According to the World Health Organisation, the pandemic has triggered a 25% increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide. Ireland is no exception with 1 in 4 experiencing a mental health issue at some point in their life.

One of the most common conditions is anxiety and we all experience some level of it from time to time. It is a normal response to stressful situations and includes the ‘fight or flight’ response that releases adrenaline to make a person alert to potential danger. In most cases, it will subside and we carry on.

However when we spend too much time in an anxious state, it becomes a problem. Prolonged feelings of anxiety can have a negative impact on your everyday life and activities. When this happens, it is time to seek help.

In some cases anxiety may manifest into panic attacks. A panic attack is a feeling of sudden and intense anxiety and will be accompanied by physical symptoms. They are not dangerous but can be extremely frightening and in the moment may cause a person to feel that they might collapse or even die. Symptoms include:

•    shaking
•    feeling disorientated
•    feeling sick (nausea)
•    palpitations
•    dry mouth
•    shortness of breath
•    sweating and dizziness

They can build or appear out of nowhere and mainly last between 5 to 30 minutes.

If you are experiencing a level of anxiety that is impacting your day to day life and / or panic attacks, it is very important to get help so that you can take back control of your life and emotions. Professional help options can include talk therapy and CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy).

A Range Of Experts Available To You

IAHIP Psychotherapists are trained to help people with Anxiety and Panic Attacks. You can search the IAHIP Psychotherapist Directory for these particular issues.

On the Directory page, simply type Anxiety or Panic Attacks into the ‘Areas of Interest’ Box:

Additional Resources

For more information on Anxiety, you can access articles from our professional journal - Inside Out. Go to the top left of this website page and enter ‘Anxiety’ into the search box.