ANXIETY DISORDER

Anxiety Disorder
Introduction
Anxiety is a very common disorder. Almost everyone knows some of the signs;
and often times, people may think they personally have experienced it. It is not
uncommon for people to experience some type of anxiety at some point in their lives,
whether it be before a big test, or that feeling of anxiety a person has when closed in a
small place; but that doesnt mean that all of these people have the actual disorder.
Generalized anxiety disorder has several different symptoms, and it can make life very
difficult if not treated. Anxiety disorder can really affect peoples lives in more ways than
one.
Literature Review
People who suffer from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) experience chronic
excessive worryaccompanied by three or more of the following symptoms:
restlessness, fatigue, concentration problems, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep
disturbance (Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner, 2013, p. 412). Those with GAD deal with a
lifetime of worry or feeling a loss of self-control.
Several things can contribute as a risk to having generalized anxiety disorder.
Biological and psychological factors can be part of the risk. Some people may have
neurotransmitter imbalances, while others may have had a traumatic experience which
could contribute to the risk. Major life changes often immediately precede to the
development of GA. (Schacter, et al., 2013, p.413). Generalized anxiety disorder does
not always show up out of the blue. Like explained by NAME, often a new experience or
something stressful can trigger it.

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In a study done by Wolitzky-Taylor and colleagues (2014), she stated that,

Anxiety and mood disorders are prevalent, disabling, and costly to society. Identifying
adolescents at risk for these disorders could offset their public health burden through
universal screening and early intervention (p. 208). The more common that anxiety and
other disorders are becoming, the more important it is that we try and intervene early.
The longer people wait to treat anxiety, the more of an affect it can have on a persons
life. Intervening sooner can help lift that burden.
Many think that anxiety and depression are completely separate, studies have
shown that there is in fact a tie between them. Some estimates suggest that as many
as half of those diagnosed with a major depressive disorder also suffer from an anxiety
disorderanxiety has emerged as a significant predictor of the development of
depression (Meites, Ingram, Seigle, 2012, p.174). Anxiety and depression can often be
diagnosed at the same time. Many people who go in to the doctor with symptoms of one
can often be diagnosed with the other as well.
Application
In my first year or college, one of my roommates struggled with generalized
anxiety disorder. She moved eight hours away from home in order to attend our
university. The move, and being on her own for the first time, was a very stressful
experience; and after having an anxiety attack was diagnosed with GAD. She also has
some biological ties to the disorder. Her mom and all three sisters struggle with it, so
when the changes associated with moving away from home set in she really started to
struggle. After her first anxiety attack, her mother came into town, and they went to see
a doctor who put her on some medication to help with her anxiety.

ANXIETY DISORDER

When I began my interview with my roommate, she decided to share how she felt
when having an anxiety attack. She explained, When I think about my anxiety, I just
remember the first time I had an attack. I remember I was sitting at the table eating
dinner, and I just got really nervous and felt like I couldnt really breathe. She went on
to tell me that it was hard because she didnt know why she was feeling that way. She
felt utterly alone.
I asked my roommate to share with me how anxiety had impacted her life. She
stated, It absolutely stinks. She went on to explain that before being diagnosed with
anxiety, she had never had to take any kind of medication, and suddenly she felt as if
she was putting something into her body that didnt belong, but at the same time she
wanted nothing more than to feel better.
In her experience, her anxiety has made it harder to open up to people. She is in
constant fear that someone may see her medication and immediately come to
conclusions about her. She then said, I found out that its actually super common, but
some people are just really closed minded to people who have problems, and thats the
thing that has impacted me the most.
This interview can be very eye opening. My roommate has gone through the
experience of having an anxiety attack, as well as going through the process of taking
medication and having to rely on that to help her feel better. Anxiety really can affect a
persons life.
Conclusion
Often times, people feel that anxiety is just a thing that people have and they are
overreacting about their physical and emotional anxiety. That could not be farther from

ANXIETY DISORDER

the truth. Anxiety disorder can truly affect a persons life in so many ways. Life can be
hard enough just going through the motions of school and work, but throwing in
something that you cannot control can make it even harder. While researching this
topic, I gained a better insight as to what my friend may be going through, along with
some family members. In the future, I would like to look more into the research behind
the causes of anxiety disorders. I feel that this topic can open peoples eyes as to what
others are going through and to what extent they struggle.

ANXIETY DISORDER

References
Meites, T., Ingram, R., & Siegle, G. (2012). Unique and Shared Aspects of Affective
Symptomatology: The Role of Parental Bonding in Depression and Anxiety
Symptom Profiles. Cognitive Therapy & Research, 36(3), 173-181.
doi:10.1007/s10608-011-9426-3
Schacter, D., Gilbert, D., & Wegner, D. (2013). Pyschological Disorders. In Introducing
Psychology (2nd ed., pp. 412-413). New York, NY: Worth.
Wolitzky-Taylor, K., Dour, H., Zinbarg, R., Mineka, S., Vrshek-Schallhorn, S., Epstein, A.,
& Craske, M. G. (2014). Experience Core Symptoms of Anxiety and Unipolar
Mood Disorders in Late Adolescence Predicts Disorder onset in Early Adulthood.
Depression & Anxiety (1091-4269), 31(3), 207-213. doi:10.1002/da.22250