11 Facts About Anxiety

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1. Anxiety disorders differ from normal feelings of nervousness or anxiousness because they involve excessive fear or anxiety, and typically cause reactions out of proportion to the circumstances. Anxiety disorders can interfere with job performance, school work, and relationships.^[American Psychiatric Association. “What Are Anxiety Disorders?” APA. Accessed May 14, 2019.]
2. Anxiety can produce both physical and emotional symptoms. People with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) experience restlessness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, chronic fatigue, nausea, dizziness, and worsening worry or fear over extended periods of time.^[National Institute of Mental Health. “Anxiety Disorders.” NIMH. Accessed May 14, 2019.]
3. Other common anxiety disorders include panic disorder, specific phobias, separation anxiety disorder, social anxiety, and selective mutism.^[National Institute of Mental Health. “Anxiety Disorders.” NIMH. Accessed May 14, 2019.]
4. Anxiety disorders are the most common of mental disorders and will affect nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lives.^[American Psychiatric Association. “What Are Anxiety Disorders?” APA. Accessed May 14, 2019.]
5. GAD affects 6.8 million adults in the United States, and women are twice as likely to be affected as men.^[Anxiety and Depression Association of America. “Facts and Statistics.” ADAA. Accessed May 14, 2019.]
6. Nearly 50% of Americans diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.^[Anxiety and Depression Association of America. “Facts and Statistics.” ADAA. Accessed May 14, 2019.]
7. Closely related to anxiety disorders are eating disorders, sleep disorders, bipolar disorder, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic pain, and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).^[Anxiety and Depression Association of America. “Facts and Statistics.” ADAA. Accessed May 14, 2019.]
8. Though anxiety disorders are highly treatable, only about 1/3 of those suffering receive adequate treatment or counseling.^[Anxiety and Depression Association of America. “Facts and Statistics.” ADAA. Accessed May 14, 2019.]
9. Anxiety disorders can be caused by a number of factors, including trauma, stress buildup or stress due to an illness, withdrawal from drugs or alcohol, or family history of mental health issues.^[Mayo Clinic. “Anxiety Disorders.” Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Accessed May 14, 2019.]
10. Approximately 8% of children and teenagers experience an anxiety disorder, with many symptoms developing before age 21.^[Anxiety and Depression Association of America. “Understand the Facts.” ADAA. Accessed May 14, 2019.]
11. An estimated 284 million people worldwide experienced an anxiety disorder in 2017, making it the most prevalent mental health disorder around the globe.^[Ritchie, Hannah and Roser, Max. “Anxiety Disorders.” Our World In Data. Accessed May 14, 2019.]