Now I want to move to another disorder that affects many people, and in fact, it is one of the most common mental disorders people experience in life. This one is called anxiety disorder. When I say anxiety, I am talking about fear and worry. It is that feeling inside you that something might go wrong, or that something is not safe, or that something you care about is under threat. Sometimes the issue is real—something happening right now in your life. Other times it is something you are thinking about—something you imagine, something you fear could happen, something you keep replaying in your mind.
People worry about many things. Some worry about their children. Some worry about their marriages. Others worry about their jobs, their finances, their relationships, their health, or their school life. These are normal concerns and fear itself is not always a problem. Fear can be normal when it is temporary, when it comes and goes, and when it matches a real situation.
But anxiety becomes a disorder when it stays. It becomes a disorder when it follows you everywhere. It becomes a disorder when you are constantly worried for a long time—weeks, months, even longer—without relief. You can wake up worried, live worried, and go to bed worried. Your mind becomes trapped in fear, and the fear does not end even when nothing is happening in the moment. That is when the worry stops being normal and becomes an anxiety disorder.
Over time, I have come to learn that anxiety disorder is not only a feeling in the mind. It also shows itself in the body. It affects your thoughts, your emotions, your breathing, your stomach, your sleep, and even your energy. That is why it is important to recognize the signs.
One of the clearest signs is constant worrying—worrying about everything in life. You worry about marriage, you worry about children, you worry about work, you worry about relationships, and even when one worry ends, another one starts. Your mind does not rest. You keep thinking, and the thinking does not stop.
Another sign is tension. Some people tense up when they face life situations. Even small changes can trigger a strong reaction. For example, if someone is told, “Tomorrow don’t come to work,” or if they hear news that threatens their job, their body may respond with tightness and tension. They may feel stiff, uneasy, or like they are always bracing themselves for something bad.
Along with tension, anxiety can bring restlessness and irritability. You feel unsettled. You may struggle to relax, even in a safe environment. Your body may be in one place, but your mind feels like it is running. And because of that inner pressure, you become easily irritated. Small things annoy you. You may feel overwhelmed quickly, even when others do not understand why.
Another sign is anticipating the worst. Some people naturally think about negative outcomes all the time. They assume the marriage will fail. They assume the children will get into danger. They imagine accidents, abduction, loss, death, divorce, failure, or job loss. The mind becomes a place where the worst possibilities are always playing like a movie. Even without evidence, the fear feels real.
Anxiety can also create physical symptoms. Some people experience a racing heart or a pounding heartbeat. Others experience shortness of breath—when an issue is mentioned, they feel like they cannot breathe properly. Some people develop upset stomach, loss of appetite, or a feeling of discomfort in the stomach as if the worry is sitting there. Others sweat more than usual. Some feel fatigue, as if the anxiety drains their energy.
Sleep disturbance is also very common. For some people, they struggle to fall asleep. They go to bed, but their mind does not allow rest. For others, they may sleep too much. They can stay in bed for long periods, not wanting to get up, not wanting to face the day. Either way, sleep becomes unstable.
There are also other symptoms like frequent urination, diarrhea, and other body reactions that show how anxiety does not remain in the mind—it spreads into the whole body.
As I interacted with people with anxiety disorders, I realized anxiety disorder does not come in one form. It has different types, and understanding these types helps people recognize what they are experiencing. I will talk about four main forms: generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias, and social anxiety disorder.
Generalized anxiety disorder is when the fear is general and wide. It is not focused on one thing only. The person worries about many areas of life—finances, school, work, relationships, marriage, social life, and responsibilities. The worry feels constant and difficult to control. Here, the person may experience sleep problems, restlessness, nervousness, muscle tension, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. The person may want to stop worrying, but they feel unable to control it.
Panic disorder is different. In panic disorder, a person experiences intense fear that can come suddenly. Sometimes the person may not even know exactly why the panic is happening. They may feel fear for reasons they cannot explain, yet the body responds strongly. In many cases, the panic can be connected to thoughts about death, divorce, broken relationships, losing a job, or other frightening possibilities. Panic may bring agitation, dizziness, chest discomfort, shaking, and a strong fear of dying. People may even begin to avoid thinking about certain topics because they fear that the thoughts will trigger another panic episode.
Another form of anxiety is phobia. A phobia is an intense fear of something specific. It may be a fear of certain situations, certain places, certain animals, certain objects, or certain environments. Some people fear heights or tall buildings. Others fear certain animals, like dogs. Others fear particular places or experiences. And what I have noticed is that when a person has a phobia, they often avoid the thing they fear. Avoidance becomes a pattern. If you realize there is something in your life you keep avoiding because fear is too strong, it may be a sign of a phobia. When faced with the feared thing, people may experience distress, panic attacks, and deep stress.
Then there is social anxiety disorder. This is the fear of judgment from other people. It is the fear of being talked about, laughed at, criticized, or rejected. Some people fear being seen. They fear being evaluated. They fear what society will say. This fear can lead people to stay in situations that are harmful, including abusive situations like marriages and relationships, because they worry about how others will judge them if they leave. Social anxiety can also cause people to withdraw from others. They may avoid making friends. They may avoid social interactions. They may stay indoors because being around people feels threatening. Symptoms can include sweating, trembling when in groups, and difficulty speaking or interacting freely in social groups.
When it comes to causes, I have come to understand that anxiety can be linked to genetics—meaning it can be inherited in families. That is why history matters in mental health. It can also arise from stressful or traumatic situations. Abuse, violence, death, prolonged illness, and difficult life experiences can trigger or worsen anxiety. When someone has been exposed to painful situations repeatedly, the mind may learn fear as a way of surviving, and that fear can remain even after the danger is gone.
Anxiety disorders can be managed. There are medications used to reduce symptoms, including antidepressant medications, anti-anxiety medications, and sometimes medications that help the body manage physical symptoms like fast heartbeat. There is also psychotherapy—talk therapy—where people are encouraged to speak about what troubles them and what scares them. People may attend support groups or therapeutic meetings where they talk openly instead of suffering silently. There is also behavior therapy, where people learn how to respond differently to fear, how to manage reactions, and how to handle stressful situations in healthier ways.
The reason I am sharing this is not only to describe anxiety, but to help people recognize it early. Anxiety becomes dangerous when it is ignored and allowed to grow until it becomes extreme. When it reaches extreme levels, it becomes more complicated and harder to manage. That is why the key is awareness and early action.
People worry about many things. Some worry about their children. Some worry about their marriages. Others worry about their jobs, their finances, their relationships, their health, or their school life. These are normal concerns and fear itself is not always a problem. Fear can be normal when it is temporary, when it comes and goes, and when it matches a real situation.
But anxiety becomes a disorder when it stays. It becomes a disorder when it follows you everywhere. It becomes a disorder when you are constantly worried for a long time—weeks, months, even longer—without relief. You can wake up worried, live worried, and go to bed worried. Your mind becomes trapped in fear, and the fear does not end even when nothing is happening in the moment. That is when the worry stops being normal and becomes an anxiety disorder.
Over time, I have come to learn that anxiety disorder is not only a feeling in the mind. It also shows itself in the body. It affects your thoughts, your emotions, your breathing, your stomach, your sleep, and even your energy. That is why it is important to recognize the signs.
One of the clearest signs is constant worrying—worrying about everything in life. You worry about marriage, you worry about children, you worry about work, you worry about relationships, and even when one worry ends, another one starts. Your mind does not rest. You keep thinking, and the thinking does not stop.
Another sign is tension. Some people tense up when they face life situations. Even small changes can trigger a strong reaction. For example, if someone is told, “Tomorrow don’t come to work,” or if they hear news that threatens their job, their body may respond with tightness and tension. They may feel stiff, uneasy, or like they are always bracing themselves for something bad.
Along with tension, anxiety can bring restlessness and irritability. You feel unsettled. You may struggle to relax, even in a safe environment. Your body may be in one place, but your mind feels like it is running. And because of that inner pressure, you become easily irritated. Small things annoy you. You may feel overwhelmed quickly, even when others do not understand why.
Another sign is anticipating the worst. Some people naturally think about negative outcomes all the time. They assume the marriage will fail. They assume the children will get into danger. They imagine accidents, abduction, loss, death, divorce, failure, or job loss. The mind becomes a place where the worst possibilities are always playing like a movie. Even without evidence, the fear feels real.
Anxiety can also create physical symptoms. Some people experience a racing heart or a pounding heartbeat. Others experience shortness of breath—when an issue is mentioned, they feel like they cannot breathe properly. Some people develop upset stomach, loss of appetite, or a feeling of discomfort in the stomach as if the worry is sitting there. Others sweat more than usual. Some feel fatigue, as if the anxiety drains their energy.
Sleep disturbance is also very common. For some people, they struggle to fall asleep. They go to bed, but their mind does not allow rest. For others, they may sleep too much. They can stay in bed for long periods, not wanting to get up, not wanting to face the day. Either way, sleep becomes unstable.
There are also other symptoms like frequent urination, diarrhea, and other body reactions that show how anxiety does not remain in the mind—it spreads into the whole body.
As I interacted with people with anxiety disorders, I realized anxiety disorder does not come in one form. It has different types, and understanding these types helps people recognize what they are experiencing. I will talk about four main forms: generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias, and social anxiety disorder.
Generalized anxiety disorder is when the fear is general and wide. It is not focused on one thing only. The person worries about many areas of life—finances, school, work, relationships, marriage, social life, and responsibilities. The worry feels constant and difficult to control. Here, the person may experience sleep problems, restlessness, nervousness, muscle tension, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. The person may want to stop worrying, but they feel unable to control it.
Panic disorder is different. In panic disorder, a person experiences intense fear that can come suddenly. Sometimes the person may not even know exactly why the panic is happening. They may feel fear for reasons they cannot explain, yet the body responds strongly. In many cases, the panic can be connected to thoughts about death, divorce, broken relationships, losing a job, or other frightening possibilities. Panic may bring agitation, dizziness, chest discomfort, shaking, and a strong fear of dying. People may even begin to avoid thinking about certain topics because they fear that the thoughts will trigger another panic episode.
Another form of anxiety is phobia. A phobia is an intense fear of something specific. It may be a fear of certain situations, certain places, certain animals, certain objects, or certain environments. Some people fear heights or tall buildings. Others fear certain animals, like dogs. Others fear particular places or experiences. And what I have noticed is that when a person has a phobia, they often avoid the thing they fear. Avoidance becomes a pattern. If you realize there is something in your life you keep avoiding because fear is too strong, it may be a sign of a phobia. When faced with the feared thing, people may experience distress, panic attacks, and deep stress.
Then there is social anxiety disorder. This is the fear of judgment from other people. It is the fear of being talked about, laughed at, criticized, or rejected. Some people fear being seen. They fear being evaluated. They fear what society will say. This fear can lead people to stay in situations that are harmful, including abusive situations like marriages and relationships, because they worry about how others will judge them if they leave. Social anxiety can also cause people to withdraw from others. They may avoid making friends. They may avoid social interactions. They may stay indoors because being around people feels threatening. Symptoms can include sweating, trembling when in groups, and difficulty speaking or interacting freely in social groups.
When it comes to causes, I have come to understand that anxiety can be linked to genetics—meaning it can be inherited in families. That is why history matters in mental health. It can also arise from stressful or traumatic situations. Abuse, violence, death, prolonged illness, and difficult life experiences can trigger or worsen anxiety. When someone has been exposed to painful situations repeatedly, the mind may learn fear as a way of surviving, and that fear can remain even after the danger is gone.
Anxiety disorders can be managed. There are medications used to reduce symptoms, including antidepressant medications, anti-anxiety medications, and sometimes medications that help the body manage physical symptoms like fast heartbeat. There is also psychotherapy—talk therapy—where people are encouraged to speak about what troubles them and what scares them. People may attend support groups or therapeutic meetings where they talk openly instead of suffering silently. There is also behavior therapy, where people learn how to respond differently to fear, how to manage reactions, and how to handle stressful situations in healthier ways.
The reason I am sharing this is not only to describe anxiety, but to help people recognize it early. Anxiety becomes dangerous when it is ignored and allowed to grow until it becomes extreme. When it reaches extreme levels, it becomes more complicated and harder to manage. That is why the key is awareness and early action.
Anxiety disorder is very common, and many people experience it without realizing it is a mental health condition. But once you know the characteristics—constant worry, tension, tingling, restlessness, physical symptoms, sleep disturbance, panic episodes, phobias, or fear of judgment—you can understand that this is not just “normal life.” It may be an illness that needs support. And that is my point. If you recognize these signs in yourself or someone close to you, seek support early. Seek treatment early. Do not wait until it becomes extreme.
