Heather Bellamy spoke with psychotherapist Peter Mockford about the causes and symptoms of anxiety disorders and how they would be dealt with in psychotherapy.

Peter: If someone has an anxiety disorder, then you're talking about something very serious, in terms of the level of anxiety that they're living with. In psychotherapy the way we would look at it, is to look at what the source of the anxiety is. And that can take a long time. People have to feel safe enough in the relationship with the therapist to have the courage to look at where the source is. The source is often very painful and rooted in the past, but has somehow got hardwired into the brain and so it's firing through the system all the time. But it is possible to look at it and to come to terms with it and retrain the brain so that the anxiety level doesn't operate at the same level, interfering in everyday life.

Heather: Not everyone has access to a psychotherapist, so are there some simple principles that anyone could try to live by, to try and overcome an anxiety disorder, or any level of anxiety?

Peter: I think there are. One of the most interesting things that has come up in recent years, is the whole concept of mindfulness. The principle of that is being able to look at your environment and ask the question, "Am I really under threat here?" "Is this anxiety real, or is this coming from somewhere else?" Living in the present can reduce our anxiety levels massively, which is what mindfulness is all about.

Heather: Is there a role that faith can play in helping to overcome anxiety?

Peter: Absolutely. Jesus was brilliant with this. You've got that marvellous passage in Matthew when Jesus says, "Look don't worry about tomorrow, tomorrow has got enough problems for itself". The beautiful thing about faith, and particularly the Christian faith, is that Christ stands alongside us. It's having someone with you saying, "It's ok, I'll hold it, I'm there for you". Having a spiritual element to life is essential, because it's part of our make-up. This is accepted within secular psychotherapy and so there's nothing odd or strange about that. There are huge benefits in the Christian faith and what Christ says and how He's prepared to stand alongside us.

Heather: If we know somebody who suffers from anxiety, we can often feel helpless, so how can we help them?

Peter: When someone's suffering from anxiety, the first thing you have to do is be with them and acknowledge their fear. Sometimes people say, "Oh don't be stupid, you don't have to be anxious". Well that is probably one of the worst things you can say! Because you don't know why that person's anxious. Despite what they're saying, it's probably not related to everyday events. So the first thing is just be prepared to be with them. The more you're with them and the more they trust you, the more they'll begin to see that there is a different reality in the day to day. The roots of the anxiety might still need to be addressed in a slightly different way, but we need to be prepared to walk with people.

Heather: If somebody is reading this and they struggle with anxiety, what would you want to say to them?

Peter: I would say number one, if it's interfering with everyday life, you must see your GP. That is absolutely essential. Also, the thing about anxiety is it's very isolating. So if you can be part of a group, or get involved in community events, or a church, then I think that is a huge step forward. You need other people with you to stabilise you in the day to day.