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anxiety


Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health condition in the U.S., with most individuals developing symptoms before age 21. 

There are many common sources of anxiety which are normal to experience. It becomes a disorder when intense feelings of distress becoming overwhelming and/or interfere with everyday activities. 

Symptoms:

Emotional Symptoms:
  • Excessive worrying
  • Feelings of apprehension/dread
  • Feeling agitated
  • Restlessness
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Irritability
  • Feeling jumpy
  • Muscle tension
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Panic attacks
  • Avoiding social situations
  • Irrational fears
  • Feeling like the mind has gone "blank"
  • Anticipating the worst
  • Watching for signs of danger

Physical Symptoms:
  • Pounding heart
  • Sweating
  • Upset stomach
  • Dizziness
  • Frequent urination or diarrhea
  • Shortness of breath
  • Tremors/Twitches
  • Muscle tension
  • Headaches
  • Fatigue
  • Insomnia

RIsk Factors:

Anxiety disorders are caused by a combination of factors, including:
  • Genetics
  • Environment
    • Stress, trauma, death of a loved one, exposure to violence, and/or chronic illness
​
​Environmental factors are more likely to trigger an anxiety disorder when combined with a genetic predisposition.   

Types of anxiety disorders:

GAD (General Anxiety Disorder):
  • Chronic, excessive worry about life every day, where the worry consumes hours of the day and makes it difficult to concentrate and/or complete daily tasks. 

Social Anxiety Disorder:
  • Intense fear of social interaction caused by excessive/irrational fears of embarrassment and humiliation that can lead to an avoidance of social situations and can possibly lead to a development of panic attacks when confronted with certain social interactions. 

Panic Disorder:
  • Panic attacks/feelings of terror that occur repeatedly and without warning and include physical symptoms like chest pain, heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, and upset stomach.  

Phobias:
  • Powerful reactions of strong/irrational fear to certain stimuli that results in avoidance of the thing/situation that triggers the response. 

Treatment options:

  • Psychotherapy
    • Database of mental health professionals: Anxiety and Depression Association of America
  • Medication
  • Self-management techniques:
    • Stress/relaxation techniques including breathing exercises and focused attention on the mind/body connection
    • Growing in awareness of triggers
    • Yoga
    • Exercise

Sources:

National Alliance on Mental Illness: www.nami.org
Healthline: www.healthline.com

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  • Home
  • About
  • Presentations
  • Testimonials
  • Events
  • Blog
  • Confidence Challenges
  • Resources
    • Suicide Prevention
    • Depression
    • Anxiety
    • Bullying
    • LGBTQ+
    • Self-Harm
    • Eating Disorders
    • Body Image
    • Positive Quotes
  • Contact