Anxiety

 

Anxiety is an automatic reaction that occurs in your body when it thinks it is being subjected to something threatening. The body’s warning system is activated to alert you to the danger and signals that you should get ready to escape or protect yourself. It’s a normal reaction and cannot be controlled at will. How often and how much anxiety we get differs from person to person. 

When experiencing anxiety, you may have physical reactions such as heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, sweating and dizziness. Sometimes the bodily sensations may not be so striking, but you may experience a feeling of unreality or that something is wrong without knowing what it is. Since the experience of anxiety often gives a strong sense of unease, it’s common to want to avoid it.  

Examples of when anxiety is related to a particular area are social anxiety, health anxiety, specific phobias, and various forms of compulsion. The anxiety can then be troublesome and obstructive in life, and treatment may be needed to get better. 

Panic attacks - when anxiety is particularly strong  

When anxiety comes on suddenly and is felt strongly in the body, it’s usually called a panic attack. The symptoms are frightening and can feel unbearable, but usually a panic attack only lasts for a few minutes and then goes away by itself. 

Avoidance can limit your life  

The fact that anxiety is perceived as unpleasant leads many to develop strategies that involve completely or partially avoiding situations, places or people associated with the risk of anxiety. When many situations are avoided, life can become very limited. Therefore, it’s important to find ways to deal with the anxiety, and there’s a lot you can do on your own.  

What you can do yourself to deal with your anxiety  

• When you feel anxious: try to breathe calmly and with your stomach 
  Try to slow your breathing if it is fast and violent. Focus primarily on exhalation, i.e. emptying the lungs of air between breaths. Practice breathing with your stomach in a “relaxed state” so you know how to do it when anxiety comes.   
• Focus on the present  
  Anxiety causes our thoughts to wander and focus on disasters that could possibly occur. Describe to yourself what is going on around you and ask yourself what you need right now.   
• Accept your anxiety
  Attempts to fight the anxiety, such as feeling if it’s on it's way, tensing up, breathing shallowly, or avoiding it, contribute to increased focus on the anxiety itself, which gives it more space in your life. Try to accept “that’s the way it is”, and trust that the anxiety will ease, even if it takes a while.    
• Shift focus  
  Try to do something that you can handle and do it in a concentrated and focused way. This can help you to stop negative thoughts from increasing your anxiety.  
• Put what happens into words  
  When you have strong anxiety, it can feel both unbearable and dangerous. Remind yourself that you are experiencing anxiety (or a panic attack), that it will pass and that it is harmless, even though it is hard to believe – the body is designed to withstand this reaction.   
• Keep doing things that you like  
  Keeping doing the things you like or need to do, despite the fear of anxiety, is the most constructive way to behave. You choose to do what is important to you instead of being guided by anxiety.   

To prevent anxiety, you should remember to stick to your routines for eating, sleep and exercise. Physical activity can help relieve your anxiety. If you feel bad and have anxiety, you should avoid alcohol and drugs because in the long run these usually reinforce negative feelings.    

When should you seek help for anxiety?   

• If you feel that the anxiety is so strong and occurs to such an extent that it limits how you function in everyday life.
• If you avoid situations that have previously caused you anxiety so that your daily life becomes limited.
• If you have difficulty sleeping or concentrating because of your anxiety.
• If you try to relieve your anxiety with alcohol, drugs, or by hurting yourself.   

You can contact the student health service for support and advice. There you can also get guidance on where to seek further help. You can also contact your local healthcare centre or seek help via 1177.se.