Break Free from OCD
Why am I anxious?
Anxiety is a completely normal part of being human. It’s your mind and body’s built-in alarm system — designed to keep you safe by alerting you to potential threats.
Why Am I Anxious All the Time?
Anxiety is a completely normal part of being human. It’s your mind and body’s built-in alarm system — designed to keep you safe by alerting you to potential threats. In short bursts, anxiety can actually be helpful, sharpening your focus before an important event or giving you the energy to respond to a challenge. But for many people, anxiety doesn’t switch off when the danger passes. Instead, it becomes persistent, overwhelming, and begins to get in the way of everyday life — affecting relationships, work, sleep, and simply being able to enjoy things. When anxiety reaches that point, it has likely developed into an anxiety disorder, and that’s where specialist support can make a real difference.
Different types of Anxiety
There are several different types of anxiety disorders, each with its own patterns and challenges. Below are some of the conditions I work with:
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
People with GAD experience a near-constant sense of worry that jumps from one concern to the next — health, money, family, work, the future. Unlike everyday worry that comes and goes, this anxiety feels uncontrollable and exhausting, often accompanied by physical symptoms such as muscle tension, poor sleep, and restlessness. You might know your fears are out of proportion but feel completely unable to switch them off.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
BDD involves an intense, distressing preoccupation with a perceived flaw or defect in appearance — one that others typically cannot see or consider minor. This can consume hours each day through behaviours like mirror-checking, seeking reassurance, or trying to hide or “fix” the perceived flaw. BDD can cause significant distress and often leads to withdrawal from social situations and relationships.
Emetophobia
Emetophobia is an intense fear of vomiting — or of seeing others vomit. Though less widely known, it can be highly debilitating, leading people to restrict their diet, avoid social situations, travel, or eating out, and to live in a state of constant vigilance. It often begins in childhood and, without treatment, can quietly shape many life decisions over years. For women, this can extend to deeply personal choices — including whether or not to pursue pregnancy, given the association between pregnancy and nausea and vomiting.
Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder)
Social phobia involves a marked and persistent fear of situations where you might be observed, judged, or embarrassed by others. This goes well beyond shyness — it can make everyday interactions like speaking in meetings, eating in public, or meeting new people feel genuinely threatening. Avoidance often brings short-term relief but keeps the anxiety firmly in place over time.
Health Anxiety
Health anxiety involves excessive worry about having, or developing, a serious illness. People with health anxiety may spend a great deal of time checking their body for signs of illness, seeking reassurance from doctors or the internet, or avoiding anything that might remind them of disease. Even normal bodily sensations can feel alarming. It can become a full-time preoccupation that is difficult to escape.
If any of these sound familiar, you’re not alone — and these difficulties are very treatable. I specialise in evidence-based therapy for anxiety, OCD, and related conditions.
Feel free to get in touch to find out how I can help.