Anxiety

What is it?

Some worry is a normal, useful part of life, but it becomes generalised anxiety disorder, the most common form of clinical anxiety, when it’s excessive, hard to control, and present more days than not for six months or more, rather than a passing phase.¹ Alongside the anxiety, there are often other symptoms like restlessness, muscle tension, or disturbed sleep, and even difficulty concentrating.

Why could this be a problem?

Persistent anxiety keeps the body’s stress response switched on, which affects sleep, concentration, digestion, and mood over time.2 It also tends to narrow day-to-day life through avoidance (of situations, decisions, or conversations that feel too uncertain to face), which can shrink a person’s world without them fully noticing it happening. And anyone who has been anxious will know how difficult that experience can be in and of itself.

What can be done?

CBT is a well-evidenced, first-line treatment for anxiety disorders, available at our Cape Town practice3 It works by identifying the thought patterns, coping mechanisms and avoidance behaviours that keep anxiety going and gradually building more tolerance for the uncertainty that anxiety struggles with.

Medication can help and is often used alongside therapy rather than instead of it. Current guidance recommends a stepped approach; starting with lower-intensity support and moving to more structured treatment as needed.

If you’re having thoughts of harming yourself, please reach out for urgent help now rather than waiting for an appointment. See our Urgent Help page or contact your nearest emergency department.

Resources

• Information on anxiety
• Information on panic attacks
• GAD7 for anxiety screening

This self-screening tool is intended to help identify patterns worth discussing with a doctor; it is not a diagnosis and does not replace a full medical assessment.