![A stone alcove on a mossy hillside, tangled roots to one side and an open meadow to the other](https://viacara.com/img/content/anxiety-feature-light.webp) # Understanding Anxiety Learn about anxiety, its symptoms and how therapy can help. Find the right practitioner for anxiety support. ## What is anxiety? Anxiety is a normal response to stress, but when it becomes persistent or overwhelming it can affect your daily life. Common forms include generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety, panic disorder and specific phobias. Intrusive thoughts and the rituals that follow them are a different condition, obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is close to anxiety, but it has its own diagnosis and its own kind of therapy. Our [OCD page](https://viacara.com/support/neurodivergence/ocd/) explains what that looks like. ## When to seek help Consider reaching out to a professional if anxiety is: - Interfering with your work, relationships or daily activities - Causing persistent physical symptoms such as sleep problems, muscle tension or digestive issues - Leading to avoidance of situations you would normally engage with - Lasting for weeks rather than days ![The view from the chair through the ivy-covered arch, a path winding out across the meadow](https://viacara.com/img/content/anxiety-mid-light.webp) Anxiety affects people differently, but effective support is available ## How therapy can help For generalised anxiety disorder, NICE says to offer cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or applied relaxation when a person chooses a high-intensity talking therapy. Some professionals also work with acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). A good therapist will help you understand your anxiety patterns and develop practical strategies for managing them. Our diagrams show how [CBT](https://viacara.com/approaches/cbt/#cbt-connections) and [ACT](https://viacara.com/approaches/acceptance-and-commitment-therapy/#act-processes) differ in the room. CBT explores links between thoughts, feelings and actions. ACT explores your relationship with thoughts and steps towards what matters to you. The diagrams explain the methods. They do not decide which therapy fits your needs. ## Types of practitioners Both therapists and counsellors can help with anxiety. The right choice depends on the severity of your symptoms and your preferences for how you want to work. Thanks for your interest. We're not taking on new clients at the moment. ## Ready to find support for *anxiety*? We ask what matters to you, then find professionals who fit. Leave your email and we'll let you know as soon as we're ready for you. This conversation helps us find you the right support. What you share helps us understand what you're looking for and find someone who fits. Your email keeps you updated on what's happening next and isn't shared with anyone we introduce you to. [Privacy policy](https://viacara.com/privacy) [Terms of service](https://viacara.com/terms) ## References 1. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2011). *Generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder in adults: management (CG113)*. [Link](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg113) ## Related ### [Chronic Illness and Long-Term Conditions](https://viacara.com/support/chronic-illness/) A long-term condition is hard on your mind as well as your body. Find a professional who works with the emotional side, alongside your medical team. ### [Finding the Right Practitioner](https://viacara.com/guides/finding-a-practitioner/) A practical guide to finding a mental health practitioner who fits your needs, preferences and budget. ### [Therapy for OCD](https://viacara.com/support/neurodivergence/ocd/) OCD is not tidiness. It is intrusive thoughts and the exhausting compulsions that follow, and NICE names the therapy it recommends for it. ### [Therapy When You Are Autistic](https://viacara.com/support/neurodivergence/autism/) Does talking therapy work for autistic adults? NHS data says yes, slightly less well than for others. Here is what good support looks like. ### [Worried About Your Child](https://viacara.com/support/under-18s/help-for-your-child/) Where a parent or carer can get help for a child's mental health in the UK, what the NHS route looks like, and where to turn if home is not safe. ### [Waiting Until It Gets Serious](https://viacara.com/support/men/waiting-until-crisis/) Men often hold on until something breaks. The figures on midlife men are hard reading, and there is a lot of room before that point. ### [Alcohol and Drugs](https://viacara.com/support/addiction/alcohol-and-drugs/) Free NHS and charity services treat drinking and drug problems, and you can refer yourself. Talking support works alongside them, never instead. ### [Someone Else's Addiction](https://viacara.com/support/someone-elses-addiction/) When a partner, parent or child is drinking, using or gambling, the strain lands on you too. Support exists for you, in your own right. ### [Menopause and Perimenopause](https://viacara.com/support/menopause/) Menopause can change your mood, your sleep and how you feel about yourself. Find a professional who works with the emotional side, alongside your GP. ### [Eating and Body Image](https://viacara.com/support/eating-and-body-image/) A hard relationship with food or your body is common and treatable. Find support that runs alongside your GP and NHS care. ### [Low Mood and Depression](https://viacara.com/support/depression/) Low mood that lasts two weeks or more can be a sign of depression. It is common and treatable. Find a professional who works with low mood. ### [Perinatal Mental Health](https://viacara.com/support/perinatal/) Low mood, anxiety or numbness in pregnancy or after birth are common and treatable. Find a professional who works with new and expectant parents. ### [Trauma and PTSD](https://viacara.com/support/trauma/) Trauma can keep a frightening event alive long after it ended. PTSD is common and treatable. Find a professional who works with trauma. ### [Low Self-Esteem](https://viacara.com/support/self-esteem/) Low self-esteem is a learned opinion of yourself, and it can change. Find a professional who helps you see yourself more fairly. ### [Sleep Problems and Insomnia](https://viacara.com/support/sleep/) Insomnia is thought to affect around 1 in 3 people in the UK. Find a professional who works with sleep and with what keeps you awake. ### [Anger](https://viacara.com/support/anger/) Anger is a normal feeling. When it comes too fast, too often or too hard, it can be worked on. Find a professional who helps you understand it. ### [Misinformation and News Overwhelm](https://viacara.com/support/life-online/misinformation/) Bad news on repeat, and not knowing what to believe, can be exhausting. Why it happens, how to check what you see and where support fits. ### [Online Bullying and Harassment](https://viacara.com/support/life-online/online-bullying-and-harassment/) Being targeted online can reach you anywhere your phone goes. What online bullying and harassment can look like, what the law covers and who can help. ### [World Events](https://viacara.com/support/world-events/) War, political upheaval, disasters and news that will not stop. Why world events weigh on you at home, and what can help. ### [Climate Anxiety](https://viacara.com/support/climate-anxiety/) Climate anxiety is an understandable response to a real threat, not a condition. Find a professional who helps you carry it without it running your life. ### [Anxious about getting married](https://viacara.com/support/moments/getting-married/) Anxious about your wedding or your marriage? Space to explore your questions, talk about what matters and find support before the day. ### [After a Psychedelic Experience](https://viacara.com/support/psychedelic-experiences/) A trip that will not settle, a shift you cannot explain, or a question you cannot put down. Find a professional who will talk it through without judgement. ### [Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)](https://viacara.com/approaches/cbt/) Learn how CBT works, what happens in sessions and what NICE says about it, and read about its forms for sleep, pain and self-help. ### [Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)](https://viacara.com/approaches/acceptance-and-commitment-therapy/) Learn how acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) works, what NICE says about it for long-term pain and what research shows for anxiety and low mood.