Psy.D.

About Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States, or 18.1% of the population every year.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that around 15% of people will have an anxiety disorder during their lifetime.  Women are 60% more likely than men to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Many people first develop symptoms of an anxiety disorder during childhood. The average age of onset for anxiety disorders is 11.

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Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only about 36% of those suffering receive treatment.

Nearly all people experience anxiety at times.  It is part of the body's natural reaction to stress and can even be helpful at times by making you more alert and ready for action. But anxiety disorders differ from normal feelings of anxiousness. When feelings of fear or nervousness become excessive, difficult to control, or interfere with daily life, it's called an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders take different forms, but share a common feature of excessive fear or anxiety that significantly interferes with a person’s daily activities.  Fear is the emotion people feel in response to an immediate threat, whether real or imagined.  Anxiety is the anticipation of future threat. Another common feature of anxiety disorders is avoidance behavior, such as excessive hand-washing to prevent contamination (active avoidance) or not leaving home for fear of having a panic attack (passive avoidance).

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Many factors can cause anxiety disorders. Experts believe most anxiety disorders are caused by a combination of personal experiences and yet-to-be-discovered genetic factors. Anxiety disorders may run in families. Children of parents with anxiety disorders are more likely to have a disorder themselves. A stressful or traumatic event, such as the death of a loved one, can lead to the development of an anxiety disorder in some people. Not everyone who experiences a traumatic event develops an anxiety disorder, and not everyone with an anxiety disorder has faced a traumatic event.

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Most people with an anxiety disorder have a combination of physical and psychological symptoms. There is one symptom that all anxiety disorders have in common: constant fear or worry about negative things that may happen to you now or in the future.

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Other psychological symptoms include:

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• Feelings of apprehension or dread

• Feeling restless or irritable

• Feeling tense or jumpy

• Anticipating the worst

• Constantly watching for signs of danger

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Physical symptoms may include:

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• Rapid or pounding heartbeat

• Shortness of breath

• Excessive sweating

• Tremors or twitches

• Headache

• Fatigue or weakness

• Insomnia

• Nausea or upset stomach

• Frequent urination or diarrhea

Depression and Anxiety

Depression and anxiety disorders are different, but about half of all people diagnosed with depression also have an anxiety disorder, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.  People with depression often experience symptoms similar to those of an anxiety disorder, but this doesn't necessarily mean they have an anxiety disorder.  Symptoms that may indicate either condition include:

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• Nervousness

• Irritability

• Problems sleeping

• Difficulty concentrating

Anxiety in Children and Teens

Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric disorders to show up during childhood. Parents of children and teens with anxiety disorders often report a number of symptoms or behaviors, including:

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• Avoiding academic or social activities

• Physical symptoms (headaches, stomachaches)

• Sleep problems

• Excessive need for reassurance (generally related to fear of bad things happening)

• Poor school performance

• Behavioral outbursts

• Eating problems (not eating enough or eating too much)