Self-Directed De-Program Anxiety Project

Anxiety: Why is it that so many of us wait until symptoms are so bad before we DO something about it?

Anxiety really has become “a silent epidemic”. Up to a third of the population live with anxiety, 40% of the population with anxiety or depression (Anxiety UK)

Would it not make sense to DO something BEFORE the symptoms are so severe, you have to visit the GP and their prescription pad?

Much of my clinic time is spent helping people reduce anxiety from severe to “normal” levels of anxiety. And yes! There are “normal levels of anxiety”! It’s perfectly normal to feel a rush of inner sensations when something unexpected happens, for example. But those feelings dissipate quickly. It’s mainly adrenaline (quick release and short lasting) that floods the body causing the sensations. But within minutes, the body is back in equilibrium and we go about our daily business.

Mild, moderate and severe anxiety (beyond “normal anxiety”) is when we barely notice an adrenaline rush, because there is constant disequilibrium in the body, mainly caused by high levels of cortisol (a steroid hormone). Too much cortisol is toxic to the body, and because there are cortisol receptors throughout the body, it affects pretty much everything we do and how we feel (our mood). Cortisol is long lasting, and ends up being produced constantly by the adrenal glands situated near the kidneys. It’s often why, when we’re stressed and anxious all the time, we experience a dull ache in the back - but headaches and muscle aches are also symptoms experienced because of the far reaching effects of cortisol.

If you are noticing a constant tension in your body, butterfly sensations in the abdomen, some difficulty focusing or concentrating, the likelihood is your anxiety levels are higher than they could be.

I am looking for people with mild-moderate anxiety levels to test my DeProgram Anxiety programme as a Self-Directed intervention. So far, 95% of those offering to participate have anxiety too severe to be expected to cope without additional Therapist Support.

At some point though, all those people started with mild symptoms. This is a great opportunity to “nip anxiety in the bud” by catching it early and PREVENT anxiety from becoming worse and adding to the epidemic!