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Anxiety is the anticipation of trouble, misfortune or adversity, difficulties or disaster. Anyone can feel stressed and anxious from time to time; to feel fearful at the thought of, for example, an upcoming medical test, a presentation at work, a job interview, or an exam. It is a normal response to a stressful, or perceived stressful, situation. Whatever it is that you may be anxious about, you may feel that you've no control over what could happen; how events might turn out and how you'll cope if things do go wrong.

But, like all emotions, anxiety can have a positive effect; it serves as your internal alarm and prompts you to take necessary measures to prevent the worst case scenario from happening. Most of the time, once the stressful situation is over, anxious feelings subside. There are, though, times when feelings of anxiety are more permanent and entrenched and adversely affect your mental health. Being anxious about how to cope can lead to being depressed because you feel you have little or no control over what's happening.

Just as the symptoms of depression will vary from person to person, so will the symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety may be experienced in some of the following ways:

Emotional and physical responses:

 Racing thoughts

 Fretting and ruminating

 Being jumpy and on edge, feeling ‘wired’, tense, irritable, impatient, angry

 Distrusting of and/or aggressive with others

 Irrational fears

 Feelings of impending doom

 Sensations of nausea, choking, or being unable to breathe or hyperventilating

 Feeling panicky; pounding heart/increased heart rate, chest pain (sweating/muscle tension/shaky)

 Fear of losing control

 IBS, headaches, migraines.

How you might behave:

 Becoming agitated, speedy; inability to rest

 Seeking constant approval or reassurance

 Needing to avoid or escape certain situations – social gatherings, for example, or being at work – any situation perceived as a threat

 Obsessive and controlling behaviour

 Taking a long time to calm down following upsets.