression that you can use to help you understand what kind of support you might need right now.
The causes of anxiety
Your brain is complex, which means that anxiety can appear in different ways. There are multiple factors that contribute to anxiety.
Ongoing stressful events
These can include workplace stress, a change in living arrangements, family or relationship issues, pregnancy and giving birth, traumatic events or the death of a loved one.
Personality factors
People with certain personality factors during childhood, such as perfectionism, being easily flustered and low self-esteem, may sometimes develop anxiety.
Physical health
Chronic physical illness can also contribute to anxiety conditions, with common conditions including diabetes, asthma, hypertension and heart disease associated with anxiety.
Family members
A family history of anxiety or other mental health conditions may contribute to an individual developing anxiety conditions.
Other mental health conditions
There are different types of anxiety and while some people may experience one condition on its own, others may experience multiple conditions, or other mental health conditions such as depression at the same time.
Treatment for anxiety
Everyone is different and there’s several methods used to treat anxiety based on your symptoms and circumstances. If your symptoms are mild your health professional may suggest ways you can manage your symptoms yourself with lifestyle changes.
Here are 5 ways to reduce stress:
Try mindfulness, relaxation or meditation exercises
Make a to-do list to manage daily tasks
Stop and take a few deep breaths each day
Take a time out
Exercise.
Beyond Blue has also listed 10 strategies you can use to try and manage your anxiety. However, if your symptoms are becoming difficult to manage it’s important you seek support from a health professional as soon as possible.
If your symptoms are more severe, it’s important to find the right treatment and the right health professional for your individual needs. If this is your first time seeking support for your anxiety a good place to start is talking to your GP. They will be able to assess your situation and recommend the best next steps for your treatment, including recommending a professional if that’s what you need.
Where to get help
If your life or someone else’s is in danger, call 000 immediately.
If you’re in distress and need help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 for 24/7 crisis support.
For non-emergency support, your GP or regular health practitioner is often the best place to start. They will be able to assess your individual situation and recommend the best next steps for your recovery.
Remember that help is always available, no matter the situation.
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Things you need to know
While we hope you find this information helpful, please note that it is general in nature. It is not health advice, and is not tailored to meet your individual health needs. You should always consult a trusted health professional before making decisions about your health care. While we have prepared the information carefully, we can’t guarantee that it is accurate, complete or up-to-date. And while we may mention goods or services provided by others, we aren’t specifically endorsing them and can’t accept responsibility for them. For these reasons we are unable to accept responsibility for any loss that may be sustained from acting on this information (subject to applicable consumer guarantees).