It's that tense, frightened feeling that people get when they feel threatened. Sometimes, it is described as being scared, nervous, jittery, or uneasy. Almost everyone has had this emotion at times although it is given many different names. It is a feeling which makes people want to get away or get out of a situation. Anxiety will occur at some point in everyone's life and be at least a minor problem.
The brain is programmed in certain circumstances, suck as being in extreme heights or around wild animals. Thus, anxiety can be a helpful emotion in situations where there is danger. The body is preparing for a threat and marshaling it's resources to respond. The problem in anxiety disorders is that there is usually no real danger. Healthy anxiety helps persons be prepared for threatening situations while excessive, unhealthy anxiety is being triggered when there is really no need.
Anxiety can be caused biologically or psychologically. On a psychological level, it can be brought about by the perception that something dangerous is about to happen. On a physical level, there are areas of the brain which are responsible for translating perceptions of danger into anxiety. If genetic or biological flaws cause heightened activity in these areas of the brain, then there can be strong levels of anxiety even without danger being present.
There are a variety of types of anxiety as well as diagnoses for anxiety. This handout deals with what might be called general or garden variety anxiety. In technical terms, this is usually referred to as either Adjustment Disorder with Anxious Mood or Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Sometimes Anxiety is clearly attached to one particular situation, as in is clearly attached to one particular situation, as in and adjustment disorder. Other times it is not. It may be free-floating or attached to a variety of problems, as in Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Persons with GAD feel out of control and overwhelmed by their worries. Their minds tend to dwell on many different potential difficulties. GAD is more then just a feeling. It also involves a variety of other symptoms, some of which are more mental and psychological and others of which are more physical. There is no clear divisions between brain, mind and body in anxiety. In addition to worry, persons with GAD tend to have difficulty concentrating and problems with irritability. Examples of physical symptoms of anxiety include; being restless or keyed up, fatigue, muscle tension or aches, and difficulty sleeping.
Adjustment Disorder with Anxious Mood is defined as occurring when there is anxiety in response to an identifiable stressor that has occurred in the last 3 months. The anxiety has to be either in excess of what would normally be expected, or there has to be significant impairment arising from it, such as at home, socially, at work, or at school.
Did you Know.......
More then 23 million people have some type of anxiety disorder in any particular year.
Over the course of a lifetime one out of four persons in the United States will have an anxiety disorder.
Three to four percent of the persons in the U.S. have Generalized Anxiety Disorder,
It is estimated that the direct costs (such as treatment) and indirect costs (such as missed days of work) for all forms of anxiety may reach $46 billion
($46,000,000,000) dollars per year.
The majority of people with anxiety disorders never seek treatment.
Anxiety and depression often occur together. When they do occur together, the anxiety usually comes first.
YOU ARE READING
Living With Anxiety and Panic Attacks
General FictionThis is for teens who have anxiety and depression, I would hope you read it if you need to know if you have anxiety, panic attacks. I have these things and its hard.
