Managing Anxiety

It’s normal to feel anxious at stressful times in life, such as when you’re going into hospital or taking an exam. Generally, if you worry more than necessary, most of the time, your anxiety may have become unmanageable.

It can range from mild to severe and can lead to depression – but there are lots of proven ways to ease anxiety so that it doesn’t take over your life.

When you’re living with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, problems linked to the condition itself – like bladder or bowel issues – may make you feel anxious. Getting support to manage physical challenges may be an important step to addressing your worries – SBH Scotland can help.

Call the SBH Scotland Helpline on 03455 211 300 or you can fill in this form to get in touch with our support team

Symptoms of anxiety

Anxiety can be focused on specific things, such as health or body image, or you may worry generally about lots of different things. It can cause physical and psychological symptoms, which may feel different for different people, but some of the common symptoms are below.

Psychological symptoms may include:

• overthinking – your mind may feel busy all the time
• having a sense of dread or fearing the worst
• inability to control your anxiety, even if you know you’re worrying too much
• feeling tense or nervous
• dwelling on things that happened in the past or worrying about the future

Physical symptoms may include:

• restlessness
• tiredness
• muscle tension and headaches
• nausea
• pins and needles
• faster breathing
• a racing or thumping heart
• sleep problems – this could be trouble falling or staying asleep, or having restless, unsatisfying sleep
• changes in appetite

Living with anxiety for a long time can lead to other issues. For example, you may be at higher risk of depression, and you might have difficulties in your daily life, such as problems with relationships.

Types of anxiety

Your doctor may diagnose you with a specific anxiety disorder. All anxiety disorders involve worrying too much, most of the time, but sometimes the worry is focused on certain things.

Anxiety disorders include:

• generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) – ongoing worry about lots of everyday things
• panic disorder – anxiety about having panic attacks
• social anxiety disorder – fear about social situations
• agoraphobia – fear of situations where you may panic, or feel trapped or helpless
• phobia – irrational, intense fear of something
• health anxiety – it’s natural to have concerns about your health when you live with a long-term condition or disability, but when you have anxiety, you worry more than necessary and it takes over your life
• body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) – anxiety around your appearance

What causes it?

Anxiety has lots of potential causes, and often a few different factors combine. Some of the possible causes include:

• your upbringing – if your caregivers were anxious, you may have learned to feel the same
• childhood experiences, such as bullying
• family history – you may inherit a genetic tendency to anxiety
• ongoing stress, such as problems with money, family or housing
• physical conditions and disabilities, such as spina bifida and hydrocephalus
• lifestyle factors, such as poor sleep or diet, or drinking too much alcohol
• other mental health problems
• certain medications

Why are people with spina bifida and hydrocephalus at higher risk of anxiety?

Living with spina bifida and hydrocephalus brings some challenges that may raise your risk of anxiety. For example, you may have anxiety around:

• the impact of hospital stays on money and benefits
• the effects of pain and mobility issues on your relationships
• how your health may be affected in the future
• your body image
• bladder and bowel incontinence
• accessibility problems when you go out

The cognitive effects of spina bifida and hydrocephalus can contribute to anxiety because they may affect how you manage your emotions, process information and cope with challenges.

Treating anxiety

Dealing with anxiety involves facing up to the thing that triggers your fear, which can mean you feel more anxious at first, but it’s important to remember this will pass. Tell family and friends that you’re trying to deal with your anxiety so they can support you.

How your GP can help

See your GP if you’ve had symptoms of anxiety for a while, or they’re getting in the way of your daily life. Your GP should refer you for a talking treatment called cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which helps you to understand links between your thoughts, feelings and behaviour, and develop more helpful ways to manage them. There’s lots of evidence CBT is effective for anxiety.

Your GP may prescribe medication if they think it would be helpful.

If you have cognitive issues, you may need help for your anxiety from a neuropsychiatrist – a mental health specialist who also looks at differences in the brain. Your GP should be able to refer you.

Getting private support

Some people choose to pay for talking treatment. If you’d like to do that, you can find a therapist through an accredited organisation – or ask your GP for their recommendations.

Self-care steps to ease anxiety

Breathing exercises

You can use your breath to help you feel calmer. You could try deep breathing, by placing a hand on your chest and one hand on your stomach and breathing deeply, in and out.

4-7-8 breathing can also help to calm your nervous system. While counting to 4, inhale through your nose. Then hold your breath for a count of 7, before exhaling completely through your mouth for a count of 8. 

You can find lots of breathing exercises online, such as the evidence-based three-minute breathing space.

Mindfulness

When you have anxiety, you’re often dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, so bringing yourself into the present may be helpful. This is the aim of mindfulness. There are lots of different ways to practise mindfulness, including breathing exercises like the ones above.

You could also try meditation – an app such as Headspace may be helpful. Mindfulness can be as simple as paying close attention to the here and now. You could try this grounding exercise: 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique, which involves noticing: 

5 x things you can see

4 x things you can touch or feel

3 x  things you can hear

2 x things you can smell

1 x thing you can taste

Lifestyle tips 

Exercise can be very helpful for managing anxiety. Do whatever you enjoy and can manage, such as wheeling, walking or simple exercises at home. Talk to your GP about what’s suitable for you if you’re not exercising at the moment or want to try something different. They may offer exercise on prescription.

It’s also important to get enough sleep and have a balanced diet. Avoid caffeine and alcohol – both can make anxiety worse.

Find out more about practising self-care for your mental health 

Finding more support

If you’re feeling anxious, SBH Scotland can offer support – Call the SBH Scotland Helpline on 03455 211 300 or you can fill in this form to get in touch with our support team.