Mental Health Awareness Week 2023

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a common emotion that we've likely all experienced at some point in our lives. People living with an anxiety disorder will feel intense levels of anxiety frequently, which can deeply impact their quality of life.

Anxiety disorders affect over 8 million people in the UK - that's a little over 1 in 10 of us - and there are lots of different types.

When we talk about anxiety, we might dismiss or invalidate it as someone "just worrying" or "just being stressed". These common phrases can be harmful. That's why we want to challenge the notion that it's 'just' anxiety, and share the truths about the condition.

Mental Health UK have created resources  to share and an animation explaining anxiety.

Types of Anxiety?

Common types of anxiety disorders include:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
• Phobias
• Separation anxiety

There are also some common anxiety themes and experiences which might impact our lifestyle. For example, experiencing agoraphobia, the fear of public spaces or health anxiety, making us anxious about changes to our health or experiencing health related issues.

More resources and information on Mental Health UK website.