Understanding Anxiety

Learn About Anxiety

While some amount of anxiety is normal, for example when starting a new job or studying for a big exam, people who have anxiety disorders face an overwhelming amount of fears and worries that disrupt normal daily life. Anxiety disorders are a group of mental health disorders that cause some children, teens, adults, and older adults to feel very frightened, fearful, uneasy, and distressed in everyday situations which would not normally evoke an anxiety response. Untreated anxiety disorders can lead to extremely negative consequences that can impact a person’s entire daily life – they may not be able to work, go to school, or have normal social relationships. The most common anxiety disorders include:

Panic disorder involves feelings of intense terror that strike out of nowhere and occur repeatedly, without warning. People who have panic disorder may feel as though they’re suffocating, having a heart attack, and going crazy. In order to avoid these panic attacks, people with panic disorder may begin to avoid going out into crowds or places in which they do not feel safe.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that develops after a person is exposed to a traumatic, terrifying event – such as a natural disaster or sexual assault – that leads to flashbacks, avoidance of reminders of the event, and emotional numbness.

Social anxiety disorder, also called social phobia, or social anxiety disorder involves overwhelming feelings of worry and self-consciousness about everyday social situations. These may include fears of being judged by others or that his or her actions may lead to ridicule, embarrassment, or negative judgment. People who have social phobia may have extreme dread and anxiety about activities of daily living such as going to school or work.

Specific phobias are severe fears of a specific situation or object like a fear of heights or a fear of spiders. The level of fear for people who have specific phobias are far stronger than those appropriate for the situation or object and may lead to an avoidance of everyday, common situations.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by extreme, unrealistic worries, tension, or dread often without a known stimulus. This worrying lasts at least six months, impairs the ability to concentrate, and makes living daily life challenging.

Fortunately, while anxiety disorders can lead to tremendous challenges in a person’s life, they are eminently treatable disorders. With proper care and therapies, children, teens, adults, and older adults who have anxiety disorders are able to lead productive, happy lives.

Statistics

Anxiety Statistics

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders in the United States. About 20% of the U.S. population is affected by anxiety disorders at any given time; meaning that 40 million adults in the U.S. experience preventable feelings of fearfulness, worry, and stress. Reports indicate that about 8% of teens between the ages of 13 to 18 have an anxiety disorder with symptoms commonly appearing around the age of 6.

Causes and Risk Factors

Causes and Risk Factors for Anxiety

Researchers tend to agree that anxiety disorders are not the result of a single risk factor or cause; rather it is a combination of environmental, genetic, and physical risk factors working in tandem to cause the disorder. The most commonly cited causes and risk factors for anxiety disorders include:

Genetic: People who have a first-degree relative such as a parent or sibling with an anxiety disorder are at greater risk for developing one themselves. However, not all people diagnosed with anxiety disorders will have a family history, nor will all with a family history go on to develop an anxiety disorder.

Physical: Neuroimaging studies (such as MRIs and CT scans) of those who have anxiety disorders show that there are subtle differences in areas of the brain – notably the hippocampus and amygdala – of those with these disorders. Additionally, abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin may be involved in the development of anxiety disorders.

Environmental: A number of significant life events and stressors that overwhelm an individual’s ability to cope may lead to the development of anxiety disorders.

Risk Factors:

Being female
Former or active military duty
Chronic, unremitting stress
Childhood history of abuse, trauma, or neglect
Chronic physical health disorder
Certain personality types
Substance use and abuse

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety

Symptoms and signs of anxiety disorders will vary depending upon specific disorder, frequency of symptoms, presence of co-occurring mental health disorders, and severity of the disorder. Most common signs and symptoms of anxiety disorders include:

Behavioral symptoms:

Restlessness and agitation
Inability to sit still and remain calm
Social withdrawal and isolation
Agoraphobia
Inability to properly meet responsibilities at home, work, or school
Irritability
Exaggerated startle reflex
Decreased ability to perform normal activities of daily life
Usage of drugs or alcohol to self-medicate the symptoms

Physical symptoms:

Shortness of breath
Fatigue and exhaustion
Insomnia
Notable changes in patterns of eating or sleeping
Excessive perspiration
GI symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Muscle tension and pain
Frequent headaches
Nightmares and night terrors
Pounding heart
Fine muscle tremors
Syncope
Cold or sweaty hands and/or feet
Numbness or tingling in hands and/or feet
Dry mouth

Cognitive symptoms:

Difficulties concentrating
Anticipating the worst outcomes
Mind often going blank
Irrational fears and dread
Uncontrollable, obsessive thoughts
Feeling as though one is going crazy

Psychosocial symptoms:

Feeling helpless
Feelings of panic, fear, and uneasiness
Mood swings
Feeling worthless
Hopelessness and despair
Feeling in danger
Flashbacks
Feelings of dissociation

Effects

Effects of Anxiety

Left untreated, the effects of anxiety disorders will pervade every aspect of a person’s life. Long-term consequences of untreated anxiety disorders will fluctuate based upon individual genetic makeup, presence of co-occurring disorders, drug or alcohol abuse, and symptom severity. Long-term effects of anxiety disorders may include: