Can any one answer my question

[tricia56]

is anxiety a phsyical illness or a metal illness as ive sufferd with GAD and HA for a few years now and and i have two dear friends who have helped me alot in coping with my anxiety but the keep telling me im not well enough to do things as i have grown up children and one of them is going thro a really bad time at the moment and because she needs my suport my friends are saying she shouldnt put any more stress on me because of my anxiety and that im not well enough to cope with it but my daughter understands i have anxiety amnd she doesnt want to put any more stress on me but i feel im her mum and if she hasnt gotme to talk to and turn to then she hasnt got none and my friends are making really confused and worried that i am ill and its giving me mixed feeling about anxiety and its making me think that i am ill either metal or psyically ill so can any one wat the answe is thk you

[Thyme]

Hi

I would say that anxiety is a mental illness that often manifests itself in physical symptoms. Although there is a lot of evidence which suggests that mental illness is the result of chemical imbalances in the brain so does that make it physical? I don't know.

I reckon that you are the best judge of how you feel and if you feel strong enough to do something then try. I often share thoughts and feelings with my daughter and we help each other. Be honest with your daughter, it could help you both.

Take care

[suzy-sue]

Anxiety is a disorder of the nervous system or you can call it a condition .It does come under Mental health but its not an illness like Depression .Too much stress is only going to make your own anxiety worse .So your friends are right .You are in a difficult predicament but you must not take too much on as you could end up a lot worse .Just be very careful ..Hope everything gets sorted with your daughter .:hugs:Luv Suexx

[cymraig_chris]

Post removed by author

[kibbutz83]

Is it not "fight or flight" gone haywire? Some say it's due to adrenal fatigue? So doesn't that mean there is a physical connection?

[shoegal]

My Father is a friend of one of the top anxiety specialists in the country. He said that anxiety is a physical condition and not a mental one. I think it comes under the umbrella of mental illness because sometimes thoughts and behaviours contribute to anxiety, but that doesn't mean that everyone's anxiety is caused by the same thing and of course the symptoms are physical. Anxiety is caused by chemical/hormonal imbalances in the brain/body and therefore is physical in origin but the symptoms affect our emotions and how we feel which then causes psychological distress.

[ama]

I reckon that you are the best judge of how you feel and if you feel strong enough to do something then try. I often share thoughts and feelings with my daughter and we help each other. Be honest with your daughter, it could help you both.

I agree here. You are the best judge of how you feel. Go with your instincts. It sounds like your pretty open with your daughter so just talk to her and be there for each other.

Stay positive. :)

[pettersonjack123]

from what i've been told and i've learnt i think its a mental illness, that if not treated can get worse and worse, can also cause other mental illnesses such as- OCD, Depression and even some forms of Schizophrenia.

hope i've anwserd your question x

[Bravedart]

Think we need to be VERY careful when we say what we think anxiety can lead to. Anxiety is a condition which is treatable and is different for everyone individually in terms of how it manifests itself and how its treated. Please anyone reading this thread do not think that your anxiety will lead to any conditions mentioned earlier. As usual seek help and support from health professionals and sites such as this.

[daydreamer]

^^^I Totally agree with the above post!^^^

Plus anxiety is not a mental illness! I was told by my Psychologist and a Psychiatrist that Anxiety is an Emotional Disorder/Difficulty and is not considered a mental illness.