5 Facts About Anxiety

An estimated 264 million people worldwide have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety is one of the most common forms of mental illness.

I am frequently asked, “What is the difference between anxiety and worrying?”or “How do I know if I have anxiety?” Because this question is so commonly asked, I have compiled a list of helpful facts about anxiety to help determine the best next step in getting the help you need.

1. Worrying vs. Anxiety – Worrying is having some concern about a future event. Worry becomes anxiety when the worrying becomes excessive, difficult to control and begins to impact areas of your life. For example, having a difficult time making decisions or completing tasks because you’re overly concerned about an unfavorable outcome.

2. Symptoms of Anxiety include excessive worry, difficulty controlling the worry, restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension and disturbances in your sleep patterns.

3. Prevalence: Anxiety effects 18% of the population every year. Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only 37% of that 18% receive treatment.

4. Types of anxiety:

   1. Generalized Anxiety

   2. Separation Anxiety

   3. Social Anxiety Disorder

   4. Specific Phobia

5. Types of Therapies and Treatment

   1. Psychotherapy – “Talk Therapy”; a popular form of treatment is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Relaxation Therapy is also used to treat Anxiety.

   2. Medication – Working in collaboration with your doctor, there are various forms of medication (ie. anti-anxiety, anti-depressant, beta-blockers) that can help to support physiological symptoms associated with anxiety while working with your therapist to implement skills to manage your anxiety.

   3. Support groups – where peers gather who are also dealing with anxiety to support one another through their journey of healing.

   4. Stress management techniques – professionals have found that stress management techniques applied in conjunction with interventions in the therapy sessions support long term benefits of managing client’s anxiety.

As a licensed LMFT, I am fully qualified to help people overcome their anxiety disorders. If this is something you are currently struggling with, please take the first step in the healing process by reaching out to me today! I love being able to help people on this journey and have been able to show them that anxiety does not define you. It is controllable and it is treatable. Let me help you live the life you’ve always imagined.