Nobody should feel alone – anxiety over 60

We often imagine retirement to be a time when we can relax after working hard for so many years, but for some this is a time when anxiety disorders can flare up. After all, this is a period in life when there are major life and financial changes. Anxiety disorders can affect anyone from any walk of life, and anxiety is very commonly experienced worldwide.

Although there are many psychological aspects to this condition, sometimes the physical signs can get missed or dismissed. As we get older we experience aches and pains, and these can make it possible to overlook the all too important signs of anxiety. This is just one of the many reasons why I thought it was valuable to draw attention to these signs through my anxiety awareness campaign, to help people understand the condition and move forward to recovery.

Of course, there is no uniform way to recovery, each person is an individual and will make their own journey, but the recognition of the condition, combined with an understanding how it affects you, is often the first step towards wellness. Just remember that one in thirteen people are affected by anxiety disorders worldwide, and this can affect people in a number of different ways. In fact, two people could be affected by anxiety disorders and have very different symptoms, and yet despite the vast numbers of people effected, many often feel isolated when coping with the condition. My campaign was born of the idea that nobody should feel alone and finding others with anxiety can be a great comfort. However, recognising the symptoms is the first vital step, but learning to understand your own personal struggle with the condition, knowing that you are not alone, and that there is help available are key to finding your way out.

When you face anxiety there is a fundamental truth that marks something within you that is really worth paying attention to. Learning to hear what your body is saying to you and then addressing the causes of your anxiety can feel liberating. The exploration of the causes of anxiety can actually lead people to higher heights than they initially expected. We recommend you take some quiet time to reflect on the physical signs of anxiety explained below and seek to identify how often you may experience any of these signs, as well as how many of these signs you may experience in combination. If you do find that you are experiencing one or more of these signs more frequently than usual, speak to your doctor or a psychotherapist about your concerns.
Have you suffered from anxiety? What did you do? How did it affect your life? Tell us below.