Anxiety: It’s More Common Than You Think

Anxiety+by+Grace+Plett

“Anxiety” by Grace Plett

Marissa Colangelo, Author

Anxiety is something real that affects a lot of students across America, Florida, and even Somerset; chances are you have had it before.

Even the most unlikely people may be suffering from anxiety. Someone who is loud and talkative could have it!

Anyone can get anxiety, but it is nothing to be ashamed of. Some causes for people to feel anxiety at school are tests and seeing specific imagery.

Anxiety can last from a few minutes to a lifetime. It is estimated that around three million people develop anxiety per year, and 260 million people suffer from an anxiety disorder permanently.

There are many forms of anxiety, but here are 3 major ones: generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic attacks. Some others include OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), phobias, and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

• Generalized anxiety usually lasts around six months. Statistics show about 18.1% of people get it per year, and it is very common among all ages (adaa.org).

• Social Anxiety affects approximately 6.8% of adults in the United States. People will go to extreme lengths to avoid people. This type of anxiety can start as young as the age of six (nimh.nih.gov).

• Panic attacks are completely spontaneous to people with them. Studies show that one out of seventy five people will ever experience one. You may experience symptoms like chills, nausea, racing heartbeats, etc (psychologytoday.com).

If you think you have anxiety, you may experience easy irritability, fatigue, restlessness, etc. However, if you do experience these, it does not inherently mean you have it.

Although anxiety can be severe, it can still be cured. You can see a medical professional, take a medication, or get therapy, among other options.