Anxiety FAQ

What is anxiety?
Are anxiety disorders common?
What causes anxiety?
Do I have an anxiety disorder?
Is anxiety treatable?
Is anxiety life threatening?
Can you have more than one anxiety disorder at once?
What is the difference between anxiety and panic?

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is the body’s normal response to danger and is often referred to as the ‘flight or fight’ response. The process involves large quantities of adrenalin being released into the body enabling it to respond and react to situations more quickly. Problems arise however, when this response is disproportionate to the actual danger, or produced when no danger is present.

Physical symptoms of anxiety:

Psychological symptoms of anxiety:

Are anxiety disorders common?

They are very common. A study by the World Health Organization (WHO) showed that 40% of disability worldwide is due to anxiety.

What causes anxiety?

There are many things that can trigger anxiety. They include:

Do I have an anxiety disorder?

You must consult your doctor if you suspect that you have an anxiety disorder. Diagnosing yourself is not recommended, and misdiagnosis could lead to the problem getting worse.

Is anxiety treatable?

Experiencing anxiety is a normal emotion and not something that needs to be ‘cured’. It is an essential part of our being, and is necessary for our survival. However, those with a disorder often need help in controlling their anxiety, and a combination of therapy, medication, and self-help strategies can often help.

Is anxiety life threatening?

While the physical symptoms of anxiety can feel terrible, and mimic serious health problems like a heart attack, it is not life threatening.

Can you have more than one anxiety disorder at once?

Yes, for example many sufferers of agoraphobia discover that their problems started with panic attacks or generalized anxiety disorder. The common factor in all the disorders is an elevated level of anxiety which the brain interprets as an irrational fear or thought pattern.

What is the difference between anxiety and panic?

Anxiety is a psychological condition that causes the sufferer to fear certain situations. While panic is a sudden powerful response to normal thoughts or feelings. Both are often accompanied with a sense of impending doom, and physical symptoms like palpitations, increased heart rate, and muscle tension.

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