A new survey has revealed that of those Australians living with mild anxiety, over 90% have experienced symptoms in the last 4 weeks

For these Australians that suffer from mild anxiety,1 the ‘always-on' and fast-paced nature of Aussie life appears to be a significant contributor with 90% admitting that they have experienced at least one symptom in the past month.1

The survey looked at the incidence of mild anxiety, and also explored Australians' attitudes towards treatment and the barriers that currently exist to seeking help for mild anxiety symptoms.

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia,2 and on average one in four people will experience an anxiety disorder at some stage in their life.3 If left untreated mild anxiety can last for a long time and can quickly become exhausting and debilitating.4 It is important to be able to identify when that anxious feeling is a little more than just worry or stress. Symptoms of mild anxiety may include feeling restless, easily tired, irritable, experiencing muscle pain, disturbed sleep, difficulty concentrating and finding it difficult to stop worrying.5 NOTE: Patients experiencing 3 or more of these symptoms should consult a healthcare professional to exclude other conditions.

From the survey, the most common symptoms of mild anxiety that Australians experience are disturbed sleep (62%), anxious moods (53%) and recurring thoughts (48%).1

Family-related issues are one the biggest triggers of symptoms related to mild anxiety. Research has found that dealing with family related issues or situations are the number one trigger of mild anxiety related symptoms for Australians,1 and this is especially true for females.3

Two in three sufferers have sought professional help and nine in ten Australians have made lifestyle changes to help manage their symptoms.1 Most commonly people have tried to sleep for at least seven – eight hours per night (68%), increased their exercise (64%) or sought relaxation practices (54%).1 However, there are many barriers to seeking medical help.

The survey uncovered several alarming myths around the condition and treatment of mild anxiety, including the fact that over half of all Aussies believe that it is not necessary to seek any medical treatment for mild anxiety.1

General Practitioner Dr Ginni Mansberg comments: "Symptoms of mild anxiety are incredibly common but often very difficult to manage. While daily exercise, cutting back on drugs and alcohol and dietary modifications, can be effective, they're hard to do, especially when you're feeling stressed. Of course psychological therapies such as mindfulness, relaxation techniques, and cognitive behavioural therapies are really effective, they take time, commitment and often lots of money to work".

The survey results coincide with the launch of Seremind, a new non-prescription option for Australians with mild anxiety.  Seremind contains Silexan, a standardized, highly purified lavender oil preparation which relieves mild anxiety symptoms. Seremind has been clinically tested to reduce the symptoms of mild anxiety within two weeks with daily usage, and improve sleep quality in six weeks.

Importantly, Seremind relieves symptoms of mild anxiety with a low incidence of side effects. This is significant as 73% of Aussies said they would seek help for mild anxiety if the treatments available didn't have major side effects1 and a further 62% would seek help if they could receive treatment without having to see a doctor or need a prescription.1

Dr. Mansberg added, "Australians experiencing mild anxiety needn't feel alone. We're seeing ever greater awareness of the condition and new options are being studied all the time. People experiencing symptoms of mild anxiety or who would like additional information should speak to their healthcare professional."

1Seremind Anxiety Survey
2Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2008). National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: Summary of Results, 2007. Cat. no. (4326.0). Canberra: ABS.
3Beyond Blue Handbook. A guide to what works for anxiety. Page 7.
4Healthline. (2018). Complications from Untreated Anxiety. [online] Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety-complications#related-conditions [Accessed 14 Aug. 2018].
5Seremind Product Insert February 2018

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