Anxiety is one of the body’s built-in responses to stress. That feeling you get when you make it to the cashier at the grocery store and you can’t find your bank card and people are lining up behind you? That’s anxiety. How about when you realize there’s company visiting so you panic and stay in your room to avoid speaking? That’s anxiety again. Anxiety comes in many forms and is a natural part of the human experience.Children and teenagers can also experience anxiety, but may manifest it in different ways. For example, saying their stomach hurts so they don’t have to go to school. At times anxiety heightens our awareness and helps us make snap decisions. When it manifests as fear though, it can cloud your judgement and have you doubt yourself. While commonplace, anxiety becomes concerning when it hinders your ability to live your everyday life. Constant fear is a concern and may be signs of an anxiety disorder.
According to the Ministry of Health, “an anxiety disorder is a serious mental illness. For people with anxiety disorders worry and fear are constant and overwhelming and can be crippling.” Anxiety disorders vary, but here you will find a few of the most common types and their symptoms:
Generalized anxiety disorder: individuals affected tend to worry more than necessary about simple issues and expect the worst from low-risk situations.
Common symptoms:
Social anxiety disorder: caused by extreme fear of social settings and situations. Affected individuals may struggle to engage in social interactions and attend social gatherings for fear of judgement by others.
Common symptoms (usually occur when interacting with others):
Panic disorder: individuals suffering from panic disorder have sudden and repeated attacks of fear. They often feel fear or a loss of control even when there is no real danger present
Common symptoms:
Post-traumatic stress disorder: caused by a trauma induced event. This type of anxiety disorder is common in films portraying soldiers returning from war and adjusting to civilian life, but it is not at all limited to those who have experienced combat.
Common symptoms:
Anxiety in children may appear when a child doesn’t outgrow fears and worries common at their age or when their fears and worries affect school, home life, or play. Anxiety in children can present as irritability and anger. The child may have trouble sleeping or experience fatigue, headaches, or stomachaches. Below are few examples of how certain anxiety disorders may appear in children:
When coping with anxiety it is recommended that individuals identify their triggers. Everyone has different triggers and identifying them is an important step in the coping and treatment process. Here are a few things you can do on your own to combat certain symptoms:
While the above list of anxiety disorders is not complete, if you find yourself controlled by fear more often than not, you are urged to seek help from a mental health professional such as a licensed therapist or psychologist trained to address and work through your concerns.
Anxiety and Depression Association of America
https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/panic-disorder
https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad/symptoms
CDC:
https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/depression.html
Healthline:
https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety#types
https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/social-phobia#symptoms
https://www.healthline.com/health/panic-disorder#panic-attacks
https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/posttraumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/symptoms
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/how-to-cope-with-anxiety#quick-coping-methods
NIH Panic Disorder:
Anxiety Disorders:
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml
When Fear Overwhelms:
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/panic-disorder-when-fear-overwhelms/index.shtml#pub5
