Anxiety UK provides a range of services across the UK that can help you with your anxiety. These include our national helpline, staffed by people who have lived with anxiety. We also offer therapy services in a range of locations. If you are in an area where there are no available therapists, or if you are struggling to get out of the house, Anxiety UK has developed a webcam and telephone therapy service meaning everyone has the opportunity to get help if they need it. To access these services, become a member by clicking here.
Recommended starting points
Anxiety Disorders Page
Get information about your specific anxiety disorder and obtain support from others similarly affected by posting your story to the webpage
Anxiety UK Free Downloads
This is a good place to start if you are looking for more detailed information about your anxiety disorder. We have booklets available that are free to download and cover a range of disorders.
FAQs
Our new frequently asked questions section aims to answer your queries about anxiety in general.
[ Anxiety FAQ ]
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Anxiety UK Therapy locations
Anxiety UK members are able to access a full range of therapy services. View the therapy services available in your area.
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Hi
Everything I have been told and read has said that anxiety dose not lead to schitophtenia and that it is not a anxiety condition but when I looked at your web sit on the graph from your members servay you have it down. I have OCD and my biggest fear is that it will develop in something more serious. Can you explain if it can.
HI Brett,
There is no causal link between having an anxiety disorder and then going on to develop a psychotic disorder like schizophrenia. There is a great section in ‘overcoming health anxiety’ that looks at the ‘fear of going crazy/ becoming psychotic’ as this one common worry for people with anxiety – but there is no evidence to support this. At the same time, anxiety disorders are commonly found in people who have schizophrenia as their primary diagnosis, which is why some of our members suffer with both. If you want to discuss this further you should call our helpline on 08444 775 774, many of our volunteers have personal experience of anxiety and will be able to identify with your fears.
Best wishes
Cat (Anxiety UK)
Hi there,
Reading the above article from Gareth and Cat has helped me a little in thinking that my reasoning for panic and depression is not so uncommon.
I have suffered from depression for 10 years since my parents separated (I always think this is a rubbish reason for triggering depression as there are many other worse reasons). I learned to deal with panic attacks the first time through CBT. My fears were from dying but now I am suffering from much more in depth fears such as turning into a schizophrenic or that I will turn myself insane and be uncontrollable. I am due to see a CB Therapist in a couple of weeks but im so scared that I wont let them help me or I wont believe what they are saying and then I really will go insane. Please help
Hi Stacey,
I know how scary it can be to feel that you might be losing control of your mind. As I mentioned earlier, we do get a lot of calls to the helpline about this issue and it is one of the key features of Generalised Anxiety Disorder and some forms of Health Anxiety. I know what it is like because I have been there myself and was so scared that I didn’t want to tell my GP what was happening. That was 8 years ago, and I can tell you that anxiety is very different to a disorder like schizophrenia. When you are developing a disorder like that you are often not aware that anything is wrong, you just start to have unusual beliefs or feelings. Your therapist will be able to help you, so please don’t be scared of letting them know how you are feeling.
Best of luck, get in touch if we can help
Cat
(Anxiety UK)
plrase call me back i need help
Hi Joy,
We don’t have a number for you but if you want to email us we can get in touch. The email is support@anxietyuk.org.uk
Best wishes
Cat (Anxiety UK)
hi, im not sure if im suffering from anxiety….i cannot go 10 miles from home without feeling sick, sweating dizziness, loss of control, soon as i get near home i am fine!!! now i am starting to feel anxious everyday??? thanks rose.x
Hello Andrew. To find out what services are available in your area, ring our helpline on 08444 775 774. Terri (Anxiety UK)
I have had glandular fever and been ill for months. I keep getting palitations and missed heart beats. had them before in times of anxiety. this morning i had really bad palpitations on waking for a few minutes. my whole body is tense. I feel scared of walking in case something happens to me
I feel generally anxious more or less all the time – butterflies in my stomach, unable to concentrate together with a feeling of weakness in my arms and legs also loss of appetite. I am healthy, active and have no problems re work, home, money or family. I cannot understand and cannot get my head round why I would be affected by anxiety. I am looking for a quick cure but there does not seem to be one. Can anyone recommend any good relaxation excercises.
Chas
Hi Chas,
I found yoga really helpful – you could get a book or DVD from the online shop and do it at home if you didn’t want to go to a class. I found it difficult to ‘sit and relax’ but yoga is quite active as well as being relaxing. Running is another good one.
Best wishes
Cat (Anxiety UK)
Hi Cat, thanks for that. I may look into Yoga but I am not sure.
Funny thing is yesterday I felt fine all day. Today I was fine until I stepped out the door to take my morning fast walk then my legs felt wooden and tired. I started getting anxious and was tempted to go back inside. However I persevered and carried on. I was disappointed my exercise did not make any difference or make me feel more relaxed.
I now think I will just have to take every day as it comes and deal with it as best I can.
Chas
I was sitting at my desk concentrating on my work and felt fine and looking forward to my dinner. I stood up and felt dizzy. Immediately I got butterflies, weak legs and loss of appetite.
Why does this happen so suddenly?
Chas
I have very very similar problems to Chas, apart from mine have been going on for a while now, very soon after I moved back from University. I just cannot see a way out, a way of curing myself. Is there anything you can recommend I can try?
i need help asap, i have had a tablet twice strength of normal and its not working. I am wide awake as have been on flu tablets with caffeine in and i am very scared.
Please i need to speak to somebody, i am uk and don’t know what to do, wife is also panicking.
Hi Guy,
If you are having trouble with Medication then maybe NHS Direct can help you.
0845 4647
Thanks,
David
Hi Guy,
Hope you managed to get through this OK, I had a horrible incident myself with an OD of caffiene and feeling like I was going to have a heart attack – everything seems worse at 4am when you heart is pounding. Give us a call on the AUK helpline of that would help 08444775774, we can also help you to access therapy if you need it.
Best wishes
Cat (Anxiety UK)
Hi
I would like to know whether any of these symptoms are symptoms of anxiety?
- Unable to stop moving (such as just moving a foot) without feeling like your heart will stop
- Palpitations
- Inability to sleep
- Constantly feeling uncomfortable
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Hi
I have been suffering from panic attacks for many years.
Hi, I am 41 years old.
I have been suffering from panic attacks for many years. I get a tightness and a sickly feeling on the upper left side of my body. A shortness of breath and an overwheling feeling that I am going to have a heart attack. Sometimes the feeling is up just under my left shoulder. It can stay there for many hours after the attack has gone. Lots of things trigger it: driving in very busy traffic espically motorways, shopping centres, cinema, and being away from home. Sometimes I can go for weeks and dont get one, then I can get 2 or 3 in a few days, I recently went away for Christmas and because I was away from home I got a few. Its the most awful feeling when they come. Think of butterflies in the stomach but in the upper left area near of just above the heart. After lots of tests (a few years ago) I was told that my problem was muscular due to anxiety. I also seem to get them when I go to bed. short-sharpe breathing and twitching. I just take it day by day, I hope this helps others and would be keen to hear if anyone else suffers in a similar way.
Hi david, i started very much the same way as you. Unexplained feeling of panic, all the physical tightenings in the chest etc which lead to panic attacks. I do not like leaving the home, going into public places in case it happens again. Research agorophobia and social phobias and see if this sounds like you. We have no idea why these start but there are many different types of help you can get in which to get you back to your ‘preferred’ self. Im currently undergoing cbt and a course of anti depressents so im getting there and seeing massive improvements. Hope you sort it out and good luck.
Mike
Hi Dave,
I read you’re e-mail and I completly know where you’re coming from. I’ve been suffering attacks for about a year now and after my first one I actually dialed 999 as I thought I was about to die. Apparently it’s not that uncommon!
Anyway, I’d just throught I’d put up a couple of ideas that I use to help me.
Firstly, I have to remind myself that no one has ever died from a panic attack. The worst case scenario is that you are going to loose consiousness. This is actually a good thing as it is one of your bodys coping mechanisms. By loosing consiousness your body can begin to take control again and your breathing and heart rate will return to normal. You may be a little confused when you wake up, but you will wake up.
The second thing is not to lie in bed when you start to panic. It’s actually my worst place for it. Before bed make sure you wind down. Turn off the TV and just listen to some music on the radio or read a book for half an hour. Then slowly make your way to bed. If you start to panic in bed then get up – do not try and stay in it. Go and read a book. It’s better to fall asleep on the couch and be a little tired the next day then to struggle through it and be scared of your bed the next night!
If it’s really bad then use a paper bag to lower your oxygen level, or if you don’t have one count your breathing (two in, three out – SLOWLY!) This will allow your oxygen levels to drop which will prevent you from hyperventilating. Once they start to drop you’ll notice you heart rate slowing (this is a good thing, it’s not going to stop!) and your other symptoms will begin to fade.
Finally, I try not to take myself seriously when I’m panicking. Once you’ve got your head around the fact that you’re not going to die (as above, you’re body will make you loose consiousness first to bring the heart rate down) then you’ll soon find most problems can’t be fixed until the morning anyway. Get up, write them down, and if you’re still worried about them in the morning deal with them then. If not then you can tell yourself that they are not an issue next time.
Like Mike said CBT can be really useful, but just because you’re having anxiety attacks doesn’t mean it’s going to develop into anything else. We live in a very fast paced world that our bodies weren’t designed for, and so anxiety is going to be higher for us all. Usually when I have attacks I look at my life and can quickly pin point a cause. And if there is another reason then your CBT councillor should be able to find it fairly quickly.
I’m not a doctor, or a psychologist so don’t take my word as fact, but these are just a few things that helped me, and I hope they’ll help you. I’m also really glad that you’ve discovered this site, as I’ve found it really useful.
All the best, Lucy
It was great to read your email Lucy. I also get anxiety when I go to bed. I can’t figure out why that happens or what the association is but it happens that way and then I wake up like it too. I’ll give your theory a tryv too. :)
Thanks!
Hi,is anyone else feeling the same as me? I am always anxious and it has lead me to be off from my job for months. I am having CBT and am on anti-depressants but nothing seems to be helping much
hi my name is max im 24,i suffer from severe generalised anxiety nearly all of the time, it is so bad i cant work or study, i have just had my medication changed, one medication i would recomend is olanzapine it does seem to take the edge off, does anyone know of any support groups in bristol?? which i could attend as it would be good to talk to people with similar problems. thanks
Hi Abby. My name is Kate and I too am anxious all the time and most of the time it is for no reason that I can think of. It is so constant and unrelenting that the only peace I get is when I am asleep. I also take antidepressants but nothing seems to help. I am currently receiving CBT sessions but the awful feeling over rides anything that I try to do. It is frightening me now as it has gone on for so long and I don’t know what to do to help myself. I lost my job through depression and took early retirement so you would think that being away from all the stress of work would help. It does help a bit to know I am not alone with this awful condition.
I was suffering with panic attacks for a long time and after collapsing in my local supermarket it got to the point where I really didn”t want to leave the house any more. I tried many different things and it was after realising that I couldn”t go out without having at least some alcohol that I tried hypnotherapy. Not sure it would work for everyone but so far it has been great for me and as he said it would I”m now back in control and it feels great.
hi i am in the same situation as you anti depressentants didnt do i thing i feel housebound theonly thing that helps is a drink?
Dear Sir ,
I have severe problems with anxiety and depression everything is so exhausting and stressful . Severe hyperventillating was supposed to attend a therapist after finding out – did not have asthma I had been treated for for about 2 years . Also, ended up in casualty back then thinking it was a stroke . Never did get that referral at hospital for breathing difficulties that never went away . Was also tested for early onset Alzheimers then advised it was anxiety , good in one way . I only intended to tap in a few sentences . I cannot even keep appointments I am so scattered and attract problems like a magnate too .
Yours faithfully
Ann Mc G
Hi Ann,
Have you thought about having any psychological treatment for your problems? IT can help you to learn to relax and think differently about the way you feel. Hypnotherapy can also be really good for relaxation.
Best wishes
Cat (Anxiety UK)
I am currently on seroxat 20mg, 1/2 tablet of sleeping tablet and 1/2 tablet of another anti depressant. I just want my life back, I am feeling so much better, but cant go back to my social life as you cant drink alcohol and I have a very social life, people are wondering why I dont want a glass of wine.
I cant seem to do my sport either as I think the Seroxat affects me in the afternoon as I feel shaky, like a blood sugar problem.
I feel like going cold turkey to get off all medication, but how long would it take? I have only been on the medication 1 month!
Hi Vic,
I would reccomend that if you are thinking of coming off your medication you should talk to your GP – they are best placed to support you with any side effects and gradually reduce your dose. We also have a psychiatric pharmacy helpline if you have any medication queries.
Best wishes
Cat (Anxiety UK)
I am 16 and have been suffering with panic attacks since i was 8. i never did anything about it till 4 months ago. i only feel safe at home and rarely like to travel to new places. I was invited to a party but it is an 1hr and 30 minute drive away and i just feel like i will have another attack. I don’t know what to do as i want to push myself to helping me overcome my panic attacks but i’m scared at the same time.
Help!!
Hi Violet,
Best thing you can do is to try and push back on it as much as you can – the more you give in to your anxiety the more is takes from you, but I know that is easier said than done. Have you thought about therapy, or a self help guide? They can help to give you the motivation and support to start pushing yourself.
Best wishes
Cat
(Anxiety UK)
Hi Violet , i just read your story and i feel acutally the same all my mates are like lets go away for the weekend stay somewer and go shopping and i get all worried and that because i no what im going to feel like , i feel like its runioning my life because i cant go anywer , i have to go away in may and im really worried but really excited about tanning up in the sun as any girl would lol , but i really wanna go beacuse i dont wanna let this win over me , i just wish someone cud knock me out and drop me there lol
im glad im not the olny one that sufferes with this type of anxiety .
i hope that if we share stuff mayb it will help us .
Hi everyone,
I am really struggling at the moment, have had generalised anxiety for the last 6 years and don’t know what the best step forward is, but the last month has been the worst I can remember, I constantly feel depressed and anxious, I rely on drink to get me through which I know is really bad. I don’t have anyone to talk to as my family and girlfriend don’t understand and say its all in my head which I know it probably is, but don’t know how to move forward. Is there a specialist I should see, go to hypnotherapy, cbt, any suggestions?
I just feel I’m wasting my life away and really want to go out and do lots of different things but just find it so hard, eating out at a restaurant etc is especially hard for me. Maybe if there’s someone in the bristol area with similar problem could meet up and talk may help I suppose?
Please help me I feel so bad I don’t know what to do.
Thank-you matt
Hi Matt,
I am so sorry to hear that you are feeling down – please don’t feel like you are alone with this as we are keen to help. In terms of treatment, CBT has the most evidence for its effectiveness, but hypnotherapy is a gentler starting point and can help you relax. As someone who has lived with GAD I know how much it can ware you down and make you feel depressed – but always remember there is another way out. I would advise that you take a look at our GAD booklet that has lots of basic coping strategies in http://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/GAD-brief-guide-web.pdf. You can always call the helpline if you want to talk to someone who has been through anxiety, on 08444 775 774.
Best wishes
Cat
(Anxiety UK)
Hi Matt
I felt compelled to answer your post as I could have almost ‘copy and pasted ‘ it as it is exactly how i feel, my girlfriend now says ” get some help, Im fed up of hearing it”, I think no one else feels like ‘this’, it affects my every day life with this feeling of constant agitation and stops me doing a lot of social stuff because I worry so much about the situation and get my self at it so much I feel physically sick at the thought , subsiquently avoiding it. I sometimes wonder ‘Am I going to be like this for the rest of my life? Ive got a full time job and lovely family but its just ‘this’ that blights it!! . How did you get on?
Hi Matt,
Im from Bristol and all the things you have described you are going through are the same things I have been experiencing for the last 2 years and also use drink as a way of coping. I know there is a support group in Bristol on a Thursday night at a place on Old Market…..I havent plcked up the courage to go there yet though!!! :)
I dont know how to give you my email address on here but if you want to chat more I will see what I can do….whether that be signing up etc.
Take care :)
Hello,
I am 21 and I have been suffering with anxiety for many years now. At first I did not know what it was, I was constantly trying to attach a reason to my worries. I would worry about everything and everyone. I would convince myself that there must be something very wrong with my life to try and explain what I was feeling. Over the years I have realized that my feelings of worry, sickness, shaking, muscle tension and that horrible tightness in my chest and throat was just anxiety.
I am desperate to find some way of stopping this feeling of panic inside me.
My father suffered terribly through his 20′s so it is a small comfort to know that I am not the only one feeling this way. People can not understand that you may be perfectly fine as in your day is full of lovely things to do with lovely people but you can’t get the feeling of intense worry out of your mind, My father tells me that it will subside and that I will not always be this way.
I have read through many of the comments above and it is nice to see that I am not the only one.
I do not feel as though I am in control of my own mind as it is constantly worrying. I will be in control. I just need to believe it.
One thing that I have found to help me (it sounds silly but) is laughing a lot. Not just at funny films but when a silly thought comes into my head I try and laugh it off.
If anyone can help please do.
Amy
Hi, I find humor is the besr medicine and make sure u r getting enough rest!
Hi amy…
Laughter is the best medicine they say, it releases endorphines in to the blood, which are the body’s natural feel good drug, but it’s not always easy to laugh, when your anxiety levels are through the roof!!
I have suffered panic attacks/depression/anxiety now for 11 years following the birth of my little girl, I was diagnosed with a blood clot in one of my lungs following the birth, and then other major life events have occurred, I lost my mum 7years ago and that was when depression really kicked in. I haven’t really recovered from the onset after my baby was born. I’ve been on antidepressants and diazepam, both of which I worried about becoming dependant on, and managed to come off of. The panic attacks are very few and far between now, but I suffer terribly with anxiety. My job (nurse) involves speaking with people, doctors, various disciplines, which i’m really struggling with. I avoid answering the phone, leaving it to my colleagues, as I fear I won’t be able to answer any questions and therefore people will think i’m ‘useless’, and the thought of giving a handover to my colleagues absolutely fills me with dread, again, I avoid if I can. I know i’m not doing myself any favours ‘avoiding’ these things, but I can’t find the strength to deal with them, I literally freeze with fear at times!!
It’s just good to read through other peoples’ stories etc and to feel not alone in this, I actually feel like a ‘freak’ and wish so much to be like others, who seem to have bags of confidence, but, again, I know that comparing myself to others is not the right thing to do!
It’s very very difficult, and I just struggle from day to day, trying my best to do what my CBT therapist taught me, some days it helps, others it doesn;t. And always hopeful that my brian will snap itself out of this horrible hole that it’s in?
All I ask for is to be ‘normal’…i’m that bad just now that our family holiday abroad in september, is causing me sleepness nights…here’s me thinking the whole point of a holiday is to unwind and relax???
Anyway, if my experiences help someone else on this site, then i’ve achieved something. Good to know we’re not alone tho =)
Hi , My Name is Sammi , and im in my late teens , i was looking for someone to talk to about anxiety because i feel like no one knows what im on about and my docotor didnt help me i feel like im on my own , apart from my mum understands , i suffer from anxiety when i no im going away like for the night for the weekend , i recently went away for a night it was olny an hour away from home but the morning i knew i was going away i started to get panicy shakey sticky hands needing to go to the toilet struggleing to breath and i cudnt eat my breakfast , when we got in the car and as we was drving up i was alot better i think this was because we was doing sumthing so it keeps my mind off of it , im going away in may for a week and im really worried ino its going to happen in the moring before i go away , i just want to know if there is anything i can take , such as rescue remade drops alot of people say it works , i think if u no ur talking something then you know your going to be ok ,
If anyone understands or can help please reply
sammi
Hi everybody,
I had suffered from anxiety/panic all my life, for 40 years, and I was living in a hell. I had strange thoughts and felt so different from everybody else, so disconnected and alienated. I couldn’t do anything without feeling super-stressed. A few years ago I sought treatment from a Clinical Hypnotherapist. I saw her by chance 3 weeks ago on TV, on Channel 4 in an episode of Embarrassing Bodies, where she treated somebody who had suffered from something that could not be treated. She changed my life, and this is why I am writing to tell as many people: you can escape from this daily hell that you are living in. You really can. Do not wait too long as it will likely get worse if you do not do anything about it. I dread to think where I would be now if it hadn’t been for her. I can live a normal, happy life again, do normal things and enjoy them, without any stress, panic and anxiety. Please look for help.
I wish you all peace and calm.
Maria
hi who was the hypnotherapist and what is the expense of going to see one?
Hello Kezza,
You are more than welcome to give us a call on the helpline any time and we can discuss about different services available.
Best wishes,
Anxiety UK
hi everyone
recently joined up too anxiety uk an its nice too hear there’s others going through what iam , although i knew this that people do suffer with there nerves. i worry alot an dont really feel comfy going out alone expect if with my mum as shes who iam used too being with an iam in my comforts own, would be nice too make friends with other people who’s suffering with anxiety asit can feel like a very lonely place an would be nice too have someone there for you who knows what it’s like
I am currently a student at university and have been suffering from sweating, heart palputations, shortness of breath, dizziness, always being thirsty, talking fast, shaking, being nervous in social situations when i’m by myself in public. I have always tried avoiding going out alone as these symptoms are far from embarassing. I ignored these sympoms for a while as i’ve always been a quiet person and thought it was me being stupid or insecure. I also thought it may be down to my allergies (shortness of breath symptom) and my asthma or even linked to bullying i got at school.
A year ago after my mother passed away my symptoms got worse, we did everything today. She was, shall i say, my comfort blanket who went out with me everywhere. Sooner or later the depression kicked in, and then started not going out at all. Later last year i met the challenge of going to university, moving to a different city, moving away from my only family (my brother) and having to make new friends and adapt to a different city etc. My symptoms got worse. I have found myself not being able to go out by myself, even for simple things like food, i’d rather starve. I even find myself contemplating suicide. After suffering for so long i went to my local GP and spoke to them about my symptoms. She passed me a leaflet about bereavement counselling and that was it. Later that day i found out because my mother passed away in another hospital (not in manchester) i wasn’t legible to recieve any councilling. I’m now in a situation where i don’t know who to ask for help or where to go to. Anyone got any advice please?
HI Katie,
I am so sorry to hear you have been through so much. I would advise seeing either a counsellor if you feel you have unresolved issues from your bereavement, or a CBT therapist if you want help with your anxiety and depressive symptoms. You can do this through your GP under the IAPT program, or through us at Anxiety UK. If you give our helpline a call you will be able to speak to one of our fantastic volunteers who has personal experience of anxiety, and who will be able to talk you through the sign up process. In the meantime you can post on our free online groups and get some support from others similarly effected. Good luck whatever you decide to try, and remember you are not on your own with this.
Best wishes
Cat (Anxiety UK)
Where am I able to find an online group?
hi everyone, what a great site, i havent been well with anxiety since september ive never had it before, my weight went down to 6 stone 2 lbs and the most awful panic attacks. i know the reason my son who is only ten as suffered with severe anxiety for 2 years now , he has it that bad that he sees scary people that aernt there and hears voices, im at the end of my tether, he is now self harming coz the voices are telling him to do it and that if he does that they will go away, camhs wont see him they have said no cause for concern its just extreme anxiety!!!!! anyone else going through something similar