What are Anxiety Disorders?
Fight or flight! Almost everyone has heard of this essential reaction of the body. Anxiety, the subjective experience of the fight or flight response, is an entirely normal reaction to stress and can be beneficial in some situations. When your fight or flight response is working correctly, it alerts you that there is danger without over-stressing the body. Danger is perceived and you either leave the situation as quickly as possible, or you stand your ground and fight. Once the danger is past, the body relaxes once again into its normal. When the fight or flight response isn’t working properly, an anxiety disorder can develop in which excessive feelings of fear, nervousness, and anxiety flare up when there is no discernible danger.
Anxiety disorders affect nearly 30 percent of adults at some point in their lives. In any given year the estimated percent of U.S. adults with some of the specific anxiety disorders are:
• 7-9% a specific phobia
• 7% social anxiety disorder
• 2-3% panic disorder
• 2% agoraphobia
• 2% generalized anxiety disorder
• 1-2% separation anxiety disorder.
Women are more likely than men to experience anxiety disorders. (Above data from the American Psychiatric Association)
Anxiety Disorders Signs and Symptoms
Because the signs and symptoms of anxiety disorders are so varied and imitate so many diseases, anxiety is often misdiagnosed. Anxiety symptoms can affect almost any area of the body.
The most common signs and symptoms of anxiety include:
Common Emotional Symptoms of Anxiety:
• Excessive and irrational fear
• Excessive and irrational worry
• Always anticipating the worst
• Feeling tense and/or jumpy
• Inability to stay calm
• Irritability
• Nervousness
• General uneasiness
• Feelings of apprehension or dread
• Constantly watching for signs of danger
• Difficulty concentrating
Common Physical Symptoms of Anxiety:
• Sweating
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Rapid heartbeat
• Stomach upset/diarrhea/nausea
• Frequent urination
• Shortness of breath
• Dry mouth
• Muscle tension or twitches
• Trembling
• Insomnia/issues with sleep
• Inability to be still
• Cold, sweaty, numb or tingling hands or feet (Paresthesia)
This list of the most common symptoms of anxiety is by no means exhaustive. Anxiety manifests in hundreds of ways and combinations and is unique to the individual.
Since anxiety can manifest in many ways, there are several types of anxiety disorders:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
People suffering from generalized anxiety disorder feel excessive, persistent worry with little or no reason. This constant worry interferes with daily activities and can have a negative impact on personal relationships. With generalized anxiety disorder, everyday life is overwhelming and often exhausting.
Phobias, Specific Phobia, and Irrational Fear
A specific phobia is an intense and persistent fear of a specific object, situation or activity that is generally not harmful. Those with phobias often know that their distress is disproportionate, but they still cannot overcome it. People suffering from a phobia will go to extremes to avoid whatever frightens them.
One common phobia caused by anxiety which greatly interferes with normal activities is agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is the fear of being outdoors or of being in a situation from which one either cannot escape or from which escaping would be difficult or embarrassing.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Everyday social situations and interactions are a landmine for people with social anxiety disorder. Those suffering from this disorder are preoccupied with the possibility of being embarrassed, ridiculed, judged, or rejected in social situations. As a result of this fear, they avoid social situations and often miss out on connecting with friends and family.
Separation Anxiety Disorder
A person with separation anxiety disorder experiences excessive fear of losing the person they are closest to. They are extremely anxious when separated from the people to whom they are attached and may refuse to be separated from the people who are the focus of their attachment. These extreme feelings of anxiety and fear last beyond established norms for children (4 weeks) and adults (6 months).
Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder
A substance-induced anxiety disorder is directly caused by the effects of an ingested substance. Symptoms can result directly from the intoxication or may be due to withdrawal from alcohol, drugs, caffeine, and related substances.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that develops after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event or learning that a traumatic event has happened to a loved one. PTSD is most often associated with veterans and wartime involvement, but there are many experiences that can cause PTSD.
