Anxiety
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Anxiety disorders are common. Around 1 in 10 young Australians aged between 18-25 will experience an anxiety disorder in any 12-month period. For young people between the ages of 13 -17, the figure is around 1 in 25. A person’s ability to achieve their full potential can be seriously reduced if they do not receive treatment for an anxiety disorder.
What’s anxiety and when is it an illness?
Anxiety is another word to describe worry. It is an unpleasant emotion that we all feel when we are faced with challenges. Anxiety can be useful at times, as it helps us prepare and perform tasks. When anxiety becomes an illness it is called an ‘anxiety disorder’. Anxiety disorders occur when the anxiety becomes intense, causes distress, lasts a certain amount of time (not just a few days) and affects day-to-day living.
It is normal for our bodies to prepare us for challenges by giving us an increased heart rate, increased breathing rate, muscle tension, sweats, shakes and a feeling of butterflies in the stomach. (For example, this often happens when making a speech or preparing for a test/exam.) This is anxiety. People with anxiety disorders can experience these physical sensations often or can have repeated occurrences, called panic attacks.
Other common symptoms of anxiety disorders are:
- Persistent worrying and excessive fears
- Inability to relax
- Avoidance of feared situations
- Excessive shyness
- Social isolation or being withdrawn
- Difficulty concentrating and paying attention
- Poor sleep
- Problems with work, social or family life
There are many different types of anxiety disorders, including:
- Specific phobias: intense and irrational fear of a specific situation or object. This fear often leads to the person trying to avoid the situation or object.
- Panic disorder: the presence of repeated, unexpected panic attacks and worry about having another panic attack.
- Social phobia: marked and persistent fear of being embarrassed in social situations, fear and worry about being judged badly by other people, being criticised or 'put down'. This fear is unreasonable and excessive.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder: experiencing repeated obsessions (unwanted thoughts and impulses) and/or compulsions (urge to act a certain way or complete a task) that create distress or impairment. Common obsessions can involve worries about contamination or contagious diseases. Common compulsions are hand-washing, counting objects and arranging things in a specific pattern.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder: experiencing certain symptoms following a traumatic event. The symptoms can be replaying unwanted memories, difficulties sleeping, and/or regularly checking for danger.
- Generalised anxiety disorder: lots of worry or anxiety about a number of things, such as work, money, relationships.
Many young people who develop anxiety problems may also become quite depressed about their problem and may, at the same time, suffer from a depressive disorder.
Some young people may drink alcohol or take drugs to ease the discomfort of anxiety or to make them feel more confident. Taking drugs can make the feelings associated with anxiety much worse in the long run. Drinking alcohol or taking drugs can lead to dependence where someone cannot function without these substances and can cause long-term physical and mental problems.
Tell family and friends about your difficulties so they can be there to support you. Try to eat healthily, exercise and find ways to relax by listening to music, reading and doing activities that you enjoy. Avoid alcohol and other drugs as they often make anxiety worse in the long run and can lead to addiction problems. It may also be beneficial to seek professional help from a counsellor, psychologist, psychiatrist or local doctor.
The different anxiety disorders require slightly different approaches to treatment. One of the most commonly used treatments for disorders such as panic disorder, social phobia and generalised anxiety disorder is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). CBT is based on the idea that moods/emotions affect our thoughts and it explores thinking patterns and how they can affect our emotions, such as fear, in a negative and positive way. In certain instances medication may also be required.
A person with an anxiety disorder requires understanding and support to get help. It sometimes helps to remember it is a medical condition. Treatment for anxiety is effective, so one of the best things you can do is to support your friend or family member to access help. Be patient and listen to their fears and concerns. It usually makes things worse to tell someone to calm down – it’s not that easy. Be prepared to seek help or support for yourself as well if you need it.
For more information, and to find out how to get help, visit the
getting help section of this website.
This information was produced in conjunction with ORYGEN Youth Health.