So, how do you know if you have Generalised Anxiety Disorder? – Do you wake up most mornings with your stomach in knots and before you’ve even rolled out of bed you’ve got the feeling that something terrible’s about to happen?
If that sounds like you, you could be among the 3 million people in the UK living with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD).
Everyone experiences periods in their lives where they feel a bit down, nervous about an impending event, anxious about tests, exams or just a big day at work.
Worrying is a wonderful part of what makes us human. Worrying stems from our ancestors (like all of our instincts).
The evolution of our anxiety came from our need to solve a problem, to seek an immediate return.
However, in our current environment in modern life, we so rarely require an immediate response. The vast majority of what we do is all about the long-term – the delayed return.
When we lived in caves or hunted on the savannahs, worrying and anxiety was what kept us alive.
They triggered our survival instincts, to escape whatever was bothering us for example:
Our brains have had over 200,000 years of hard wiring to worry when a problem was imminent, to protect our species.
Therefore our brains have not had time to evolve to living in this constantly stressful, 21st-century world. We have time to reflect, time to worry, time to mull over every little thing and decision.
You only have to look at the rest of the animal kingdom to see that we humans are the only ones who continue to tie ourselves up in knots, once the danger has passed.
How do you know if you have generalised anxiety disorder? GAD is indicative of our hectic, stressful lives.
The perpetual uncertainty that dominates our existence: lack of job security, bills to pay, relationship fears, FOMO (fear of missing out).
It can change your personality and can cause you to think differently – to see the world in a negative light. GAD can present itself both with psychological and physical symptoms.
To minimise the impact of these symptoms, you can find yourself withdrawing socially, feeling you have to hide away from the world to stop the constant worrying.
The little things pile up and you can find yourself unable to cope with the pressures of work, just leaving the house can cause you distress.
Meanwhile, the more you worry, the worse it gets. GAD can manifest physically too, with symptoms such as:
● Tiredness
● Heart palpitations
● Trembling or shaking
● Feeling sick – being sick
● Loose bowels (IBS)
● Difficulty falling or staying asleep
The problem is, sometimes you don’t even know what is causing GAD. You can’t see what the trigger is, so you don’t know that you’re having a reaction.
This can cause you to spiral even further, worrying there is nothing wrong and that you can’t be fixed., but you can. There are really effective ways to deal with GAD that are based on scientific evidence and not woo woo magic or crystal waving.
To conclude, don’t let GAD put a handbrake on your happiness any longer, NOW is the time to seek professional help https://wendydignan.co.uk/
Known as the best psychologist around, Wendy’s an obvious choice to be featured on the show’
Cheshire Housewives
As an ex-athlete I’ve always advocated the benefits of keeping in shape physically, but it’s just as important to look after your mental wellbeing. Book a session with Wendy, she’s the person to help you look after your brain just as you would your body.
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Beauty, lifestyle and fashion blogging sensation Becky Sheeran (TalkBeckyTalk)
It’s great to have a leading psychotherapist such as Wendy in the Cheshire area, outside of her Harley Street practice. After publicly raising awareness of mental health issues and myself recovering from depression, I know how immensely life-changing expert intervention can be.
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Retired ex-professional football who played for Bury, Wigan, Stoke, Preston, Norwich, Leicester and Brighton during a 14 year career. After leaving professional football, Jason battled depression and recovered with the help of therapy and family support.
Wendy is great at what she does; she made me feel at ease immediately and really helped me work through some issues.
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I was told she was the best and they were right.
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Although I consider myself a confident person, I was really nervous when I met Wendy for the first time. I had only emailed her before so it was really nerve wracking walking up the stairs to her office. I can honestly say it’s one of the best things I have ever done. Wendy is really normal, no in fact she isn’t normal as she is unfailingly bright and smiley even when she has to listen to me moan on about how awful my life was. It feels like having a chat with somebody who just gets you and you can trust with things you have never trusted anybody else with before. The magic bit comes when things you have talked about just pop up into your head and you start to do things differently. Wendy once joked about not having a magic wand, but I think she has.
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I came to Wendy with a set of problems I have never been able to fully explain to anyone, which included grief, many family issues and alcohol problems. Wendy truly has an active listening style and absorbs everything you are saying, whilst not making you feel analysed, it is an incredible skill. She astounded me at how she got to the crux of the issues so fast. So much so that we both agreed I only needed one session with her, obviously this may not be the case with everyone but I would confidently recommend her to anyone, regardless of your problems. There was no awkwardness or even clock watching, she is wonderful at what she does, take the plunge and make an appointment, you will not regret it. Life is a direction not a destination and she will get you on the path again.
JB
