Many people who have anxiety disorder don't realize it. They just think they are born worriers.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Ninan PT.
Dissolving the burden of generalized anxiety disorder.
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2001; 62 (supplement 19): S5-S10.

 

 

 

 

 

¹ Or they may think they have a physical illness. This is because anxiety disorder can give you symptoms such as headaches or

 

 

 

 

 

palpitations
A palpitation is when you feel like your heart is beating very fast.

 

 

 

 

 

palpitations (when you can feel your heart beating too fast).

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Andrews G, Creamer M, Crino R et al.
The treatment of anxiety disorders: clinician guides and patient manuals.
2nd edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK; 2002.

 

 

 

 

 

²

If you have anxiety disorder, you can get help. There isn't a cure for this condition, but there are good treatments that can help you control your anxiety, and not have anxiety controlling you.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Andrews G, Creamer M, Crino R et al.
The treatment of anxiety disorders: clinician guides and patient manuals.
2nd edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK; 2002.

 

 

 

 

 

²

If you think you might have anxiety disorder, take our test to find out whether you should see a doctor.

There are some useful questions you can ask yourself if you think you may have problems with anxiety. To read more, see Test yourself for anxiety disorder.

Anxiety is a normal human emotion. We all worry at times about things such as money, our families or our jobs. But some people get more anxious than others.

Anxiety becomes an illness when you worry so much that it interferes with your life. You can't stop worrying even though you try. You probably worry over lots of different things, like work or school, your family or your health. Your worry is out of proportion, and it makes you feel ill and tired.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Ninan PT.
Dissolving the burden of generalized anxiety disorder.
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2001; 62 (supplement 19): S5-S10.

 

 

 

 

 

¹

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Andrews G, Creamer M, Crino R et al.
The treatment of anxiety disorders: clinician guides and patient manuals.
2nd edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK; 2002.

 

 

 

 

 

²

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
American Psychiatric Association
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-IV-TR).
4th edition. American Psychiatric Association, USA; 2000.

 

 

 

 

 

³

Doctors say you have an anxiety disorder if you worry too much on most days for at least six months. Your anxiety may make it hard for you to live life normally. You might find it difficult to get a job, go to college or make friends.

Researchers don't really know what happens in your brain when you have anxiety disorder. X-rays or blood tests can't show what's wrong. But that doesn't mean that what you're going through isn't real.

Your doctor won't be able to tell you why you have anxiety disorder. We don't know exactly what causes it, but scientists believe that many things may play a part. They are studying how we are affected by our

 

 

 

 

 

genes
Your genes are the parts of your cells that contain instructions for how your body works. Genes are housed on chromosomes, structures that sit in the nucleus at the middle of each of your cells. You have 23 pairs of chromosomes in your normal cells, each of which has thousands of genes. You get one set of chromosomes, and all of the genes that are on them, from each of your parents.

 

 

 

 

 

genes, stressful experiences, everyday worries and unhappiness in childhood. They're also looking at the balance of chemicals in the brain. All these things seem to affect how much you worry and how anxious you are.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Brantley PJ, Mehan DJ Jr, Ames SC, et al.
Minor stressors and generalized anxiety disorder among low-income patients attending primary care clinics.
Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. 1999; 187: 435-440.

 

 

 

 

 

⁴

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Brown ES, Fulton MK, Wilkeson A, et al.
The psychiatric sequelae of civilian trauma.
Comprehensive Psychiatry. 2000; 41: 19-23.

 

 

 

 

 

⁵

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Hawker DS, Boulton MJ.
Twenty years' research on peer victimization and psychosocial maladjustment: a meta-analytic review of cross-sectional studies.
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines. 2000; 41: 441-455.

 

 

 

 

 

⁶ To learn more, see More about causes of anxiety disorder.

Studies show that some things can make it more likely that you will get anxiety disorder. You may be more at risk if you:

Your chances of having anxiety disorder may also be higher if you are:

However, we don't know whether any of these things actually lead to anxiety disorder, or whether having anxiety disorder just makes you more likely to fall into some of these groups.

It's possible, for example, that people with an anxiety disorder find it hard to get or keep a job. Or they might find relationships difficult, and so are more likely to separate or divorce.

If you have anxiety disorder, it's likely that you've already had another mental health problem, such as depression. Many people with anxiety disorder have another mental illness at some point in their lives.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Jordi Alonso and Jean-Pierre Lépine.
Overview of key data From the European study of the epidemiology of mental disorders.
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2007; 68: 3-9.

 

 

 

 

 

⁸

Some of these extra problems are similar to anxiety disorder. See Other types of anxiety disorder to find out about these conditions.

Sometimes these illnesses lead to problems with alcohol or drug abuse.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
American Psychiatric Association
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-IV-TR).
4th edition. American Psychiatric Association, USA; 2000.

 

 

 

 

 

³

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Hoehn-Saric R, Noyes R.
The Anxiety Disorders.
1st edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK; 1998.

 

 

 

 

 

¹⁰

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Hidalgo RB, Davidson JR.
Generalized anxiety disorder: an important clinical concern.
Medical Clinics of North America. 2001; 85: 691-710.

 

 

 

 

 

¹¹ If you have problems with alcohol or drugs, tell your doctor and get treatment.

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