Managing Anxiety

What to do when worry takes over

- BY Charlotte Hilton Andersen and Kim Fredericks

IN THE PAST few years, anxiety has overtaken depression as the most common mental illness world-wide. An estimated four per cent of the global population—more than 300 million people—currently experience an anxiety disorder, according to the World Health Organization. Some people may feel only mild worry, while others suffer from debilitating panic.

The long list of symptoms includes feelings of restlessness and having difficulty concentrating, fatigue, muscle tension and sleep problems.

All of us feel anxious sometimes, but having an anxiety disorder generally means that the worry feels excessive and is starting to have an impact on your life and happiness.

“This is a big issue because anxiety affects every aspect of your life,” says Ken Yeager, PhD, a clinical psychologist who leads the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Stress, Trauma and Resilience Program and is an associate professor in the university’s College of Medicine. “Anxiety increases stress, which then brings on physical symptoms—like chest tightness—and increased mental symptoms. These reinforce to your mind that something is indeed wrong, turning anxiety into a vicious cycle.”

How to Manage Anxiety