Anxiety can mean nervousness, worry, or self-doubt. Sometimes, the cause of anxiety is easy to spot, while other times it may not be. Everyone feels some level of anxiety once in a while. But overwhelming, recurring, or "out of nowhere" dread can deeply impact people. When anxiety interferes like this, talking to a therapist can help.
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Anxiety affects 18.1% of the adult population in the United States, but studies show as few as 36.9% of these people will get treatment for anxiety. One cause for this may be a lack of knowledge about anxiety conditions. The stigma that can come with seeking help for mental health could also add to this gap.
Anxiety is at the root of many mental health conditions, including panic attacks and phobias. It is often directly related to other conditions, like obsessions and compulsions, PTSD, and depression. In addition to generalized anxiety, the DSM-5 lists the following mental health issues as anxiety disorders:
- Separation anxiety: Can be characterized by reluctance to leave home or be apart from parents and anxiety when separated from parents.
- Selective mutism: Selective mutism means not speaking at all in only some situations. This may cause issues with academic, work, or social success.
- Panic: Panic disorder is diagnosed by recurring panic attacks, including physical symptoms of anxiety.
- Specific phobias: Phobias are fear surrounding a certain object or situation, which the person avoids.
- Social anxiety: People with social anxiety feel fear or anxiety in social situations. The fear is often out of proportion to the threat, and people with social anxiety may avoid social situations.
- Agoraphobia: Agoraphobia can include fear of being in open or enclosed spaces, leaving one's house, and being in crowds or using public transportation.
- Medication/substance-induced anxiety: This condition is diagnosed by anxiety that seems to be directly caused by exposure to certain substances, like caffeine or alcohol. The anxiety could also be caused by a medication.
