Anxiety

Feeling a little anxious? Don't worry - there's lots of help and support available.

Causes of anxiety:

Anxiety may occur as part of a variety of psychiatric syndromes, including schizophrenia, depression, alcoholism and withdrawal from long-term treatment with drugs such as diazepam (valium);

Some people are more prone to anxiety, inheriting this tendency through their genes;
Sometimes the cause is obvious - when the problem disappears, so does the anxiety. Other times it's harder to pin down but could be to do with significant life changes such as pregnancy;
Some circumstances are so upsetting that the anxiety continues long after the event. These are usually life-threatening situations like car crashes, train crashes or fires;
Using drugs like amphetamines, LSD or ecstasy, may sometimes cause anxiety. Even caffeine intake from drinking tea or coffee can be enough to make some of us feel uncomfortably anxious;