What to know about anxiety

Anxiety is a common emotion, and it can cause physical symptoms, such as shaking and sweating. When anxiety becomes persistent or excessive, a person may have an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorders are a category of mental health diagnoses that involve excessive nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worry. These symptoms can interfere with a person’s quality of life but are very treatable.
This article discusses the symptoms, causes, and treatments for anxiety.
What is anxiety?
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Anxiety is a feeling of fear, tension, or worry that occurs as a response to real or perceived threats.
fear
When a person feels afraid, it triggers the body’s stress response, also known as fight, flight, or freeze. This can involve cognitive, physical, and behavioral changes, such as an increase in heart rate or breathing.
fight, flight, or freeze
can involve
increase in heart rate
This response can help humans escape or avoid danger by supplying more oxygen and blood to the muscles. However, people can also feel anxiety about things that are not dangerous, such as:
important events or decisions
public speaking
social situations
Feeling anxious does not always mean a person has a mental health condition. Many people occasionally feel anxious from time to time.
mental health condition
But when anxiety becomes frequent, out of proportion to a situation, or persists after the situation is over, it can be a sign of an anxiety disorder.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), around 40 million people in the United States have an anxiety disorder. It is the most common type of mental illness in the country. However, only 36.9% of people with an anxiety disorder receive treatment.
Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA)
Symptoms of anxiety
The main symptom of anxiety is a feeling of worry. Other symptoms can include:
elevated heart rate
faster breathing
irritability
irritability
restlessness
muscle tension
difficulty concentrating
difficulty concentrating
difficulty falling or staying asleep
If a person has severe anxiety, they may experience a panic attack, which causes an intense feeling of dread or panic that reaches a peak before subsiding. Symptoms may include:
rapid breathing (hyperventilation)
pounding heartbeat
sweating
shaking or trembling
a feeling of impending doom or lack of control
a feeling of impending doom
How and when these symptoms manifest will depend on the type of anxiety a person has.
Types of anxiety
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders: 5th Edition, text revision (DSM-5-TR) includes several distinct anxiety disorders.
In previous editions of the DSM-5-TR, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and acute stress disorder also fell into this category. However, as of 2013, the manual no longer groups these diagnoses together.
acute stress disorder
2013
The anxiety disorders are as follows:
People with GAD have persistent, pervasive feelings of anxiety or dread that do not have a specific focus. It is not a response to a stressful situation that then goes away once it is over, but a general feeling of worry that may affect many aspects of everyday life.
not a response
A person with GAD may worry about lots of things, and find it difficult to relax or get to sleep.
Learn more about GAD.
Learn more about GAD
People with panic disorder experience frequent and unexpected panic attacks. A person may have specific triggers, or they may not know the cause.
panic disorder
frequent
panic attacks
Learn about panic disorder and panic attacks.
Learn about panic disorder and panic attacks
Specific phobias are a fear of a particular object or situation, such as heights or spiders. Unlike other anxiety disorders, phobias focus on one specific trigger.
spiders
A person with a phobia might know their fear is illogical or extreme, but remain unable to control it when they encounter the trigger.
Learn more about phobias and how they develop.
Learn more about phobias and how they develop
This is a fear and avoidance of places, events, or situations from which it may be difficult to escape, or where help would not be available in emergencies.
People often misunderstand this condition as a phobia of open spaces or the outdoors, but this is not the case. Some common situations a person with agoraphobia may be scared of include:
often misunderstand
using elevators
using public transport
leaving home, in some cases
Learn more about agoraphobia.
Learn more about agoraphobia
Social anxiety is a fear of negative judgment from others. A person with social anxiety may feel others are evaluating everything they do, or that they will be embarrassed or humiliated if they interact with people.
This can cause a person to avoid social interaction, or only certain types of interaction, such as talking with strangers.
Additional signs of social anxiety can include:
can include
intense self-consciousness
finding it difficult to make eye contact
speaking in a quiet or soft voice
feeling as though the mind has “gone blank” in social situations
Learn more about social anxiety disorder.
Learn more about social anxiety disorder
Separation anxiety is when a person feels anxious after separating from a place or person that makes them feel safe, such as a parent.
Separation anxiety is most common in young children but can affect people of all ages.
most common
Learn all about separation anxiety in adults.
Learn all about separation anxiety in adults
Some children experience this form of anxiety, in which they cannot speak in certain places or contexts, even though they have the ability to do so.
cannot speak
Learn more about selective mutism in adults and children.
Learn more about selective mutism in adults and children
Causes of anxiety
Occasional anxiety is often a response to uncertainty about the future or worry about something that happened in the past.
For example, a person may feel anxious about taking a test, or worry they have made a decision they might regret.
The causes of anxiety disorder are more complex and can involve several factors. The United Kingdom charity, Mind, lists several psychological factors:
Mind
Current situation: Life events that cause ongoing stress may contribute to the development of an anxiety disorder. Examples of these include financial struggles, being under pressure at work, or experiencing discrimination.
Past trauma: Traumatic events are incidents that cause an actual or perceived threat to a person’s safety. Even if these events happened a long time ago, they can still affect people years later.
Substance use: Some substances, such as stimulant drugs, can cause anxiety. Other substances may cause anxiety when a person experiences withdrawal.
Some physical factors include:
Brain structure or function: People with anxiety disorders may have a heightened amygdala response. The amygdala is part of the brain that responds to danger.
may have
amygdala
Genetics: Some people may have a genetic predisposition toward anxiety.
Medical factors: Sometimes, anxiety is the product of a physical illness, such as a neurological disorder or hormonal imbalance. It can also be a side effect of some medications, or a result of experiencing long-term pain or other symptoms.
hormonal imbalance
Learn more about the causes of anxiety.
Learn more about the causes of anxiety
Treatment for anxiety
Treatment often consists of psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of both.
often consists
psychotherapy
Sometimes other conditions, such as PTSD or substance use disorders, may require treatment before the anxiety can be addressed.
substance use disorders
Sometimes, a person can ease anxiety at home without clinical supervision. Things that may help a person cope include:
relaxation techniques
relaxation techniques
physical exercise
physical exercise
getting enough sleep
reducing the use of caffeine or other stimulants
caffeine
talking with a trusted loved one
However, this may only be effective for mild or short-term anxiety. Those with more severe or ongoing anxiety may benefit from combining these strategies with therapy or medication.
Learn about some other ways to treat anxiety naturally.
Learn about some other ways to treat anxiety naturally
A first-line treatment for anxiety is psychotherapy, or talk therapy.
There are many types of talk therapy. Each one aims to help a person understand the thoughts, beliefs, or experiences that may be contributing to persistent anxiety, and ways of changing or coping with them.
Some examples include:
cognitive behavioral therapy
cognitive behavioral therapy
acceptance and commitment therapy
exposure therapy
psychodynamic therapy
There are also distinct forms of therapy that can help children, people who have a history of trauma, or people with specific types of anxiety disorder.
Learn more about different types of therapy.
Learn more about different types of therapy
Some medications can reduce the symptoms of anxiety, making the condition more manageable. Some people take medications to make it easier to begin therapy, while others may take them on an ongoing basis.
Some examples of medications a doctor may suggest include:
Antidepressants: Some antidepressants can help with anxiety, even though they also target depression. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors, fluoxetine, and citalopram are examples. They take several weeks to begin working.
Serotonin reuptake inhibitors
fluoxetine
citalopram
several weeks
Beta-blockers: These drugs do not stop anxiety, but they do reduce the physical symptoms associated with it, such as a rapid heartbeat. People can take them over a short period of time, or only occasionally for anxiety-inducing situations.
a rapid heartbeat
Benzodiazepines: These drugs act immediately to reduce anxiety, but they can quickly cause dependence or addiction. As a result, doctors only prescribe them for short-term use. Diazepam, or Valium, is a common benzodiazepine.
dependence
addiction
Diazepam
Some drugs work better for certain types of anxiety than others, so people should work with a knowledgeable mental health professional to find what works for them.
mental health professional
It is important to note that some of these drugs can cause side effects, including a worsening of anxiety, when a person starts taking them. It may take several months for this to subside.
Seek medical advice if the adverse effects of any prescribed medications become severe.
Learn more about anxiety medications.
Learn more about anxiety medications
Preventing anxiety
It is not always possible to prevent anxiety entirely. Many people experience anxiety when they are going through a challenging time.
However, researchers have suggested that building resilience to stress may reduce the likelihood of anxiety disorders. A 2020 review of past research highlighted several strategies that may help to reduce the risk by affecting a person’s gene activity, such as:
2020 review
getting regular exercise
practicing mindfulness
having a supportive family environment
This research is still in its early stages, though. Other strategies that may help include:
reducing caffeine intake
caffeine
maintaining a balanced, nutritious diet
balanced, nutritious diet
keeping a regular sleep pattern
sleep pattern
avoiding alcohol, cannabis, and other recreational drugs
alcohol
cannabis
checking with a health professional before using over-the-counter medicines or herbal remedies
Learn about some foods that can help prevent anxiety.
Learn about some foods that can help prevent anxiety
FAQ
Below are some commonly asked questions about anxiety.
Some short-term coping skills that can help with anxiety include breathing techniques and grounding techniques.
breathing techniques
Breathing techniques involve slowing breathing down to help calm the nervous system. Grounding techniques involve focusing on things that remind a person of the present moment. Mindfulness has a similar approach.
Learn more coping skills for anxiety.
Learn more coping skills for anxiety
Breathing techniques and grounding techniques can calm anxiety. People can also use exercises from CBT to challenge or diffuse anxious thoughts.
Other ideas include:
writing anxious thoughts down, then ripping them up or throwing them away
going for a run to use up nervous energy
trying yoga or meditation
yoga
Learn 14 ways to calm anxious thoughts.
Learn 14 ways to calm anxious thoughts
Stress, lack of sleep, caffeine, and alcohol may worsen anxiety.
lack of sleep
Generally speaking, if a person has mild to moderate anxiety, they can often get effective treatment from their primary care doctor. For talk therapy, a doctor may refer someone to a psychologist.
primary care doctor
Psychiatrists can also provide talk therapy, but unlike psychologists, they can also prescribe medications.
Summary
Anxiety is a natural emotion that many people experience. An anxiety disorder develops when this emotion becomes exaggerated or out-of-proportion to the trigger that causes it.
There are several types of anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, GAD, and social anxiety. Treatment can involve therapy or medication alongside self-help measures.
Read the article in Spanish.
Read the article in Spanish