McKenna Bryant

ENG 101

Dr. Cassel

12 November 2018

The Impacts of Anxiety and how to Treat it

I have dealt with anxiety since a small child but was not diagnosed until the age of 16. I

have experienced almost every symptom imaginable, from something as simple as shakiness to

something as severe as nearly passing out and have dealt with panic attacks and bouts of anxiety

at the worst moments possible. I have had panic attacks in the middle of my school after lunch,

for seemingly no reason, as well as before a test while studying. Yet I have learned to overcome

these issues and begun to treat it. While I do not think my anxiety disorder will ever completely

leave me, it has slowly become more manageable and I am able to live alongside my disorder,

rather than under it.

The phrase “Anxiety disorder” is more of an umbrella term and can refer to a few

different disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobias

and Agoraphobia. Agoraphobia being the fear of situations that may trigger anxiety or result in

embarrassment. These disorders are all put under the same term because they all elicit the same

response- overwhelming bouts of anxiety. Around 40 million, or 18%, of people in America go

through some sort of anxiety disorder any given year, and 8% of children and adolescents

experience anxiety disorders, many showing symptoms before the age of 21. According to a

study done in 2007, 10-44% of people in developing countries suffer from anxiety and

depression disorders (Ames, Kamholz & Munir). Although anxiety can sometimes be seen as not
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too intense of a mental illness, disorders can result in many health issues or even death, but there

are ways to treat it.

There are a multitude of causes for anxiety disorders (AD), and they vary from person to

person. ADs can be caused by preexisting medical conditions such as thyroid problems,

respiratory disorders, drug misuse, chronic pain or rare tumors. Usually ADs are attributed to

these preexisting ailments if there is no history of these disorders in blood relatives or it was not

prevalent as a child. There are other risk factors, for example trauma. Different types of traumas

can become a trigger for anxiety, with many disorders tailoring to the specific trauma

experienced. More possible factors can include stress due to an illness, general stress buildup,

substance abuse or having blood relatives with a disorder of their own. ADs can also be

attributed to competence and the demand for higher standards, these standards cause people to

set unrealistic and unattainable goals, sparking anxiety when these goals are not completed. The

disorders also affect more people who are female or younger. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

(OCD) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are examples of some other illnesses that can

be linked to or increased with anxiety (Ames, Kamholz, Munir & Team).

Anxiety can present itself in many ways depending on the cause and person it is

affecting. The feelings associated with this disorder are often over exaggerations of the actual

amount of danger presented, can last long after the danger has left or been removed, and are not

easily controllable. These feelings can start off minor with reactions as simple as restlessness or

a fast heartbeat, but can escalate all the way to dizziness, shaking and diarrhea. More often than

not, the symptoms present themselves at inappropriate times and can become persistent,
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overwhelming, uncontrollable or excessive. Anxiety is a stress response, which then continues to

stress the body, which then presents itself physically. Due to each person being unique

chemically, the amount, intensity, length and prevalence of the symptoms change, meaning one

person could have very mild symptoms, while another could have very intense ones (Ames, Folk

& Team).

The symptoms ADs cause can wreak havoc on the body in many ways. Anxiety can lead

to or worsen other mental illnesses, for instance depression, substance misuse, digestive or bowel

problems, insomnia, and can cause social isolation, problems functioning at school or work, poor

quality of life and suicide. Stress and anxiety are bad for our immune system, as they can inhibit

its functions; the more anxiety, the worse it can get. ADs can affect the mineral levels in our

body, disrupting things like zinc or magnesium. With less zinc in the immune system, it can

leave the body more open to colds and the flu. Extended times dealing with anxiety can cause

multiple issues, such as activating our fight or flight response; resulting in symptoms such as

sweating, higher blood pressure and a release of adrenaline. Being on ‘high alert’ for extended

periods of time can and will cause lower energy, leaving feelings of emotional and physical

exhaustion (Ames & Kilburn).

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Figure 1 picture showing a large number of anxiety symptoms (Folk).

There is no way to prevent anxiety, but there are ways to help it and help cope with it.

One of the ways ADs can be helped is through getting help early on and as soon as symptoms

start to arise. This help can appear in many ways, ranging from talk therapy, which is where the

person suffering with the illness can either talk one on one with a therapist, or in group therapy,

to staying active and avoiding drug and alcohol use. Some prefer problem-focused coping, which

is when the individual suffering focuses exactly on what is causing these issues and feelings, and

resolves it overtime. People who use this form of coping are also seen to be less anxious and

depressed than those using other forms of coping. Other ways to help improve anxiety is through

medication or even meditation and mindfulness, or emotion-focused coping. Emotion-focused

coping is both adaptive and maladaptive, it basically focuses on emotion and how they are

processed and expressed in result of the issue that has occurred (Ames, Munir & Team).

Another way people can combat anxiety is through Internet-based cognitive-behavioral

therapies (ICBT). ICBT has recently become strongly considered by many to be a good form of
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cognitive therapy for those who have limitations. These limitations can be anxiety related, for

example someone could have such bad social anxiety that they cannot physically leave the house

to receive care and go to therapy. ICBT allows them to receive help and improve their situation

without forcing them to leave their home or wherever their comfort zone is. This method is also

a lot more convenient for patients, who are more likely to be able to sit on their phone or

computer for an hour, rather than go to an office. This is extremely helpful because

“…According to data collected by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration (SAMHSA) in 2015, nearly one in five Americans (17.9%) met criteria for a

mental health disorder…” however, the author goes on to say that less than half received

treatment for it. With ICBT more popularized, more are likely to try to receive help or continue

to receive help in a more convenient fashion. However, ICBT is not without its flaws. One of the

issues that may come with receiving care online is the lack of human touch, or face-to-face

interactions. This can also mean that trained professionals could have a harder time

personalizing treatment, resulting in a patient who could still lack in some aspects that take

practice, such as how to relax around people, or respond in certain ways that cannot be done

unless face-to-face. Another study also showed that patients were more likely to stick to their

treatment when seeing a professional in person. Patients seem to be less motivated to keep up

with treatment over ICBT, with a significant drop in completion of courses discovered, 33%

completion with ICBT vs. 77% completion with face-to-face for social phobias (Woods).
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However, there are components that may impact how a person can cope. One of these

components is Neuroticism. Neuroticism, which is one of the Big Five personality traits used in

the study of psychology, can be linked to anxiety and “self-condemnation” as a result of poor

self-esteem, an underlying feature of people with the habit of perfectionism. Perfectionism has a

significant relation to ADs, as perfectionists often set unreachable goals, and when fail to reach

them, they create feelings of anxiety (Munir).

I have been lucky enough to receive treatment, like previously mentioned. My treatment

has consisted of talk therapy and medication, both of which have been tweaked while learning

what works best for me. I see a psychiatrist every few months or so to check in with me

medication-wise and I have had a therapist when I felt like I needed one. All of it has been

completely controlled by me, even while a minor, which has helped tremendously. Nobody can

do what is best for your mental health better than you, so you need to be in control of your

treatment to find what works best for you, since every mental illness affects an individual

differently.

With all the different symptoms from breathlessness to panic attacks and the ways it

affects people; anxiety disorders are something to be taken seriously. While there are ways to

improve disorders and manage them, they are still very prevalent in the world, with one in every

thirteen people facing it. Clearly, although anxiety can sometimes be seen as not too intense of a

mental illness, disorders can result in many health issues or even death; even though there are

ways to treat it and improve one’s quality of life.

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Works Cited

Ames, Steven. “Anxiety Disorders.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and

Research, 4 May 2018, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-

causes/syc-20350961. Accessed 5 November 2018

Folk, Jim, and Marilyn Folk. “Anxiety Symptoms and Signs - Over 100

Listed.” Anxietycentre.com, 9 Oct. 2018, www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-

symptoms.shtml. Accessed 5 November 2018

Kamholz, Barbara. “Understand the Facts.” Anxiety and Depression Association of America,

ADAA, 2010, adaa.org/understanding-anxiety. Accessed 5 November 2018

Kilburn, Marianna. “How Does Anxiety Affect Our Body?” A. Vogel, 15 Mar. 2018,

www.avogel.co.uk/health/stress-anxiety-low-mood/anxiety/how-does-anxiety-affect-our-

body/. Accessed 5 November 2018

Munir, Nida, and Tehreem Arshad. “Neuroticism, Perfectionism and Coping Strategies among

Patients with Depression and Anxiety Disorders.” Bahria Journal of Professional

Psychology, vol. 17, no. 1, June 2018, pp. 45–66. EBSCOhost,

ezproxy.wittenberg.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&d

b=a9h&AN=131765961&site=ehost-live. Accessed 5 November 2018

Team, Fairview. “Patient Education.” Fairview, 2018, www.fairview.org/patient-

education/82144. Accessed 5 November 2018

Woods, Alexandra P., et al. “Strengths and Limitations of Internet-Based Cognitive-Behavioral

Treatments for Anxiety Disorders.” PCSP: Pragmatic Case Studies in Psychotherapy,

vol. 13, no. 3, Sept. 2017, pp. 271–283. EBSCOhost,

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ezproxy.wittenberg.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&d

b=a9h&AN=126365961&site=ehost-live. Accessed 5 November 2018.