Anxiety Counselling Oldham & Saddleworth

Some degree of anxiety and nervousness is normal and affects us all. The reactions of your mind and body are part of its normal functioning, anxiety can affect you both physically and mentally.

In counselling anxiety, we are concerned with anxiety that is excessive and unreasonable and what is triggering it. An anxiety problem is a more severe form of normal anxiety. For example, the thing you are responding to may be the memory of a past trauma, something that you especially hate such as spiders, or something that you worry might happen in the future, like failing at something, falling ill or even dying. The bodily reactions to anxiety itself may be feared.

Here are some of the ways you may be feeling if suffering with anxiety:

Psychological symptoms can include:

• Constant feeling of dread
• Feeling on the edge
• Stomach churning, head busy
• A sense of dread
• Irritability and lack of concentration
• Worrying thoughts or unpleasant memories intruding into your mind
• Intense dislike or fear of situations or objects and avoidance of them

Physical symptoms can include:

• 'Panic attacks' coming out of the blue; worrying that one will strike you without warning and feeling like you are going to pass out
• Unpleasant bodily sensations eg. Sweats, heart pounding which can even make you feel you are having a heart attack, muscle tension or a surge of overwhelming panic.
• Feeling of losing control or going crazy
• Headaches
• Tiredness along with insomnia
• Dry mouth
• Feeling sick
• Shortness of breath

Counselling will allow you to explore the feelings, discuss what may be behind them in a safe, confidential and non judgemental way.