NHS Launches Campaign to Tackle Anxiety – Do You Know Support Is Available?

NHS England has launched a new “landmark” campaign encouraging people experiencing six common anxiety-related conditions to seek help through NHS Talking Therapies.

Around one in five adults in England – an estimated 9.4 million people – are living with a common mental health condition. Yet many are not accessing support. A recent NHS-commissioned survey of over 2,000 adults found:

• 58% delay seeking help, believing their condition is “not serious enough”

• 1 in 5 people don’t seek help at all

• Nearly half of respondents knew nothing about social anxiety disorder or panic disorder

• Two-thirds did not know what body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is

• Over a third believe “most people are a bit OCD”

• Nearly three in ten think PTSD mainly affects military veterans

The campaign focuses on six conditions where effective treatment is available:

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• Social Anxiety Disorder

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Panic Disorder

• Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

• Phobias

  
  

You can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies without seeing your GP first.

Last year, more than 670,000 people received support through NHS Talking Therapies — a 12% increase compared to 2019 — showing both growing demand and expanding access.

Here in West Berkshire, NHS Talking Therapies are available locally. But awareness is key.

The national survey suggests many people:

• Don’t recognise symptoms

• Feel embarrassed

• Think their struggles aren’t “serious enough”

• Don’t know support exists

Early support can prevent conditions from worsening and can help people regain confidence, stay in work, and feel more in control.

If you’re unsure whether what you’re experiencing is “serious enough”, it’s always okay to ask. Support is there — and you don’t have to wait for crisis point.