Anxiety

  • What Is Anxiety?

    Anxiety is defined as a state of intense agitation, foreboding, tension, and dread, occurring from a real or perceived threat of impending danger. Anxiety can cause someone to feel frightened, distressed, or uneasy during situations in which most others would not experience these feelings. (NAMI website, April 2012

Physical Symptoms

    • Shallow breathing and hyperventilation
       
    • Pounding heartbeat or heart palpitations

    • Shaky limbs and trembling

    • Body and muscle tension

    • Dry mouth

    • Headaches

    • Nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting

    • Rashes

    • Fatigue

    • Increase or decrease in appetite

    • Increase or decrease in sleep

    • Decreased concentration

Emotional Symptoms

    • Avoidance of situations that cause anxiety

    • Feelings of irritability or anger

    • Feeling numb

Risk Factors for Anxiety

    • Gender - females at higher risk for anxiety disorders than males

    • Childhood trauma

    • Medical illness

    • Build-up of daily Stress

    • Personality

    • Having parent or other family members with an anxiety disorder 

    • Abusing Drugs or alcohol

Anxiety in Children and Teens

  • Anxiety in children and teens may present itself through a number of different behaviors. These can include: avoidance of social situations, school refusal or avoidance, anxiety about test-taking, or anxiety about homework. Sometimes, children and teens experience general worry and anxiety about daily events and situations.