Generalised Anxiety Disorder: Anxiety Therapy in Newcastle

There are many different types of anxiety disorders. Some people might experience symptoms of just one of these disorders, whereas others may experience symptoms from several of them.

What is Anxiety?

This page mostly focuses on general anxiety or Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD). For information on other specific types of anxiety, please click on the links below:

Anxiety is a normal emotional response we will all experience at times in our lives. We tend to feel anxious when we are in situations that are stressful, threatening, or otherwise difficult. It is linked to our ‘fight or flight’ response and its main purpose is to keep us safe and alert us to danger.

Anxiety isn’t in itself a mental health condition, however, for some people it can become a significant problem. For example, some people feel anxious almost all of the time, and they may feel their anxiety very strongly. It can then start to have a negative impact on their day-to-day lives. At this point, they may feel like they need some support to try and take back some of the control or influence that their anxiety has over them.

What is Generalised Anxiety Disorder?

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) involves excessive and extreme worry about a variety of different things. People with GAD often describe feeling almost constant worry, tension and a feeling of nervousness. Their anxiety spans a wide range of different situations and issues, as opposed to some other types of anxiety disorder which are often focused on specific situations and events, for example, phobias or social anxiety. People with GAD will find themselves feeling anxious most days and may find it difficult to ever truly feel relaxed and at ease.

Although anxiety is a completely normal and important emotion, people with GAD experience anxiety to a much greater degree than what we would usually expect. The worries that people with GAD experience can seem catastrophic at times – their brains will always come up with the worst-case scenario.

Over time, GAD will usually start to interfere with how people function from day to day and may lead to the avoidance of certain activities or situations, for fear they will cause even more anxiety. It is often when people find their anxiety is starting to disrupt their everyday life, that they will seek support to help manage and cope with it.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

Psychological Symptoms

Feeling worried
Feeling restless or fidgety
A sense of dread or feeling as though something awful is about to happen
Feeling on edge
Feeling depressed
Being easily annoyed or irritable
Being unable to concentrate
Feeling overwhelmed
Ruminating

Physical Symptoms

Feeling dizzy or faint
Heart palpitations
Tiredness
Feeling shaky
Shortness of breath
Feeling nauseous
Going to the toilet more frequently
Sweating or hot flushes
Headaches
Muscle tension or pain
Sleep problems of feeling fatigued
Grinding your teeth
Panic attacks

What Causes Anxiety?

For some people, there will be a clear cause or trigger for their anxiety. For example, a significant life event such as a bereavement or going through a divorce. Sometimes positive life events can also trigger anxiety, for example, many people report an increase in anxiety when they have a baby. They may find themselves spending a lot of time worrying about their baby and whether they are doing a good job at being a parent.

Other people may develop Generalised Anxiety Disorder if they have a lot of ongoing stress in their lives. There may not be one particular event that the anxiety is linked to, but rather a series of smaller stressors that can begin to feel relentless and overwhelming.

We also know that genetic factors are likely to play a role in why some people develop an anxiety disorder like GAD and others don’t. If someone has a family history of anxiety disorders, they are more likely to be diagnosed with one themselves. This is likely partly due to genetics, but also in some cases due to learned behaviour in childhood.

How to Deal with Anxiety

Try to notice what it is that is causing your anxiety. Are there certain situations that you tend to feel more anxious in? Or perhaps your anxiety increases when you think of something specific. It can be helpful to figure out what triggers your anxiety and identify the thoughts that might be accompanying the feeling.
When you can identify the things that are causing you to feel anxious, try writing them down. Sometimes getting thoughts out of your head and down on paper can help to put some distance between you and them, allowing you to view them slightly differently.
Understand your body and your physical reaction to anxiety. We all experience anxiety in different ways, some people feel like they have butterflies in their stomach, others may feel as though they can’t catch their breath or they might feel dizzy. Try reading about the physical response to anxiety, or watch a video on YouTube. Understanding what is happening to your body and why, can make it less scary.
Look after your overall well-being. Focus on your own needs and don’t be afraid to prioritise yourself during difficult times. Make sure you are taking care of the basics – eating well, making sure you are getting enough sleep, having time to relax and doing regular exercise. These things might sound simple but it is important to have a solid base to build upon when you are trying to improve signs of anxiety.
Many people find that having therapy can help them learn new ways of managing their anxiety, allowing them to take back some control of their lives. Therapy can help people understand their reasons for anxiety, and provide support to put strategies and techniques into place to help them cope.

Therapy for Anxiety

Various types of therapy can help manage GAD. These include:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

The aim of CBT for generalised anxiety is to help people understand more about their worries and how to deal with them. CBT helps people to become more aware of the thoughts that might be driving their anxiety and to challenge these thoughts if they are unrealistic, or catastrophic.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT acknowledges anxiety is part of life and being human. Therefore if we can’t change our emotions or our thoughts, we need to learn to live with them. ACT helps people to hold their worries and thoughts more lightly and that anxiety is not the main driver behind their actions.

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is often used alongside other types of therapy as a way of helping people stay present in the moment and learn to focus their attention on the here and now. It is also helpful in teaching people to observe their thoughts, rather than getting caught up in them.

Mindfulness

Why Choose Turning Tides Psychology?

At Turning Tides, our team of Psychologists are highly trained and have many years of experience working with common mental health conditions, such as anxiety.

Our therapists are all fully qualified in using a range of different approaches that can help manage anxiety and are able to integrate aspects of different approaches to ensure your sessions meet your individual needs. The aim of an anxiety therapist is to provide you with the tools you need to be able to manage your mental health independently.

Our psychologists can help you to understand your anxiety, exploring some of the different factors that have brought you to where you are today. Based on these individual factors, they will teach you strategies to effectively manage symptoms of anxiety and allow you to move forward in your life.

We offer regular face-to-face appointments at our modern and comfortable clinic in Hoult’s Yard, Newcastle or we can offer online therapy via Zoom if you live further afield or have a preference for online sessions.

Our Fees

We have tried to keep our pricing as simple as possible. We charge £120 for a 60-minute appointment, regardless of whether this is an assessment or therapy session. Our fees are the same for face-to-face appointments and online appointments as you will receive the same high standard of care from our psychologists, regardless of how it is delivered.

Get in touch today

A psychologist will then be in touch to arrange a free 15-minute no-obligation call, where we can discuss your requirements in more detail and you can get a feel for whether Turning Tides is the right psychology practice for you.

If we’re not right for you, we’ll try and signpost you to somewhere that is.

Please note – Turning Tides is not a crisis service, and if you feel you need urgent support or are experiencing a mental health crisis then it is important that you contact your GP if they are available, or attend A&E.