In2012,theaverageageforanxietytodevelopinahumanwaselevenyearsoldthis

impliesthatthenormwasforafifthgradertoestablishanxiety.Muchlikeothermentalhealth
problems,anxietydisordersareeasilymisunderstoodandoverlookedduetothembeing
mindbased,wheninrealitytheycaneasilybehelpedwithmorecomprehension.Everyonehas
stressthatisoftenbeneficialtoeverydaylife,butthosewhosufferfromanxietydisordersare
constantlyworryingaboutsmallissuesthat,tomost,couldeasilybesolved.ShirleyBrinkerhoff,
authorof
AnxietyDisorders
,comments,Sincealmosteveryonefeelsanxiousnowandthen,its
importanttodistinguishbetweenanxietydisordersandnormalanxiety.Anxietydoesnotonly
comeintheformofpersistentworryingabouteverydaylifealsoknownasGeneralAnxiety
Disorderbutincludespanicdisorder,Agoraphobia,socialanxiety,PosttraumaticStress
disorder,andObsessivecompulsivedisorder.Uncertaintomanyvictims,treatmentsforthese
anxietiesareoutthereandaccessibletoall.Peoplethinkanxietyissomethingthattheyve
done,anditsnotTheythinkitsaweaknessItsdefinitelynotaweakness.(Worland,1).
Thosesufferingwithanxietycontinuethroughlife,oftenbelievingpeoplewillfindthem
overexaggeratingiftheybegintoworryanxietyissomuchmorethanthat,andIplantoshow
whythesepeoplearestrong.
Whatisanxiety?Whycanpeoplenotcontrolit,andwhydopeoplechoosetobrushit
offlikeitisacommoncold?Anxietyisthefeelingofbeingpowerless,evenwhenthereisno
reasontofeelthisway.Sufferersofananxietydisorderhaveaninabilitytocopewith
threateningeventstheseurgesareuncontrollableandmightnotevenbethere.Bystanders
onlookinganxietyoftenbelievethat,becauseoftheimaginaryworry,itdoesnotexistand
shouldnotbeconsideredanactualproblem.Itsliketellingadiabeticquitmakingyourblood

sugarhigh...Itsnotsomethingyoucancontrol.(Worland,1).Anumberofsymptomscan
ariseinthosewhomaybesufferingfromanxiety,suchasirrationalfear,shortnessofbreath,
numbnessinhandsorfeet,andtroublesleeping.Althoughtheactualcauseofanxietyis
unknownasmuchofthehumanbrainisnotunderstoodbiologicalfactors,heredity,life
experiences,otherillnesses,andchemicalimbalancescanplayarole.However,symptomsand
causescanvarybetweentypesofanxietyjustbecauseoneisdiagnosedwithGeneralAnxiety
Disorder,itdoesnotmeantheywillsharethesameexperiencesasthosewithPosttraumatic
StressDisorder.
GeneralAnxietyDisorder(G.A.D.)ischaracterizedaspersistentandunrealisticworrying
abouteverydaylifeanxietyoftenoccursfornoapparentreason,causingexaggeratedtension.
CausalitiesofG.A.D.areoverlyconcernedaboutmoney,family,health,andworktheyoftendo
notknowhowtostopworryingbecausetheyfeelitisbeyondtheircontrol.Inordertobe
diagnosedwithG.A.D.,apatientmusthaveexcessiveworryforatleastsixmonths,butmany
sufferforlongerbeforegettingtreatmentifatall.Themostcommonanxietydisorderinthe
UnitedStates,over6.8millionadultssufferfromG.A.D.Womenaretwiceaslikelytobe
diagnosed,aswellaschildrenandmiddleagedadults.GeneralAnxietyDisorderdevelops
gradually,bringingalongfeelingsofchronicrestlessness,difficultyconcentrating,fatigue,and
difficultysleeping.Someevenexperienceachesandpains,trembling,andtwitchingiftheir
anxietygetsseriousenough.Someworryisnormal.Whenitbecomesexcessive,interrupting
yourdailyfunctioning,thatswhenitstimetoseesomeone(Worland,St.JosephNewsPress).
Unfortunately,whenG.A.D.getsinthewayofeverydaylife,itcausesmorestress,addingtothe
originalanxiety.

AlthoughtheconstantstressofeverydaylifeputsastrainonthosewhoendureG.A.D.,
victimssufferingfromapanicdisordermayfindithardtosympathize.Apanicdisordercauses
recurrent,unexpectedpanicattacksandpersistentconcernofhavinganotherone.
Approximately2.7%oftheUnitedStatespopulationexperienceanxietyattacks,whichis
roughly6millionadults.Sufferersofapanicdisorderexperienceperiodsofintensefearor
discomfortwithatleastfourspecificsymptomspresentthesesymptomsmayincludeheart
palpitations,acceleratedheartrate,sweating,shortnessofbreath,nausea,dizziness,andfearof
dyingorlosingcontrol.Geneticdispositionhasbeenknowntoplayaroleinthediagnosisof
panicattacks,inwhichittypicallyrunsinthefamily.Thosewhohavelowselfesteemarealso
thoughttobemorevulnerabletodevelopapanicdisorder,alongwithfemales.Oftentimes,
patientsfeartheirattacksindicatethattheyhaveanundiagnoseddisease,theyarelosingtheir
mind,orthattheyareemotionallyweakthesearenottrue.Panicdisordersareamongstthe
easiesttotreat,howevermanydonotseektreatmentoutofterrororembarrassment.
Unfortunately,withlackoftreatment,avictimofapanicdisordermaydevelopAgoraphobia.
Panicdisorderpatientsbegintofearplaceswheretheyhavesufferedattacksthisspecific
fearisknownasAgoraphobia.Agoraphobiaisasevereanxietyaboutbeinginopenspacesor
publicareaswhereescapemightproveeitherdifficultorembarrassing(Nadelson,
UnderstandingAnxietyDisorders
,43).Thisphobiaoftencomesfromthefearofhavinganother
attack,havingthememoryoftheirlastonestuckinthebackoftheirmind.Sadly,Agoraphobia
canseriouslyaffecttheirdevelopmentasahumansociallytheyavoidpublicplacesuptothe
pointwheretheybecomehomebound.Eventslikestandinginlines,goingtoparties,oreven
goingtoagrocerystoreatmidnightcanbefrighteningforthosesufferingfromAgoraphobia.

Althoughsomedoenduretheintensedispleasureofbeingaroundpeople,manyfinditeasytogo
outsidewithacompaniontheytrustorjuststayinsidetheirhouse.
However,thereisanotherphobiathatrelatestodispleasureofbeingaroundpeoplethis
fearsimplycalledSocialAnxietyDisorder,orsocialphobia.Socialphobiaisexactlywhatit
soundslike:thefearofbeingjudgedbyothersinsocialsituations.

Asisanydisorder,anxietyisanillnessultimately,thisindicatesthatthereare

treatments.Manyvictimsgowithouttreatment,whichistypicallyineffective.Phobiasthat
startatanearlyage...donotoftengointoremission...onlyabout20percent...improvewithout
treatment.(Brinkerhoff,34).Althoughitmayseemsimple,meditationoftenworkswhenthe
caseofanxietyisnottoopowerful.Takingafewdeepbreathsandthinkingaboutallgood
thingsyouhaveinpossessionhelpsrelievethemindofstress,andclearsoutsomeoftheanxiety.
Forthosesufferingfromanattack,lookingaroundoneselfandnamingfivethingsonecansee,
fourthingsonecantouch,threethingsonecanhear,twothingsonecansmell,andonethingone
cantasteoftenhelpsonecalmthemselves.Thistechniqueiscalledgroundingithelpssufferers
feeltheyhaveregainedcontroloftheirsurrounding.
However,someanxietiesmighttobetoochallengingforhomeremediesmedication,
alongwithmeditation,canbeusedtotreattypessuchasSocialAnxiety,Agoraphobia,panic
disorders,OCD,andPTSD.Psychotherapymayalsoberecommendedtopatientswhoare
victimizedbyAgoraphobiaandpanicdisorders.Itcouldbefrighteningandembarrassingfor

onewhohasananxietydisorder,butwemustrememberthatweareonlyhumananddoctorsare
heretohelp.
Medicinesandhomeremediesmayseemlikeeffectivetreatmentstoanxiety,yetImight
arguethatfamilyandfriendsarethebestsolutions.Whenlovedonestakethetimeandeffortto
understandwhatsomeoneisexperiencing,theyoftenlearnwhattriggersanxietyattacks.By
beingabletoacquirethisknowledge,theycanassisttheirfriendinbecomingbetterandreducing
theiranxiety.Knowingpeoplearethereforoneselfisthebestfeelingintheworldandwill
surelygivehopetothepatientthattheycanbehealedagain.
Anxietyhitsclosetohome,forIseemtohaveatypeofanxietythatIwouldprefernotto
getdiagnosedwith.Ilearnedlongagothatmyfearofpeopleandtheconstantthoughtsof
failurerunningthroughmymindwerenotsimpleshyness.Ihaveexperiencedwhatitisliketo
fearthateverythingoneisdoingiswrongandthatpeoplewithconstantlyjudgethemnomatter
howhardtheytry.Ihavebeengettingbetter,forrecentlyIhavemetsomebodywhoknowshow
tohelpme.ManyofmyfriendsthatIassociatewithalsosufferfromatypeofanxietyone
beingavictimofpanicattacksandtheothersufferingfrompanicattacks,Agoraphobia,and
SocialAnxiety.
Allthreeofusknowhowitfeelstobetoldtojustcalmdown.Thatisnothowit
works.Peopleneedtocomprehendthatanxietyisanactualthingitisnotsimplyworrying,or
shyness,orbeinglazy.Anxietyruinspeopleslives,relationships,andselfesteemsitcanallbe
helpedbythepeoplesurroundinguseveryday.Makingaphonecallforafriendwithsocial
anxietywhodoesnotlikespeakingcanrelievesomuchanxietyforthatpersonhugging

somebodyhavingapanicattackandtellingthemthatitwillbeokaycanstopthemfromshaking.
Oneneverknowswhatkindofdifferencetheycanmakebysimplyunderstanding.