Mental health

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Anxiety – Signs and Symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder

what are the signs of generalised anxiety disorder?

what are the signs of generalised anxiety disorder?

Symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) can affect you both physically and mentally.

How severe the symptoms are varies from person to person. Some people have only one or two symptoms, while others have many more.

You should see your GP if anxiety is affecting your daily life or is causing you distress.

Psychological symptoms of GAD

GAD can cause a change in your behaviour and the way you think and feel about things, resulting in symptoms such as:

restlessness

a sense of dread

feeling constantly “on edge”

difficulty concentrating

irritability

Your symptoms may cause you to withdraw from social contact (seeing your family and friends) to avoid feelings of worry and dread.

You may also find going to work difficult and stressful, and may take time off sick. These actions can make you worry even more about yourself and increase your lack of self-esteem.

Physical symptoms of GAD

GAD can also have a number of physical symptoms, including:

dizziness

tiredness

a noticeably strong, fast or irregular heartbeat (palpitations)

muscle aches and tension

trembling or shaking

dry mouth

excessive sweating

shortness of breath

stomach ache

feeling sick

headache

pins and needles

difficulty falling or staying asleep (insomnia)

Anxiety triggers

If you’re anxious because of a specific phobia or because of panic disorder, you’ll usually know what the cause is.

For example, if you have claustrophobia (fear of confined spaces), you know that being confined in a small space will trigger your anxiety.

However, if you have GAD, it may not always be clear what you’re feeling anxious about. Not knowing what triggers your anxiety can intensify it and you may start to worry that there’s no solution.

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Time to Talk about Mental Health – Thursday is Time to Talk day – Find out about mental health myth here!

Time to Change, a growing movement of people changing how we all think and act about mental health. On Thursday 2nd Feb 2017 they are promoting Time to Talk. A day to help people open up about mental health!

Time to Talk have produce a list of mental myths which we reproduce below. But do you have any you would like to add? Please feel free to share in the comments section below!

Time to Talk about Mental Health

Time to Talk about Mental Health

There are lots of myths about mental health. Knowing a few facts can help us to challenge any negative thoughts and actions. 

Here are some to think about:

  • Myth: Mental health problems are very rare.
  • Fact: 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year.
  • Myth: People with mental illness aren’t able to work.
  • Fact: We probably all work with someone experiencing a mental health problem.
  • Myth: Young people just go through ups and downs as part of puberty, it’s nothing.
  • Fact: 1 in 10 young people will experience a mental health problem.
  • Myth: People with mental health illnesses are usually violent and unpredictable.
  • Fact: People with a mental illness are more likely to be a victim of violence.
  • Myth: People with mental health problems don’t experience discrimination
  • Fact: 9 out of 10 people with mental health problems experience stigma and discrimination.
  • Myth: It’s easy for young people to talk to friends about their feelings.
  • Fact: Nearly three in four young people fear the reactions of friends when they talk about their mental health problems.

You can find the original on the Time to Talk website here.

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What’s The One Thing You Would Change About Christmas?

Christmas and mental health

Christmas and mental health

Three quarters of Brits are stressed about Christmas; ‘Unrealistic expectations’ and the resulting stress tops the list putting our health at risk

Natural stresses are always in the mix on family reunions around Christmas time but with the added pressure that we put on ourselves in trying to deliver everything to perfection, we can end up feeling worn out before the big day even arrives.

According to recent research by Bupa UK, surveying 2042 Brits, three-quarters of the nation finds Christmas stressful and a fifth wish they could better deal with the ‘unrealistic expectations’ they put on themselves with a quarter of women (24%) feeling the strain.

The culprit rests within us as the findings reveal that twice as many people say it is the pressure they put on themselves (20%) rather than the expectations from family and friends (9%), which they find to be the driving factor of their stresses on the big day.

Almost a third (29%) of the population are failing to address the issue as they do not consider their own wellbeing a priority during the festive period

A quarter of the nation (26%) loses the battle and admits feeling tired and worn out during the lead up to the big day.

So what are the stresses that we choose to carry at a time when we are meant to be jolly:

  • 37% worry about the financial stress of buying presents
  • 32% worry about buying the wrong presents
  • 19% feel stressed about juggling commitments and pressured situations with their family
  • 15% of people are worried about weight gain over Christmas

Joining us to chat more about the risks associated with letting our health drop to the bottom of our priority list is Bupa’s Clinical Director for Mental Health, Pablo Vandenabeele.

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Less stress – 5 great tips for dealing with stress at work.

Yes I know we are only a few days back at work but quite a few of us are beginning to feel stressed again!

Though not my old college buddy Dave. He’s off to Hawaii for a weeks diving! As you can expect he’s off my christmas card list for next year.

So I thought I’d share these great tips for dealing with stress at work.

Do you have any other?

Please feel free to share them in the comments section below.

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Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) – what are the signs and symptoms of Seasonal affective disorder?

Seasonal affective disorder

Seasonal affective disorder

The symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) are similar to those of normal depression, but they occur repetitively at a particular time of year.

They usually start in the autumn or winter and improve in the spring.

The nature and severity of SAD varies from person to person. Some people just find the condition a bit irritating, while for others it can be severe and have a significant impact on their day-to-day life.

Depression

Most people with SAD will feel depressed during the autumn and winter.

Signs that you may be depressed include:

a persistent low mood

a loss of pleasure or interest in normal everyday activities

feeling irritable

feelings of despair, guilt and worthlessness

low self-esteem

tearfulness

feeling stressed or anxious

a reduced sex drive

becoming less sociable

A small number of people will experience these symptoms in phases that are separated by “manic” periods where they feel happy, energetic and much more sociable.

Other symptoms

In addition to symptoms of depression, you may also:

be less active than normal

feel lethargic (lacking in energy) and sleepy during the day

sleep for longer than normal and find it hard to get up in the morning

find it difficult to concentrate

have an increased appetite – some people have a particular craving for foods containing lots of carbohydrates and end up gaining weight as a result

These symptoms may make everyday activities increasingly difficult.

When to see your GP

You should see your GP if you think you might have SAD and you’re finding it difficult to cope.

There are a number of helpful treatments your GP may be able to recommend.

Read more about diagnosing SAD and treating SAD.