Anxiety and Depression
What you need to know about anxiety
Some worry or nervousness is normal and can be beneficial. However, anxiety becomes a problem when it disrupts our lives, affecting our behaviours, thoughts, emotions and physical health. It is often said that anxiety is negative thinking that’s focused on the future.
Anxiety is a feeling of intense discomfort, which drives people to avoid triggers. Every time we avoid an anxiety-producing situation, the anxiety will be even worse the next time around. The brain starts to learn the response: “When I avoid this trigger, I feel better.” It thinks “I guess I should try to avoid it next time too.”
Anxiety predisposes us to catastrophic thinking. The anxious mind tends to obsess about the past and dwell on regrets.
People with anxiety often present with somatic symptoms, depression, chronic pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, and/or chronic fatigue.