According to the American Psychiatric Association, anxiety disorders are the most common of mental disorders. They affect nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lives.
It's normal for everyone to experience occasional anxiety in their lives. However, individuals with anxiety disorders face more intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Anxiety disorders often include recurring episodes of sudden, intense anxiety and fear that can peak within minutes, known as panic attacks.
These feelings of anxiety and panic disrupt daily activities, are hard to manage, and may be disproportionate to the actual danger. They can persist for a significant period. In an attempt to avoid experiencing these intense emotions, individuals may start avoiding certain places or situations. Symptoms of anxiety disorders can begin during childhood or adolescence and persist into adulthood.
The Mayo Clinic lists the following signs and symptoms of anxiety:
Feeling nervous, restless or tense
Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom
Having an increased heart rate
Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
Sweating
Trembling
Feeling weak or tired
Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry
Having trouble sleeping
Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems
Having difficulty controlling worry
Having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety
If anxiety is disrupting your life, Renew Family Counseling can help!
www.renewfamilycounseling.com
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