SearchWhat It Means to Have Anxiety
Anxiety: we’ve all heard of it – probably because it’s the most common type of mental disorder in the United States.
Many people throughout the country and across the world experience some type of anxiety. The different anxiety disorders include:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – a typical ongoing worry that interferes with everyday activities
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – unreasonable thoughts that lead to compulsive behaviors
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – trouble recovering from a traumatic event
- Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) – everyday interactions cause irrational anxiety
- Panic Disorder – panic attacks & sudden feelings of terror
Other anxiety disorders may include certain phobias, etc. Though each kind of disorder has its own symptoms, there are some general signs to look out for if you think you may have some type of anxiety.
Symptoms of Anxiety
Here are some common symptoms of anxiety disorders:
- Sense of panic & impending danger
- Feeling nervous or on edge
- Irritability
- Increased heart rate
- Rapid breathing
- Sweating
- Feeling weak or lightheaded
- Extreme fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Trouble sleeping
- Gastrointestinal issues
- Trembling or twitching
- Excessive worryÂ
How Anxiety Is Different for Women
Between puberty and age 50, women are twice more likely than men to have or get diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. This can be for a combination of different reasons: women may be more likely to seek diagnoses, panic attacks in men may be misdiagnosed, high testosterone levels decrease anxiety symptoms, etc.
While we may never know exactly why women develop anxiety at a higher rate than men, we have been able to uncover some of the causes of anxiety in women over time.
5 Possible Causes of Anxiety in Women
Here are some common causes of anxiety disorders in women:
- Monthly cycle hormones that increase anxiety levels
- Female hormones that initiate fight-or-flight responses
- Traumatic events – sexual abuse and violence, domestic violence
- Family history and issues
- Hormones that trigger stress responses
Managing Your Anxiety
If you think you may have an anxiety disorder, the best first step is therapy. Engaging in therapy sessions with a trained counselor or psychiatrist can not only help you understand the root of your anxiety disorder, but allow you to understand your feelings more and develop strategies to ease anxious thoughts in the future. And in addition to helping you discover positive coping tools, attending therapy or another type of medical program may give you access to medication that could ease symptoms of a specific kind of anxiety.
Things you can also do on your own to manage anxiety include staying active, meditating, eating a healthy diet, avoiding drugs, maintaining social relationships, and talking about the issues you’re facing.
To learn more about how certain mental disorders like anxiety affect women, contact our team of professionals at 267.719.8689. We can provide resources to help you understand your anxiety while learning new skills to help you achieve a happy and healthy life.
