What is Anxiety?

This video explores the nature of anxiety, highlighting personal experiences and the impact it can have on daily life. It discusses various anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and phobias, and emphasizes the importance of understanding and managing anxiety through treatment and coping skills.

This is a test. You must be anxious. There is no way I'm going to pass this exam. I don't even want to show up. I was so uncomfortable at that party. It was hard for me to breathe, and I got all sweaty. I had to leave. I won't go to sleep or leave the house unless I've made sure the stove is off and the doors are locked. Sometimes I do this three or four times. I have to get to the airport five hours early. You just never know what might happen. These are the voices of people who have experienced anxiety. Anxiety is a common reaction to life events like taking a final exam or speaking in front of a crowd. But when it becomes really uncomfortable and makes day-to-day life hard to live, then it's a problem or even what we call a disorder. I know. I've lived with anxiety for a long time. My own anxiety feels like it's about everything. I worry about so many things in so many ways, and it impacts my life big time. I stress about things that are about to happen or might happen, and it means I can't really focus on where I am or who I'm with. Sometimes my heart pounds, I speak really fast, and I kind of snap at people. My family gets really frustrated with me. When it's really bad, I have a knot in my stomach all the time. I can even feel depressed, and then I just want to be alone. I feel like if I do something, I'll screw it up or something will go wrong. So a lot of times, I'd just rather avoid it all. I feel so much better staying home and maybe having a drink. Turns out, anxiety is a very common mental health symptom. It can be the main sign of generalized anxiety disorder, which I have, or social anxiety disorder, which is when people have a fear of being in public or meeting new people. For those of us with social or generalized anxiety disorders, it's really difficult to live the way we want to live. Some people have anxiety about really specific things. They are afraid of heights, snakes, spiders, or something else. These are called phobias. And when people avoid these things, anxiety mostly stays away. But when people can't avoid their phobias, it is a real problem. Some people experience anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder, which can make people really overcome with anxiety. In these conditions, anxiety can be so intense that people are at risk for suicide, and they use alcohol or drugs to cope. And sometimes their lives feel like they come to a halt. I'm one of the lucky ones. My doctor told me how to get the treatment that would help me, and it did. I understand now what my anxiety feels like, when it happens, and what I can do about it. I learned some great coping skills, and even just naming it keeps it in perspective.