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ANXIETY
Anxiety is more than just being "stressed out"
Understanding Anxiety
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a natural response to stress and potentially dangerous situations, characterized by feelings of fear, worry, or unease. It is a normal part of life that helps individuals prepare for challenges or respond to danger. However, when anxiety becomes excessive, persistent, or impacts daily functioning, it may indicate an anxiety disorder.
Risk Factors for Anxiety
Children, adolescents, and adults can all experience anxiety disorders. Women are about twice as likely as men to experience anxiety.
The Link Between Stress and Anxiety
Stress and anxiety are closely related but distinct responses to challenges or perceived threats. Stress is a reaction to external pressures, while anxiety is a persistent feeling of worry or fear that may occur even without a clear stressor or to an extent that is beyond expected for the degree of the stress.
Understanding the connection between stress and anxiety can help you identify triggers, develop coping strategies, and seek appropriate support.
Symptoms of Anxiety
Restlessness or Feeling on Edge
Difficulty Concentrating
Rapid Heart Rate or Palpitations
Excessive Worrying about Everyday Situations
Muscle Tension or Headaches
Difficulty Sleeping or Fatigue
Avoidance of Certain Situations
Avoidance of Leaving One's Home
Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions, and remembering things
Unexplained physical issues, such as back pain or frequent headaches
Types of Anxiety
Generalzied Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Characterized by excessive, uncontrollable worry about everyday events and activities, often accompanied by physical symptoms, like fatigue, muscle tension, and difficulty concentrating.
Panic Disorder
Involves recurring and unexpected panic attacks - intense periods of fear or discomfort with symptoms such as heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, and a sense of impending doom.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Intense fear of social situations where one might be judged, humilitated, or embarrassed. Common triggers include public speaking, meeting new people, or eating in public.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Characterized by unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) that lead to repetitive behaviors or physical acts (compulsions) to reduce anxiety.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
A type of anxiety that develops after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, and avoidance of reminders of the trauma.
Separation Anxiety Disorder
Common in children but can also occur in teens and adults. Involves excessive fear of being separated from loved ones or home.
Health Anxiety (Hypochondriasis)
A preoccupation with having or developing a serious illness despite reassurance from medication evaluations.
Agoraphobia
Fear of being in situations where escape might be difficult or help unavailable, often leading to an avoidance of public places or crowded areas.
Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety caused by the use of or withdrawal from drugs, alcohol, or substances.
Diagnosis
Your healthcare provider may determine a diagnosis of anxiety based on:
- A Psychiatric or Mental Health Evaluation. Your mental health professional will ask you about your symptoms, thoughts, feelings, and behavior patterns. You may be asked to fill out questionnaires to help answer these questions.
- The DSM-5. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association, outlines criteria for professionals to use when diagnosis mental health disorders.
- A Physical Exam. Your healthcare provider may do a physical eam and ask questions about your physical health. In some instances, anxiety may be linked to an underlying physical health problem, such as an overactive thyroid or a heart condition.
- Lab Tests. Lab testing can be useful in ruling out possible physical etiologies. For example, if your healthcare provider feels that your symptoms may be influenced by an overactive thyroid, thyroid lab tests can be performed to confirm or rule out this suspicion.
