About This Quiz
As medicine, science and our understanding of human beings advances, we get better at understanding disorders such as anxiety. How well do you know the fiction from the facts? Test your knowledge with this HowStuffWorks quiz.Anxiety disorders affect 1 in 8 children. Many children are undiagnosed, which leads to bad grades, poor social skills and even substance abuse.
There are many symptoms of GAD that people tend to overlook. These include fatigue, restlessness, inability to concentrate, being irritable, muscle tension and trouble sleeping.
Even though anxiety disorders are amongst the most treatable mental illnesses, most people with them don't get treatment. Only about a third of the people with it get treatment.
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Many people with anxiety go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. This is because it can have many physical symptoms which seem to be unrelated or other issues entirely.
Many chronically and terminally ill people with anxiety feel so overwhelmed and terrified of the necessary treatments that they skip them altogether. This can make their conditions painful and even untreatable after a certain point.
Hoarders often compulsively get and keep items, even things which are unsanitary, illegal or even damaging, partially due to anxiety. Their anxiety prevents them from getting rid of anything, even as they feel increasing shame and isolation.
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Everyone experiences anxiety differently, and some people have no physical symptoms at all. However, chronic migraines and headaches often co-occur and can even precede the onset of mental disorders like depression, anxiety, panic disorders and more.
Depending on the needs of each individual anxiety sufferer, a different combination of treatment options will work best. There are numerous therapies and treatments available.
Many people go undiagnosed for years, thinking their anxiety is something else entirely. Sleep disorders, chronic pain and irritable bowel syndrome can actually be caused by anxiety.
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It is common for people with anxiety to also suffer from depression. About half of people diagnosed with an anxiety disorder are also depressed.
About three percent of the population in the U.S. is affected by GAD. Women are twice as likely to be affected than men.
Anxiety is complex and can be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. It's different for everyone.
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19 million Americans deal with specific phobias, which can include everything from phobias of driving to spiders to flying. These often appear at random and can be debilitating depending on the specific phobia and how intense it is.
Many people with anxiety go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed because the physical symptoms of anxiety can look like a wide range of other illnesses. Billions of our medical costs go toward mental health, doctor and hospitalization bills for those with anxiety.
Caretakers often put their own emotional and psychological needs second and even assume their patients' experiences as their own. This can be highly damaging and lead to anxiety and depression.
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People with this anxiety disorder worry about many things in their life uncontrollably and always anticipate disaster. While in mild cases a person can still get through their day, it can be debilitating for some and cause people to avoid many aspects of life.
Those with agoraphobia may avoid places where they feel they cannot escape easily. Some stop leaving their homes entirely due to their anxiety.
40 percent of cancer patients develop depression, anxiety attacks and PTSD. Depending on the terminal or chronic illness, this risk can be even higher as certain treatments have unpleasant psychological side effects.
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Social Anxiety disorder usually presents in sufferers around their early teens. It affects nearly 7 percent of the U.S. population.
Sometimes disorders such as substance abuse disorders, bipolar, depression and ADD can pair with anxiety. These are considered co-occurring disorders.
People with BDD consider their bodies so flawed that they may go to great lengths to hide them, change them or avoid being seen by other people altogether. They may obsessively alter their appearance with fashion, surgery, exercise and other means.
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Eating disorders and anxiety disorders often appear during childhood and can affect both men and women. Eating disorders can include overeating, starvation, over-exercising and obsessing over food to even fatal extremes.
Collectors budget time and money for select belongings of quality, which they keep organized and enhance their lives. Hoarders often sacrifice relationships and liveable space in order to maintain poorly organized piles of things that make them feel ashamed, but they are too attached to and anxious about to tackle.
Those with health anxiety often get caught up in a cycle of panic and medical bills, because anxiety causes numerous physical symptoms, which they misinterpret as serious life-threatening conditions. They often end up in the ER or doctor's offices for reassurance, which only calms them until their next anxiety episode.
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Between 50 to 90 percent of people seeking treatment for IBS have a co-occurring mental disorder like anxiety or depression. It is thought that the colon is partially controlled by the nervous system, which is heavily affected by stress.
Evidence is growing stronger that yoga and meditation can help individuals handle and cope with anxiety. When combined with other treatments, these can be highly useful forms of self care
Fibromyalgia is a misunderstood chronic pain condition that may afflict as many as 1 in 50 Americans. 20 percent of people who experience it also have an anxiety disorder.
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People with anxiety are six times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders than those who do not. It's estimated that $42 billion in health care costs is spent a year just on anxiety alone.
Anxiety is the most common mental illness in America. It affects about 40 million adults.
Anxiety is one of the most treatable mental illnesses. However, it is often undiagnosed, misdiagnosed and patients can even cope with certain types for a decade or more before seeking help.
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Around 40 million Americans 18 and older have anxiety. That's about 18 percent of the U.S. population.
Half of those diagnosed with anxiety are also depressed. Depression is the leading cause of disability for adults under the age of 45 in the U.S.
People suffering from anxiety disorders are three to five times more likely to go to a doctor than those who don't. They may even just believe they are sick, rather than anxious.
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Roughly six million Americans experience panic disorder in any given year. Women are twice as likely to suffer from them than men.
While some are on medication for anxiety and do end up hospitalized, therapy with a psychologist or psychiatrist has proved very helpful when it comes to many types of anxiety. However, it is important to remember that every individual experiences anxiety differently and may need different kinds of support.