ANXIETY and DEPRESSION

It is sometimes said that anxiety involves a triggering of the body's natural Fight or Flight response. When you perceive something as a danger or a threat, your body responds in certain ways. For example, the following may be symptoms of anxiety: breathing faster, sweating, shivering or shaking, speeded up heart rate. If there is a realistic danger or risk to you then these reactions are a normal, healthy response and once the danger has passed they subside.

Difficulties arise when your perception of the threat or danger is distorted or mistaken. In these circumstances you may experience the physical signs of anxiety in a situation where a neutral observer might say that there is no need for you to fight or flee. If this is happening frequently or over a sustained period of time then you are likely to experience significant levels of stress, with potential emotional and physical consequences such as difficulty sleeping, inability to relax, feeling constantly under pressure and feeling negative about yourself or your abilities.