What Is Anxiety? Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment

Highlights  

• Anxiety is a condition where an individual feels a persistent sense of worry and fear.
• Around one in five American adults suffers from an anxiety disorder.
• Various treatments are available for anxiety, including medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes.

In 2021, around 19 percent of United States adults reported suffering from anxiety. Despite being common, anxiety is a complex condition that means something different to everyone. At its core, it causes sufferers to experience unease and panic regularly.

A better understanding of anxiety is essential for finding the right treatment. 

Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety symptoms vary in terms of how they feel, their severity, and how often people experience them. Symptoms may feel physical, emotional, or behavioral.

Physical Symptoms

Feeling your stomach churn or your heart sink are two of the biggest symptoms of anxiety. Other physical anxiety symptoms include:

• Dizziness
• Pins and needles
• Restlessness
• Backache
• Headache
• Stomach ache
• Rapid breathing
• Palpitations
• Insomnia
• Teeth grinding
• Frequent urination
• Diarrhea
• Low libido

Emotional Symptoms

Emotional symptoms of anxiety may feel difficult to pinpoint. Such symptoms can include:

• Nervousness
• Struggling to relax
• Feelings of dread
• Expecting bad outcomes
• Paranoia
• Anger
• Sadness
• Ruminating about bad experiences
• Panic about the future
• Disassociating from the world
• Uncontrollable worry
• Difficulty concentrating
• Nightmares

Behavioral Symptoms

Anxiety may also lead to behavioral symptoms. If you experience these, other people may notice them before you do. They include:

• Anger. You may find yourself becoming irritated with others faster than usual. 
• Isolation. Spending more time on your own and avoiding others is a sign of anxiety.
• Procrastination. You may delay tasks as you worry about the outcome or fear struggling with them.
• Sleep. You may find yourself sleeping too much or not enough.
• Disorganization. You might experience disorganization at home or at work. 
• Recklessness. If you’re engaging in reckless behavior, such as drinking to excess, you may be trying to mask your anxiety.
• Boundaries. You might struggle to establish boundaries with others with certain forms of anxiety. A good example is struggling to say “no” or worrying about what will happen if you do.

Types of Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety comes in various forms, with some being more common than others. 

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Those who suffer from GAD usually worry about everyday life. They may have a continuous feeling of dread or panic. Around 3.1 percent of the population suffers from GAD.

If you have GAD, some of the symptoms you may experience include:

• Feeling constantly on edge
• Unable to control worry
• Becoming tired easily
• Struggling to sleep
• Unexplained pains
• Irritability

Panic Disorder

Panic disorder involves regular panic attacks. A panic attack causes feelings of intense fear — some call it terror — along with loss of control. They may appear for no reason.

Around 2.7 percent of people have had panic disorder in the last year. Symptoms of panic attacks include:

• Racing heartbeat
• Dizziness
• Impending sense of doom
• Rapid breathing
• Nausea
• Chest pain
• Shaking limbs
• Choking sensations
• Numbness and tingling
• Feeling disconnected from your body
• Feeling like you’re about to die

Social Anxiety Disorder

If you have an overwhelming fear of social situations, you may be suffering from social anxiety disorder. You may worry that others are judging you or that you’ll do something to offend them. It can affect multiple areas of your life, including work, relationships, and education.

Around 7.1 percent of the population suffers from social anxiety disorder. Its symptoms include:

• Worrying about everyday activities. You may struggle with activities that used to feel effortless, such as shopping or making phone calls.
• Avoiding social situations. You might find that social situations, like meetings or seeing friends, spark anxious feelings. 
• Performance anxiety. You may struggle to complete tasks when others are watching.
• Fear of criticism. You may shy away from completing tasks as you worry about the feedback others will give. You may also feel more self-critical.

Social anxiety can also cause physical symptoms, such as panic attacks and sweats.

Specific Phobias

If you have a phobia, a specific event or thing causes intense feelings of fear. One of the most common phobias is animals, such as snakes and spiders. Other common phobias include:

• Fear of heights
• Flying
• Public spaces
• Closed spaces
• Driving
• Speaking

Phobias usually start in childhood or adolescent years and tend to remain until treated. 

Causes of Anxiety

Pinning down the exact cause of anxiety can feel challenging. In many cases, there are multiple causes. They can include:

Genetics

Some studies reveal how genetics can play a role in anxiety. One highlights how the neuropeptide S receptor gene makes you more susceptible to anxiety. Another shows that having a first-degree relative with anxiety increases risk.

Genetics alone don’t usually trigger anxiety, however. Instead, they increase an individual’s chances of experiencing it when they encounter environmental triggers. 

Environmental

Environmental causes of anxiety include challenging circumstances. A common example is growing up in a negative home environment. For example, young children living through poverty are more likely to experience anxiety.

Other environmental causes of anxiety include:

• Physical or emotional abuse
• Neglect
• Social exclusion
• Bullying
• Racism
• Pressure at work or school
• Loneliness
• Isolation

Life Events (Situational)

Major life events, whether positive or negative, can cause anxiety. Research has found that life events may be anxiety’s biggest trigger.

Causative life events can include:

• Loss. Big losses in your life can include losing a loved one or the breakdown of a relationship.
• Role changes. If your role in an area of your life suddenly changes, you may feel anxious due to new pressures. Becoming a parent and changing jobs are two common examples.
• Family changes. Changes in your family, like the birth of a baby or a new stepparent for a child or teen, may lead to an unsettled feeling. 
• Financial. Financial strains have the power to cause significant worry. You may feel anxious during recessions or after taking on big financial commitments.

Any life event that changes how you see yourself or your position in the world can cause anxiety. 

Medical Conditions

You may experience anxiety as a consequence of a medical condition. Or you might have a medical condition that’s masquerading as anxiety. 

Conditions that may present as anxiety can include:

• Brain tumors. Some brain tumors affect areas of the brain that produce anxiety symptoms.
• Hormone disorders. Thyroid disorders can cause anxiety-like symptoms, such as palpitations. Adrenal gland issues can trigger sweats. Similarly, changes in estrogen levels during pregnancy or menopause can induce mood fluctuations.
• Chronic conditions. Conditions such as lupus and fibromyalgia can cause random pains that mimic anxiety.
• Malnutrition. If you’re low in vitamin b12, you may encounter dizziness and palpitations.

If you have anxiety symptoms but no obvious cause, your doctor might want to investigate whether you have an underlying condition.

Diagnosing Anxiety

Diagnosing anxiety usually involves a combination of mental and physical evaluations.

Mental Health Evaluation

Mental health evaluations assess your current mental state and potential triggers for it. Some of the components could include:

• Family history. Having a first-degree relative with anxiety may increase your chances of having it.
• Thoughts. Insights into your thoughts and feelings as well as how often you experience them.
• Behaviors. Behaviors your anxiety is triggering.
• Events. Traumatizing events, such as losing a loved one.
• Lifestyle. Lifestyle habits such as smoking and not sleeping much.
• Social circumstances. Understanding your work, family, and social life helps your doctor build a picture of how you live.

Differential Diagnosis

Many conditions can mimic the symptoms of anxiety. Additionally, anxiety may manifest as a side effect of certain conditions. They include:

• Hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism causes stress hormones to elevate.
• Pheochromocytoma. This adrenal tumor can also elevate stress hormone levels.
• Bipolar disorder. Suffering from bipolar disorder may cause feelings of paranoia and ongoing stress.
• Personality disorder. Certain personality disorders cause high anxiety levels.
• Substance abuse. Addictions to substances such as alcohol and certain drugs may elevate heart rate and disrupt neurotransmitters.

Anxiety Treatments

You may need to experiment a little before you find the right anxiety treatment for you. Look to a medical professional for guidance. 

Anxiety treatments often involve a combination of medications, therapy, and lifestyle changes.

Medications

The medications available for anxiety can tackle anxious feelings directly or target the condition’s symptoms.

Commonly prescribed medications for anxiety include:

• Benzodiazepines. Drugs such as diazepam induce relaxation and may help with sleep.
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs stabilize the amount of serotonin available in the brain at any one time, causing a person to feel happier.
• Beta-blockers. Beta-blockers can reduce anxiety by slowing the heart rate. 

Therapy

Anxiety is usually deep-rooted and complex, so medication alone is often not enough to treat it.

Various types of therapy are available for anxiety. The therapy a provider will recommend may depend on the type of anxiety. 

Here’s what to expect if you undergo treatment for anxiety.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy challenges thoughts and behaviors, which will teach you different ways to approach your anxiety. CBT has a 50 to 75 percent success rate for treating social anxiety.

Your therapists may help you try the following techniques.

• Challenging negative thoughts. When you challenge your negative thoughts, you may see that they’re unrealistic. For example, it’s unlikely you’ll lose your job because you are slightly late after sitting in traffic.
• Black and white thinking. When you think in black and white, you see situations as all or nothing. Realistically, few scenarios are black. Most have manageable grey areas.
• Journaling. Journaling may involve listing negative thoughts and swapping them for more positive ones. For example, rather than thinking everyone dislikes your approach to a task, you can consider that they admire your hard work.
• Catastrophizing. As with challenging negative thoughts, you can challenge whether catastrophic outcomes are likely to happen. Part of this process can involve considering whether the worst outcome is likely to cause significant harm.
• Relaxation techniques. Common relaxation techniques you can try include deep breathing and grounding. 

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)

EMDR is a form of therapy that deals with traumatic memories. The therapist will encourage you to recall your traumatic memory while moving your eyes in specific ways. 

EMDR has a 68 percent success rate in patients with PTSD. 

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy may prove useful if you have a phobia. Under the guidance of a psychotherapist, you’ll be exposed to your phobia in a safe setting. The idea is that gradual exposure in a safe environment reduces your fear.

Exposure can work in several ways:

• Virtual reality. Virtual exposure to a fear means facing it using a simulated computer game. If you have a fear of flying, for example, you can try taking a virtual flight.
• In vivo exposure. With in vivo exposure, you can experience your phobia in real life. For example, if you have a fear of spiders, you may start by sitting in the same room as one.
• Imaginal exposure. With the guidance of a therapist, you can try imagining the event that triggered your phobia.
• Interoceptive exposure. Interoceptive experience involves simulating the sensations you have when a panic attack sets in. You may try exercising to raise your heart rate, for example.

Lifestyle Changes

Certain lifestyle choices can make anxiety worse. Changing them and adopting healthy habits may reduce anxiety.

• Alcohol. Alcohol alters the amount of serotonin in the brain. It also induces dehydration, which may cause palpitations. Alcohol causes blood sugar crashes, which generate feelings of irritability and panic.
• Smoking. Nicotine inhibits the way dopamine reaches the amygdala, the part of the brain that regulates emotions. As a result, individuals can feel more stressed when they smoke.
• Sleep. Poor sleep worsens anxiety symptoms, causing a vicious cycle where anxiety further worsens sleep, which makes anxiety worse, and so on. Practicing good sleep hygiene can help with better rest.
• Exercise. Exercise stimulates some of the chemicals the brain needs to manage stress. It also acts as a healthy distraction from worry. 

Complementary and Alternative Treatments

Complementary and alternative therapies offer lots of ways to manage anxiety. They include:

• Meditation. Meditation improves interoception, which is the way people assess their feelings. Commitment to regular meditation can help you manage negative thoughts better.
• Herbal remedies. Some herbal remedies may reduce anxiety. Valerian is a popular herb that may help you relax and achieve a better night’s sleep. However, it’s important to seek medical advice before trying herbal remedies.
• Progressive muscle relaxation. Systemically tensing different muscle groups and then releasing them can reduce the amount of tension you feel in your body. When you feel less tense, you may also feel less anxious.

Coping With Anxiety

Coping with anxiety sometimes feels like an ongoing battle. There are ways to cope, though.

Strategies for Managing Symptoms

Adopting certain strategies can help you reduce anxiety symptoms. Here are a few you can try:

• Journaling. Writing about what happens when you experience anxiety can help you spot potential triggers.
• Worry time. When you worry a lot, setting aside time to focus on your worries each day may make them feel manageable.
• Grounding. Grounding techniques can include focusing your attention on your surroundings during a panic attack. Try forcing yourself to notice sounds, sensations, and items you see around you to distract yourself from the panic.
• Stress avoidance. Reducing stress can be a very useful way to manage anxiety. A good example is delegating some of your tasks at work or at home.
• Hobbies. Engaging in an activity you enjoy increases the pleasurable experiences you have each day. It can also help to distract you from the things that make you anxious and give you less time to worry.

Importance of Self Care

Self-care means something different to everyone, but it’s important to practice it. Be sure you’re making time for activities such as these:

• Good nutrition. Eat a balanced diet that’s rich with nutrients.
• Alone time. If you lead a hectic lifestyle, set some time aside each day to focus on yourself.
• Kindness. Avoid beating yourself up with self-criticism. When you catch yourself doing this, try writing a mental or physical list of achievements you’re proud of. Even small things can make a big difference.
• Socializing. Spending time with friends and family boosts oxytocin, which is a feel good hormone.
• Fun. Don’t forget to have fun and engage in activities you enjoy. Having fun can involve watching a film, reading a book, or a day out with a friend. 

Seeking Support

Anxiety isn’t a condition you need to manage on your own. Sharing your worries with someone can help tremendously.

Talk to a trusted friend or family member about the way you’re feeling. Doing so can strengthen your relationship and ease the burdens that come with your condition.

Seeking support can also mean trying therapy or speaking with your family doctor. Therapists and medical professionals can offer advice and insights that you may not see for yourself.

You Can Manage Your Anxiety and Feel Better

Anxiety is a common condition that affects millions of people. Although it’s complex, you can manage it with a combination of lifestyle changes, therapy, and medication.

At BidRx, you can find the best prices for the medications you use. You’ll have a range of offers to choose from, which could include online delivery and local pharmacy options. 

Find your anxiety medications on our medication page and create your bid today.