WHAT IS IT?

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Anxiety conditions are the number-one mental health problem among American women and are second only to alcohol and drug abuse among men. The frequency of anxiety is also increasing among children, and it contributes to decreased social connectedness(divorce ,living alone, decreased birthrate, marriage later in life). Increases in physical or psychological threats (violent crime, worry about nuclear war, fear of diseases such as AIDS, and the entrance of more women into the workforce) are identified as significant factors in the upswing of anxiety. 

Approximately 10 percent of the population of the United States, or more than 30 million people, suffer from anxiety disorders each year, yet only a small proportion receive treatment. Many who suffer from high anxiety are too embarrassed or ashamed to discuss their anxieties.

Let’s take a look at some of the varied conditions that result from

uncontrolled anxiety.

1.     Hillary wakes up every night a couple of hours after going to sleep,

her heart racing, feeling dizzy, with a tightness in her throat, and fearful something terrible is going to happen.

2.     Joe just got a promotion because of his Internet sales ability. Now

he must contribute to group sales meetings and he knows he’s going

to be tongue-tied, stammer instead of speak coherently, and get so restless he won’t be able to sit still.

3.     Ruth, a bank teller, has been forcing herself to go to work, and once she gets there, she’s afraid she might say or do something silly, and want to leave.

4.     Adam just entered college, and he’s afraid to speak up in class, even though he knows the answer, and he freezes when he has to take a written exam.

5.     Sylvia was raped a year ago. She continues to have repetitive distressing

thoughts about the event, as well as nightmares, flashbacks, and emotional numbness.
Copyright © Carolyn Chambers Clark,ARNP,EDD – Originally appeared in Living Well With Anxiety edition by Carolyn Chambers Clark,ARNP,EDD