What is anxiety?

Where can I buy anxiety medication online uk. Anxiety is the body’s natural response to a potentially dangerous or challenging situation. It is a feeling of unease, worry, fear or dread about what is going to happen. It is entirely normal to feel anxious from time to time, and it can even be beneficial. Anxiety can help us prepare for specific situations, making sure we pay attention and stay alert to any dangers.2

However, some people find it hard to control their anxiety. High levels of anxiety maintained over a long time that impact normal, day-to-day activities could mean someone has an anxiety disorder.3

What are the main types of anxiety?

Everyone experiences anxiety in different ways. However, anxiety disorders are different from normal feelings of nervousness and stress and involve excessive anxiety or fear.1

Where can I buy anxiety medication online uk. The most frequently diagnosed anxiety disorders include generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias, and social anxiety disorder (social phobia) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).3

Generalised anxiety disorder: A chronic (long-term) condition that causes people to have regular feelings of anxiety about a wide range of issues or situations in their everyday lives. Its psychological and physical symptoms vary from person to person, but may include worry, trouble concentrating or sleeping, dizziness, and heart palpitations.3
Panic disorder: Sudden and repeated attacks of intense fear that can last for several minutes or longer. Sometimes these attacks happen for no apparent reason. A person having a panic attack experiences a rush of mental and physical symptoms.4 They may feel as though they are losing control, having a heart attack, or even dying.1
Phobias: An overwhelming, extreme fear of an object, animal, place, situation, or feeling. Phobias can be categorised as specific or complex. A specific phobia is a fear of a particular object, animal, or activity, such as a fear of spiders (arachnophobia). A complex phobia is anxiety about a specific situation or circumstance, such as agoraphobia (fear of open spaces or being unable to escape).5
Social anxiety disorder (social phobia): A fear or dread of social situations. It is much more than a feeling of apprehension about a social event; it involves excessive worry about everyday social activities, such as meeting people, starting conversations, speaking on the phone, going shopping, or working.6
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Someone with PTSD has experienced a very stressful, frightening, or distressing event. The condition often involves nightmares and ‘flashbacks’ in which the person relives the traumatic event. People with PTSD often have feelings of guilt, isolation, and irritability.7 Where can I buy anxiety medication online uk
Some people with anxiety disorders are affected by more than one anxiety or psychiatric disorder at a time (known as ‘comorbidity’). For example, generalised anxiety disorder can be associated with other psychiatric conditions including depression or major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), and substance use disorder (SUD).8

How many people have anxiety? Where can I buy anxiety medication online uk

Statistics show that anxiety disorders are prevalent across the globe. The World Health Organization estimates that around 284 million people (3.8% of the world’s population) have experienced an anxiety disorder. About 63% (179 million) are female, compared with 105 million males.9

Where can I buy anxiety medication online uk. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), more than one in six people (nearly 84 million people) across the EU had a mental health problem in 2016. Across EU countries, the most common mental disorder is anxiety disorder, with an estimated 25 million people (equating to 5.4% of the population) living with anxiety disorders.10

Symptoms
Everyone experiences anxiety differently. The physical and mental effects can vary from one person to the next.

What are the symptoms of anxiety? Where can I buy anxiety medication online uk

The body reacts to anxiety in a particular way, releasing stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones put someone experiencing anxiety into a high-alert state in which they look for potential threats and activate their fight-or-flight responses1. As a result, some common symptoms of anxiety include1,11 :

Mental effects:
Feeling tense, nervous, and restless
Having a feeling of dread or panic, or a sense of being in danger
Feeling constantly ‘on edge’
Feeling out of control
Having difficulty focusing or thinking clearly
Feeling disconnected, or worrying about being out of touch with reality
Being irritable
Physical effects:
A fast, thumping, irregular heartbeat (palpitations)
Rapid breathing
Shortness of breath
Dizziness or light-headedness
Dry mouth
Sweating or hot flushes
Churning feeling in the stomach, or nausea
Stomach ache
Trembling or shaking
Needing the toilet frequently
Inability to sit still
Headaches
Muscular aches and pains or tension in the muscles
Pins and needles
Problems sleeping (insomnia)

What are the early signs of anxiety? Where can I buy anxiety medication online uk

Where can I buy anxiety medication online uk. The early signs of anxiety are sometimes not obvious and often develop slowly over time. The symptoms vary from person to person. One of the most common early signs of anxiety is excessive worrying about everyday situations. Symptoms sometimes start in childhood or the teenage years and continue into adulthood.12

Causes, risk factors and life expectancy
Many different situations or experiences can bring on anxiety. Sometimes it can be challenging to know what is causing the anxiety, and this can result in further stress or upset.

What causes anxiety?

Difficult or traumatic events experienced in the past – during childhood, adolescence, or adulthood – often trigger anxiety problems. Some common examples that can result in anxiety issues include1:
Physical or emotional abuse
Neglect
Losing a loved one (bereavement)
Being bullied or socially excluded
Current issues or life problems can also trigger anxiety, such as:
Pressures at work
Working long hours
Money issues
Relationship problems
Exhaustion
Feeling lonely or isolated
Losing a loved one (bereavement)
Dealing with a severe illness or injury12
Being bullied, harassed, or abused
Experiencing other mental health problems, such as depression
Sometimes people have underlying medical issues that can affect their anxiety levels. Examples of medical conditions that are linked to anxiety include12:
Heart disease
Diabetes
Irritable bowel syndrome
Thyroid problems
Respiratory conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Certain drugs can also trigger anxiety, including psychiatric medications, some medicines used to treat certain physical health conditions, and recreational drugs and alcohol.12

Is anxiety hereditary? Where can I buy anxiety medication online uk

Where can I buy anxiety medication online uk. Research shows that having a close family member with anxiety issues can increase the chances of someone experiencing problems with anxiety themselves. More research is needed to understand whether genetic factors contribute to someone developing anxiety, or whether some people are more susceptible to developing anxiety because of behaviour they learned from parents and relatives while growing up.1
Who gets anxiety?
Anyone can get anxiety, although recent research found that women are almost twice as likely to be affected by anxiety as men. Additionally, people under the age of 35 are disproportionately affected by anxiety disorders.13

How long can you live with anxiety?

Where can I buy anxiety medication online uk. Anxiety is not a life-threatening condition. However, research published in The British Journal of Psychiatry shows that anxiety disorders can significantly increase the risk of death. Comorbidity (when two disorders are experienced at the same time) of anxiety disorders and depression plays a key part in the increased mortality risk.14

Diagnosis
Anxiety is not a simple diagnosis; it can sometimes be difficult for doctors to diagnose whether a person has an anxiety disorder or another mental health condition, such as depression.15

How is anxiety diagnosed? Where can I buy anxiety medication online uk

To diagnose anxiety accurately, a doctor needs to rule out certain physical illnesses that may be causing the symptoms. They may ask questions about:
Any physical or psychological symptoms
How long the symptoms have been an issue
Any significant worries, fears, or issues
The individual’s personal life
It can be difficult to talk to a doctor about emotions, feelings, and personal issues. Still, the doctor must understand the symptoms and circumstances to make an accurate diagnosis. To help with the diagnosis, the doctor may also make a physical examination and do some blood tests to rule out conditions such as anaemia (iron deficiency) or an overactive thyroid. Where can I buy anxiety medication online uk
Test to diagnose anxiety
There are no laboratory tests to diagnose anxiety. If a doctor cannot find any medical reason for certain physical and mental symptoms, they may make a referral to a mental health specialist, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist.

A mental health specialist will ask further questions about symptoms, feelings and emotions, and make a clinical assessment using questionnaires to gauge anxiety levels. Some examples of anxiety assessment questionnaires include the Hamilton anxiety rating scale (HAM-A)16, or the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)17, which measures the severity of anxiety in adults and adolescents. Where can I buy anxiety medication online uk

Treatment and medication
Treatment and medication for anxiety can relieve the symptoms and make the condition easier to live with.

How is anxiety treated?
Several therapies and medications can be helpful for anxiety. People with anxiety may benefit most from a combination of therapy and medication to control their symptoms.

Medication

Where can I buy anxiety medication online uk. Doctors use a range of medications to help people manage their anxiety symptoms. However, medication should not be the only treatment option offered. Instead, doctors often need to work with individuals to find the right medication, dosage, and therapy that works best. Some medications are only used on a short-term basis, while others can be prescribed for more extended periods. Depending on the person’s symptoms, medication may treat the physical symptoms of anxiety and the psychological effects. Some of the most commonly prescribed medications to treat anxiety include:
Anti-depressants: In most cases, an anti-depressant will be the first medication offered. The main types that may be prescribed for an anxiety disorder are:
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): These drugs work by increasing the level of a chemical called serotonin in the brain. Serotonin plays a vital role in the brain, boosting feelings of wellbeing and happiness, and aiding sleep. SSRIs can be taken on a long-term basis, but it can take a few weeks for them to start working.18
Serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs): This type of medication works in a similar way to SSRIs, by increasing the levels of serotonin in the brain, but they also effect levels of another chemical called noradrenaline.19
Anti-seizure drugs: Certain anti-seizure medications (also known as anti-convulsant drugs) used to treat epilepsy can also be an effective anxiety treatment. Pregabalin is an epilepsy drug which may be offered if SSRIs and SNRIs aren’t suitable.19 It works by lowering the chemicals in the brain which make people feel anxious.20
Benzodiazepines: Sometimes benzodiazepines, a type of sedative, are used as a short-term treatment during a severe period of severe anxiety, sometimes alongside other medication. Where can I buy anxiety medication online uk
Therapy

Several psychological therapies (psychotherapy) can be useful in treating anxiety, including:

Guided self-help: A doctor or mental health specialist may suggest trying a guided self-help course to manage anxiety levels and teach coping techniques to deal with anxiety daily. This may involve going through a workbook or an online course with a therapist’s support.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): This form of therapy helps someone question their anxious thoughts or negative feelings. It can help improve focus and concentration and reduce the need to avoid doing things that cause anxiety. CBT usually involves meeting with a specially trained and accredited therapist every week for several months.
Applied relaxation: This approach involves a trained therapist teaching someone how to relax their muscles and to practise this during situations that make them feel anxious. Where can I buy anxiety medication online uk
Intervention

It is vital that anyone whose anxiety is affecting their daily life gets medical advice early to prevent their condition from worsening.

People with a suspected anxiety disorder should be offered psychological intervention as a first line treatment.21

A qualified mental health professional who knows how to treat anxiety effectively will help individuals learn critical coping strategies to deal with their anxiety disorder.

Diet

People with anxiety should try to eat a regular, healthy, well-balanced diet. It is also vital to eat regularly and avoid skipping meals, which may result in the blood sugar dropping, making people feel ‘jittery’ or on edge and worsening the underlying anxiety.22

Eating foods rich in complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains – for example, oatmeal, quinoa, and wholegrain bread and cereals – is thought to increase the amount of serotonin in the brain, which has a calming effect.23

Alcohol and caffeine should be limited or avoided. Both can make people feel on edge or nervous and can interfere with sleep patterns. Where can I buy anxiety medication online uk

Exercice

Exercise can be very beneficial for people with anxiety. It produces chemicals in the brain known as endorphins that act as natural painkillers and improve the ability to sleep, which reduces feelings of stress and anxiety. Scientists have found that regular exercise can decrease tension levels, elevate and stabilise mood, improve sleep, and improve self-esteem. Just five minutes of aerobic exercise can begin to produce anti-anxiety effects.24 Any physical exercise can help reduce anxiety, but researchers say aerobic exercise that gets the heart rate up is the most beneficial. Some aerobic exercises that can help manage anxiety are25: Where can I buy anxiety medication online uk
Swimming
Cycling
Running or jogging
Brisk walking
Tennis
Dancing
Even short bursts of exercise (just 10–15 minutes) can improve fitness levels and mood.