Anxiety is a normal human response to stress and uncertainty. However, when anxiety becomes chronic, it can affect every aspect of your life. For that reason, it’s important to understand what anxiety is, what causes it, and how to know if anxiety has become a problem for you.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, approximately 40 million adults suffer from an anxiety disorder. That’s 18.1% of the population, and yet only one-third of the people affected by anxiety receive treatment for it.
What Is Anxiety?
As we said above, anxiety is not abnormal. It’s an expected response to uncertainty. A student who’s preparing for an exam, an actor waiting their turn to audition, or a person with a loved one in the hospital may all experience anxiety.
For most of us, anxiety is short-lived. We feel anxious about a specific event, and when it’s over, we experience a sense of relief.
However, for others, anxiety becomes a chronic condition. When it does, it can be difficult to control without treatment.
What Causes Chronic Anxiety?
If anxiety is part of the normal human stress response, why do some people have a hard time controlling anxiety? Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer to this question.
Generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD, is one of the most common anxiety disorders. Here are some of the risk factors that may contribute to it:
- A family history of anxiety
- Childhood abuse or trauma
- Prolonged exposure to stressful or anxiety-inducing situations
- Drug, alcohol, or tobacco use
There are other anxiety disorders as well, including Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and dozens of phobias that induce anxiety. Women are more prone to anxiety disorders than men.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is anxiety-related as well. It’s usually caused by a trauma, which may be emotional, psychological, or physical. Victims of violent crimes, people who have been abused, and those who have witnessed violent accidents and events are all at risk for PTSD.
One of the things that makes anxiety difficult to control is that it becomes a habit. Repeated worrying carves new pathways in the brain. Once they’re there, it’s easier to travel them again.
For example, one study looked at the effect that anxiety had on rats who were navigating a maze. It found that in stressful situations, they were more likely to rely on habit memory (doing things they had done previously) than on cognitive ability.
In other words, stress and anxiety feed one another. The more anxious you are, the more likely you are to be anxious.
Has Anxiety Become a Problem for You?
It can be a challenge to know if anxiety has become a problem. We live inside our own brains, and we can’t assess ourselves objectively.
How can you know if anxiety has turned into a chronic issue? Here are some of the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder:
- Sleep disturbance, including difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
- Being easily fatigued
- Difficulty concentrating
- Muscle tension
- Irritability
- A feeling of restlessness or being edge
GAD is usually diagnosed if the patient has difficulty controlling their anxiety on most days over a period of six months, and experiences at least three of the above symptoms.
However, it’s important to note that anxiety can be a problem even if you’re not diagnosed with GAD. If you think it’s a problem, you should consult a doctor.
Conclusion
Anxiety is a problem for a lot of people. The good news is that there are things you can do to combat it. Remember, a little anxiety is normal – but if it affects your life, there is help available.
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References:
https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics
https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder#causes-and-riskfactors
https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/panic-disorder
https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/social-anxiety-disorder
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006899309005988
https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad/symptoms
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