25. June 2026
Understanding Anxiety in Adulthood.
As the sun rises over the various housing estates of the North of England today, there will be thousands of individuals who have had little to no sleep yet again. The night brings darkness and darkness can trigger some harsh and repetitive negative or cycling thoughts. Some feeling that they are at risk of harm or repression. Their breathing can become shallow yet fast. Cold sweats dripping down your spine, on your face and hands making your clothing or bedlinen stick to you like you have clothed yourself straight from having a bath or shower. The cause of these physical and emotional reactions – anxiety.
Mental health services, both community and hospital based, are sadly few and far between especially in more socially and economically deprived areas of Britain with the North East of England ranking as one of the worst. Without the much-needed input from mental health services, many self-medicate with cheap alcohol or drugs to supress the extremes that anxiety can bring. Bearing this in mind, how can we help ourselves if we are in this situation? What is anxiety? How can I support myself and my family? Is there any support outside of the NHS or my countries government run services?
Anxiety – not just a single health problem
Anxiety is a more modern psychiatric term use to describe a group of health conditions (APA, 2013, p.189-195). The term anxiety includes conditions such as phobias, fear, stress, social and panic disorders. Anxiety is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental health problems across the UK and beyond. Humans need to have a base level of anxiety to protect us. So, feeling anxious or stressed at times is ok and is perfectly normal. These emotions can produce various physical symptoms (palpitations, breathlessness, dizziness), cognitive symptoms (worry, rumination), and behavioural changes (avoidance). It becomes a clinical problem when it is frequent, disproportionate, or functionally disabling. However, when these feelings become constant or stop us from living our life for a long period of time is when it can be considered harmful and we may need to seek medical advice. It is highly treatable yet as with all medical or other life problems, the longer we leave it the worse and the harder to treat it can become.
Some of the types of anxiety we may have include:
- Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- Mutism (electing not to speak or communicate through sign)
- Phobias such as fear or certain animals, insects or foods. Also, fear of hights, confined spaces, social situations.
- Panic Disorders including panic attacks
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Dysmorphic Disorders can include negative body or gender viewpoint
- Hoarding
- Skin Picking Disorder etc.
If we are finding it impossible to switch off from our chronic (meaning long lasting) anxieties and they have started to escalate – reach out for medical help straight away. Signs may include: suicidal thoughts, severe functional decline, psychosis — treat these as emergencies and use emergency services such as visiting A&E, calling 999, visit an Urgent Care Centre or call NHS 111.
Helping ourselves
Although it is always recommended to seek a qualified health care providers professional opinion, this is not always possible. There are helpful and safe ways to assist ourselves. It is important to note however, that there are unsafe websites, books, magazine and advice out there. This can include being told to use untested medications, religious rituals, untested herbal remedies, diets or following unsafe non genuine scientific advice. These are some of the safe spaces to look for help and advice surrounding anxiety issues:
NHS 111 online - https://111.nhs.uk/ or you can call 111 and select option 2 from your mobile or home telephone free of charge if you need urgent advice.
NHS England or your countries NHS such as NHS Scotland - https://www.nhs.uk/
You can use your NHS app or your GP’s website too. There are a number of mental health websites and telephone services that can provide up to date information and support that are provided by charities or private organisations:
Mind – https://www.mind.org.uk/ or telephone The Infoline on 0300 123 3393. This is a charity that can support and provide advice. They run workshops, safe spaces, telephone helplines and create up to date scientific information on various mental health complaints including anxiety disorders. These services are provided locally. Check their website for your local charity.
Anxiety UK - https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/ or telephone their Infoline on 03444 775 774. This charity provides therapy sessions, up to date information, training and many other services. Some services may be chargeable. Please check their site for more details.
Samaritans - https://www.samaritans.org/ or telephone any time on 116 123 for free. You can email them at jo@samartians.org as well as speak to someone online or face to face at one of their offices.
Helping ourselves also includes making sure we care for our general wellbeing and of those that lives with us especially children. For example, by eating a balanced diet as possible within our financial constraints. Keeping ourselves, our homes and clothes clean. If we have pets, ensure that they are well cared for, loved and protected – they will love you back. Always reach out for support if we are in financial need. There are local food and pet food banks and services that will try and assist with homelessness if this is an issue for you.
Self-support – what can I try and trust
Whilst we are waiting for assistance from either our GP or another NHS service, there are things we can do at home that will help with our anxiety levels. These may include:
- Breathing and grounding: slow diaphragmatic breathing for several minutes to reduce arousal. (NHS,2025)
- Structured routine and sleep hygiene: consistent wake/sleep times and simple daily plans. (NHS inform.scot, 2025)
- Physical activity: short, regular walks or gentle exercise to reduce tension. (NHS inform.scot, 2025)
- Cognitive techniques: keep a worry diary and practise testing unhelpful thoughts (CBT principles). (Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.nhs, 2025)
- Graded exposure: approach avoided situations in small, planned steps to reduce avoidance and fear. (NHS inform.scot, 2025)
- Listen and validate rather than minimise; offer practical help with appointments and routines. (mind.org, 2025)
- Encourage evidence‑based help (NHS self‑help, Talking Therapies, charity helplines) and avoid pressuring for immediate “fixes.” Follow evidence‑based therapies such as CBT which are effective first‑line options, and in the UK free NHS resources and national charities provide immediate guidance and pathways to treatment. (NHS, 2023 & NHS inform (Scotland), 2025).
As previously mentioned, we need to ensure we are careful whose advice we accept. Although it may be well meaning, some individuals could pose a risk to us. These may include:
- Unregulated “quick cures” and high‑cost packages that often lack clear evidence or have never been tested to ensure patient safety. One way of checking is by consulting the NHS recommended treatments such as CBT.
Conclusion
Suffering from anxiety is not a death sentence. There is help out there even if we chose that we do not wish to talk to a doctor or psychologist. Although it may seem an up-hill struggle to try and over come the effects of anxiety, doing nothing and allowing this health condition to rule our lives is far worse. This article briefly outlines some self-help websites and avenues of support that we have control over. Both the NHS in the UK and local registered mental health organisations in your own country will offer help to over come this disorder in a manageable way.
Selected authoritative sources for anxiety treatment:
https://selfhelp.cntw.nhs.uk/self-help-guides/anxiety
https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health
https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2023/01/Anxiety-moodjuice-guide.pdf