Everyone feels anxious sometimes – worried or afraid of something happening, or obsessed about something happening in a certain way. When that fear or anxiety becomes something that gets in the way of your life (school or work, relationships, ability to enjoy things or cope), doesn’t go away and causes you distress, that is when it could be a more serious anxiety disorder.
Wanting to avoid or run away from things we’re worried about, or afraid of, is normal – it’s a reaction that has developed over the course of evolution and helps us respond to life threatening situations. Having an anxiety disorder means that this response is causing you problems. Around 15% of young people have anxiety disorders, with most having their first symptoms before the age of 15.
It’s also common for people to feel:
- Extreme fear or worry (about past, or future things)
- Like their mind is racing and they can’t think straight
- Like they can’t concentrate on or remember things
- Impatient, like things are too slow
- On edge, like something is about to happen, or nervous
- Like they can’t sleep or are sleeping badly (or disturbed by weird dreams)
Physical signs sometimes also include:
-
- Heart pounding, tight chest or chest pain, or blushing or feeling hot
- Fast, shallow breathing – feeling short of breath
- Dizzy, headache, sweaty, tingly, numb
- Harder to swallow, dry mouth, stomach pain
You may experience just a few of these, or many more than that – it’s different for everyone.
