Anxiety and depression help: what to know

A general practitioner can assess symptoms, check for physical or medicine-related contributors, discuss treatment preferences, and arrange mental health support when needed.

Anxiety may involve persistent worry, tension, a racing heart, irritability, or feeling unable to switch off. Depression may bring low mood, reduced interest or pleasure, guilt, hopelessness, low energy, and changes in sleep or appetite. A person can experience features of both at the same time.

Symptoms matter when they persist, cause distress, or interfere with work, study, relationships, sleep, or self-care. Similar experiences can also occur with thyroid problems, anaemia, medication effects, substance use, grief, or sustained stress, so an assessment helps clarify what is happening.

Book an appointment with a GP or mental health professional and describe when the symptoms began, how they affect daily life, and whether sleep, appetite, concentration, or substance use has changed. Treatment may include talking therapy, medication, or both, chosen around symptom severity, health history, pregnancy considerations, other medicines, and personal preference.

Alongside treatment, keep a simple daily routine, eat regularly, make space for gentle movement, and protect a consistent sleep schedule. Reduce alcohol and recreational drugs because they can worsen mood, anxiety, sleep, and medicine side effects. Tell one trusted person what you are experiencing and what kind of support would be useful, such as company at an appointment or help with practical tasks.

If medication is prescribed, take it as directed and discuss unwanted effects before changing or stopping it. Improvement may be gradual, and follow-up allows the plan to be adjusted if symptoms remain difficult or treatment is hard to tolerate.

Seek immediate help if you have thoughts of suicide or self-harm, have made a plan, feel unable to stay safe, or may harm someone else. Contact local emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department; if possible, stay with a trusted person and move away from medicines, weapons, or other items that could be used for harm.

Urgent assessment is also appropriate for severe agitation, confusion, hearing or seeing things others do not, fixed unusual beliefs, or a period of very little sleep with unusually high energy, rapid speech, reckless behaviour, or loss of judgement. These changes can require prompt evaluation even when the person does not feel unwell.

You could ask what may be contributing to your symptoms, whether any physical checks are appropriate, which therapy approaches fit your needs, and what benefits or side effects to expect from medication. Also agree on how progress will be reviewed, what to do if symptoms worsen, and whom to contact outside clinic hours.