The Other Side of Anxiety

Anxiety is becoming more and more common in today’s society.  The Coronavirus Pandemic has especially brought the topic of anxiety to light for a lot of individuals.  With this being said, anxiety can look like a lot of different things for a variety of different people.  Therefore, it is wrong of us to expect everyone to respond in the same manner.

            The most common thought that comes to mind for most people are anxiety attacks.  People tend to think these are very visible symptoms, when in reality it can look very different.  Generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety, and phobias are just some of the various forms.  This does not mention the disorders that CAUSE anxiety such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.  Once again, symptoms vary depending on severity as well.  Anxiety can also occur when other disorders are present, making it hard to pinpoint the trigger.

            Also, anxiety does NOT discriminate!  People of all ages, genders, and backgrounds can suffer from anxiety.  Typical symptoms that people are usually aware of are fear, worry, and dread.  Some other symptoms, however, include restlessness, insomnia, fatigue, increased heart rate, seating/tremors. These symptoms can be impairing to a person’s everyday routine.  Many people also don’t know that anxiety can increase the risk of addiction in some people.  This can mean an increased urge or it can make the addiction more difficult to quit.

            To conclude, anxiety is a very common disorder that is typically under-treated in a lot of ways.  Most people suffer from this, but go on with day to day life because it can be caused by so many outlying situations.  Anxiety is very treatable by many methods, but you can’t be treated if you are unaware.  Therefore, more people just need to become more aware of this mental illness and that education could mean more help for others in the future.

-Written by Jessica Skrelunas, intern