CHAPTER 1 WHAT IS ANXIETY Hello Anxiety Let’s get to know each other People talk about anxiety all the time but what do you think anxiety really is What does it feel like Is anxiety those butterflies you get in your stomach before taking a test Is it that nagging doubt you might have about whether or not you are popular with your friends Or is anxiety the same as being afraid afraid of the dark or afraid of strangers The truth is that many feelings can be called anxiety and many things can cause anxiety for different people Sometimes anxiety might feel like fear of a particular thing Sometimes it might be vaguer a little voice in your head telling you that something is going to go wrong 2
To feel some anxiety is normal and even healthy It helps us to be on our guard in particularly dangerous situations It also helps us to perform at our best on tests and in other stressful situations One thing is for sure EVERYBODY feels anxiety So when do we know that anxiety has stopped being normal and become a problem If you need to see a doctor about anxiety that’s usually because it has become a problem in your life This might be because anxiety is stopping you from enjoying your life and doing things you would like to do The worry might have become overwhelming and started to take up a lot of your time Or maybe other people have noticed that you are behaving in an unusual way or that you are unhappy We’ll get to know anxiety throughout this book as well as some ways to address anxiety and live with anxiety Read on and see what you recognize from your own life 3
A Few Types of Anxiety These are some of the most common types of anxiety that have been identified by experts You might know people who have some of these You might have even felt some of them yourself Generalized anxiety This is when you feel that things are going to go wrong or that bad things will happen almost all the time whether or not there is a good reason to be anxious Sometimes it comes with other problems like sleeping poorly or restlessness or with physical problems like an upset stomach or headaches Some people with generalized anxiety find it hard to concentrate and are easily distracted Social anxiety Often this type of anxiety makes you appear shy or self-conscious to other people If you have ever felt awkward about answering a question in front of everyone in your class or about having to stand and talk in front of the school you might know what this feels like Someone who has social anxiety might feel worried about meeting new people but they might even feel worried in everyday social situations like talking to friends and people they know well They might often feel that they will say the wrong thing Phobias A phobia is an extreme fear of a specific thing such as spiders arachnophobia or mice musophobia or situations such as heights acrophobia or small spaces claustrophobia Many people are a little afraid of these things but a serious phobia is one that gets in the way of everyday life and affects the decisions you make If you can’t use an elevator then your claustrophobia is an obstacle Panic Attacks This is when someone feels frightened suddenly or for no obvious reason They can have a racing heart dizziness or trouble breathing It might be that the person has been generally anxious or worried about something else before this happens 4
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Or OCD for short When people talk about someone being OCD they often think of someone who has lots of obsessive habits like handwashing or tidying But this isn’t the only way that Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder shows itself Some people with OCD believe that something terrible will happen if they don’t follow a particular routine or pattern of behavior An example might be that if the sufferer doesn’t put their clothes on in a particular order every day they think they will be in an accident Sometimes they might also worry about forgetting things and start to overplan or feel panicked about small details that seem wrong to them Separation anxiety Some people find being apart from their loved ones frightening They can’t help themselves from imagining that something bad will happen to the person they love while they are apart This can be a problem for parents and children especially when parents start a new job or children start a new school It is possible to have more than one type of anxiety What is important is that you decide how much anxiety you feel or whether it is getting in the way of your life If you feel that it is the advice throughout this book will show you what you can do Of course talking to an adult is always a good place to start One thing is for sure you can do things to reduce unhelpful anxiety Later on we will talk about the techniques methods exercises and therapies you can try with or without other people Don’t brush your feelings aside Just like everyone else you have a right to experience well-being and to enjoy your own life ENJOY LIFE 5
