There are many different forms of anxiety a person can experience.

The difference with a diagnosed anxiety disorder is this, it can cause such
distress that it interferes with your ability to lead a normal life, according to
the Anxiety and Panic Disorders Health Center. T
he most common forms
include: panic attack, social anxiety disorder, phobia, generalized anxiety
disorder (GAD), and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We hear about
PTSD almost daily due to our war veterans. This is especially true since
the Iraq War.
There are disorder specific symptoms, which can overlap, however,
many have their own set of life-altering effects.
1. Post traumatic stress disorder is common for war veterans, but can
happen to anyone who has had a traumatic experience or brain
injury. Symptoms can include the following: reliving the
event/experience through nightmares or flashbacks, avoidance of
things and situations that could remind them of the event or
experience (such as; feeling unsafe in crowds, not flying in a plane
because of a bad flight experience), developing negative thoughts or
feelings towards self or others, and being angry and jittery - always
on the lookout for danger.
2. Panic disorder is when a person experiences feelings of terror that
come on suddenly and repeatedly without warning. Symptoms of
panic attacks can include sweating, chest pain, labored breathing,
heart palpitations (unusually strong heartbeat), and feeling like you're
dying.
3. Social anxiety disorder involves overwhelming worry or
self-consciousness about everyday social situations. The worry often
centers around a fear of being judged by others or behaving a way
that might cause embarrassment or ridicule.
4. Phobias are an intense fear of a specific object or situation such as
heights, or flying. The level of worry is often inappropriate for the
situation and may cause someone to avoid everyday situations.

5. Generalized anxiety disorder is excessive, unrealistic worry and

tension - even if theres little or nothing to bring on the anxiety. Its
impossible to turn off the worry.
Symptoms of anxiety differ from person to person. Symptoms can
include the following: feeling of panic, fear, unease, trouble sleeping,
cold/sweaty hands/feet, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, unable to
remain calm, dry mouth, crying, nausea, muscle tension, dizziness,
trembling/shaking,stomach cramps.
Things that can act as triggers for a person with anxiety vary from
person to person, as well. Triggers can include the following: loud noises,
small spaces, raised voices/yelling, too many people talking at once, time
constraints, big projects, school, bad medical experience, surgery, death of
family member or friend, not enough sleep, a family member in the hospital,
violence at home, cancer diagnosis, pain, being home alone for a long
period of time, phone calls from people you dont know.
Again, treatment for anxiety will be customized to each person,
depending on personal needs. Common ways to help anxiety can include:
accept that youre anxious, practicing deep breathing techniques, listening
to music, coloring, drawing, speaking in another language/quiet voice,
talking with a trusted adult, watching a favorite/funny movie, dancing,
painting, cooking, singing, a good cry, therapy, laughing, meditation,
medication, reading, sewing, knitting, playing an instrument, exercising,
petting your dog/cat/animal, compression.
Listening to music can have an amazing soothing effect on our minds
and bodies in stressful times. This is especially true when it is quiet and
soft music (whatever type of music you love will help). This kind of music
can benefit ones psychological health, as well as, slow the heart rate,
lower the blood pressure, and decrease the amount of stress hormones
released into the body. As music can absorb our attention, it acts as a

distraction tool to help keep the mind occupied from what is causing stress.
There is evidence that classical musics form and structure can bring order
and safety to disabled and distressed kids. It encourages coordination and
communication and can help improve their quality of life.
In addition to all of the home remedy techniques, there are medical
ways to treat anxiety disorders. Treatment can include: medication
(antidepressant drugs to improve mood and self-image, drugs to reduce
anxiety), psychotherapy (counseling to assist with emotional and mental
health concerns), cognitive-behavioral therapy (help in determining
appropriate ways to deal with feelings, behaviors, and thoughts that might
be seen as interfering with anxiety levels), changing diet/lifestyle (reducing
sugar intake, increasing exercise), and relaxation therapy (meditation,
wellness, and mindfulness).
Anxiety is a feeling of fear and apprehension that makes you alert
biologically. It's meant to put us in a heightened sense of awareness so
were ready to deal with a possible threat. Unfortunately, when excessive
anxiety starts, our bodies never turn off our fight or flight response and we
live in a constant state of worry. On the surface anxiety can look like stress
but theres a difference. Stress can make a person mad, sad, or worried,
and anxiety is a feeling of dread, or apprehension.
One and three quarters of teens will struggle with an anxiety disorder
at some point in their lives. This number has steadily been increasing for
nearly a century, according to researchers who looked at highschool and
college kids from 1938-2007. More and more young people have reported
symptoms of mental illness in general or anxiety in particular. Anxiety can
be part of your genetic makeup or a part of your personality. In addition to
outside sources that can influence anxiety, there can be a biological
explanation. Genetics can play a role in how a person handles anxiety; it
can go from generation to generation. R
easons for anxiety can be due to:
cultural changes, societys growing materialism, family

environment/movement (employment, divorce, military, poverty, illness,

physical/emotional/mental abuse), estranged family and friend
relationships, deaths of family member or friend.
Women are more likely to have many physiological disorders during
their lifetime. From the time a girl enters puberty until about the age of 50,
she is twice as likely to develop and have an anxiety disorder, as a man.
The most common disorder being anxiety and depression. Differences in
brain chemistry may account for at least part of these differences. The
brain system involved in the fight or flight response is activated more
readily in women and stays activated longer than men as a result of
estrogen and progesterone. The neurotransmitters serotonin may also play
a role in the responsiveness to stress and anxiety. Some evidence
suggests that the female brain doesnt process serotonin as quickly as the
male brain. Research has found that women are more sensitive to low
levels of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) - a hormone that organizes
stress response in mammals - in different ways; making them two times
more vulnerable as men to stress related disorders.
Several parts of the brain are responsible for a feeling of fear and
anxiety including the amygdala, an almond shaped structure deep within
the brain that is thought to be a communication hub between parts of the
brain that process incoming sensory signals. It can alert the rest of the
brain that a threat is present and trigger a fear and anxiety response. The
emotional memories stored in the central parts of the brain play a role in
anxiety disorders involving distinct fears such as flying and heights. The
hippocampus is part of the brain that encodes a threatening or scary event
into memories. Studies have shown that the hippocampus appears smaller
in people who were victims of child abuse or served in military combat
The fight or flight response, aka the acute stress response, refers to a
physiological reaction that occurs in the presence of something terrifying or
scary either mentally or physically. The response is triggered by a release
of hormones that prepare your body to either stay and deal with the threat

or run away to safety. In response to the acute stress response, the bodys
Sympathetic Nervous System stimulates the sudden release of hormones.
The Sympathetic Nervous System stimulates the adrenal glands, triggering
the release of catecholamines, which include, adrenaline, and
noradrenaline. The results occur in the respiratory system, mostly, your
heart and lungs with the following typical responses: an increase in pulse,
heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate. The human fight or flight
response is something we instinctively feel. Without the fight or flight
response we wouldnt be here. Its the most basic human survival instinct;
without it we would not have survived to evolve into the modern world.
he fight or flight response in teenagers has also changed with the
T
change of times. Technology is such a huge part of human lives, that its
hard to go anywhere without it influencing actions. What once used to be
face to face, is now readily available to anyone via texting, facebook, email,
twitter, etc. This means the interaction between people has changed, and
theres a lot more room for misinterpretation of words, which can lead to
increased tensions and stress leading to anxiety. There are definitely
societal reasons for more anxiety; some examples include:
pressure from peers
pressure to do well in school
the most recent election
social media
technology
Technology is such a huge part of modern-day lives, that its hard to go
anywhere without it influencing actions.
About 8 percent of todays U.S. teens suffer from some type of
diagnosed anxiety disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental
Health article . Also stated from this article, anxiety has been on the rise
among children and young adults s ince at least the 1950s, and School
counselors and nurses alike have cited increased amounts of stress,
pressure, social media, and divorce as causes for this surge in anxiety.

Teenagers feel a larger sense of pressure to do well in school in order to

succeed later in life. There is other evidence out there; according to
youngminds.org, 3.3% or about 290,000 children and young people have
an anxiety disorder, 4.4% or about 195,000 young people have an anxiety
disorder, and 1 in 10 children and young people aged 5 - 16 suffer from a
diagnosable mental health disorder. Evidence that anxiety can affect
student school performance is another factor. A
ccording to the article,
Anxiety: The Hidden Disability that Affects One in Eight Children, anxiety
makes it difficult for students to perform at their best ability. It impacts a
students working memory, making it difficult to learn and retain information.
The anxious student works and thinks less efficiently, which significantly
affects the students learning capability.
Although there are many different ways to treat anxiety, it is ultimately
up to each individual to find out what works best for them. Some
suggestions on how to deal with it follow:
For the individual experiencing anxiety remember:
1. Tears are ok
2. Feelings are valid
For parents to remember:
1. Dont say stop worrying that is not going to help your child
2. Dont make your child feel bad for worrying
3. Their worry is very real to them.

Works Cited:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

WebMD.com
Physcentral.com
Elemnetsbehavorialhealth.com
Anxiety and depression association of America
Lifehacker.com
http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/mental-health-anxiety-dis
orders
7. http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSD-overview/basics/symptoms_of_p
tsd.asp
8. http://www.youngminds.org.uk/training_services/policy/mental_health
_statistics
9. http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/10/when-anxiety-hitsat-school/380622/
10. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jessica-minahan/anxietythe-hiddendisabil_b_1474089.html