LHM Youth Lifestyle Information – Feeling Anxious

Feeling anxious or worried and having anxiety disorder are two slightly different things that can sometimes get a bit mixed up. Let’s look at it a little closer.

The difference between feeling anxious and having an anxiety disorder

Feeling nervous or anxious about areas of our lives is a completely normal thing. Everyone experiences times or events that makes us worry.

We might have a test at school or college that makes us feel nervous, we may have an upcoming appointment with our cardiac teams that makes us worry as we have to have some tests or get some results. If you find yourself worried or anxious at these times that’s okay. We all have different experiences which set us up for different reactions. You will find that after you finish your appointment or get the results of your test the nerves go away and you can move on.

If you find that the nervous feeling doesn’t go away after the hospital appointment has ended, that most things you do increase the feeling of worry and every day you find yourself in a state of anxiety or panic it might be that you are starting to or already are suffering from an anxiety disorder.

What can anxiety disorders look like?

The symptoms of anxiety disorders can affect both the body and the mind. In other words people with anxiety struggle both physically and mentally.

When you have an anxiety disorder you might start to notice some changes to your body. Your heart might race and breathing becomes a little harder. This is something to note when you have half a working heart as you may already struggle a little with heart palpitations and lower oxygen levels.

You may also notice that you’re getting sweaty and shaking often. This can also lead to panic attacks.

The affect this has on the mind can be hard to manage. When you have anxiety a feeling of sadness and hopelessness might affect you, you might find it hard to concentrate and find your mind slipping constantly to what is worrying you.  Anxiety can even present as anger, you might find yourself snapping at people close to you more often.

As you can see the symptoms when you have anxiety are a little different than when you’re feeling worried about something.

Sometimes I get worried about my heart – is that normal?

Yes, it is normal to feel anxious about your heart and how that affects your life when you have half a working heart.

Many youth members with half a working heart speak to LHM about how they struggle with the unknown. Not being sure about how your heart works, how your condition affects your future and what you have to do later in your journey is very nerve wracking.

Knowledge is power, it might help to become a little more active in your care. Ask questions, research (in safe spaces) and speak with others that understand. This could help alleviate the worry.

Balance is very important, when you have half a working heart it’s a good thing to have a healthy dose of worry. Enough to keep you safe, balanced with the ability to still enjoy your day to day lives.

If you find that you aren’t achieving this balance and that you spend every day anxious about your heart, future and can’t enjoy your day because of your nerves and worries it might be time to speak to someone so that you can get some support.

What can I do if I feel anxious?

If something is happening to make you feel nervous it can really help to talk about it. Having a conversation with someone can help you feel less alone in the moment. Depending on who you talk to, the person may also be able to help by giving you information to prepare, myth bust and give coping techniques or other things to think about.

The LHM youth youth team are a message away and may be able to help.

https://chat.lhm.org.uk

Childline offer 1-2-1 counselling sessions if you need to speak to someone quickly

https://www.childline.org.uk/get-support/1-2-1-counsellor-chat/

Who to turn to if you think you have an anxiety disorder?