Anxiety Disorder
Most, if not all, have felt anxiety at some point in our life. Anxiety in simple terms is a feeling of unease. It may occur before a test, when one is stuck in traffic, running late for a meeting, or when one’s flight is delayed. Being anxious in such situations is normal. As one grows older and wiser, one becomes anxious less frequently in these types of situations. Being anxious from time to time over unknown or stressful situations is not a disorder by itself. Anxiety becomes a problem or a mental disorder when a person suffers persistent fear or worry about situations that most take as normal or routine in everyday lives such as crossing the street, taking public transportation with strangers, or waiting for the bus late at night. Taken to the extreme, persistent feeling of anxiety can become debilitating, hindering normal day to day life activities. It can eventually lead to serious mental and physical health issues such as restlessness, shortness of breath, sweating, concentration problem, or inability to fall asleep (Cleveland Clinic 2022).
Anxiety can be categorized into these different types (Muskin 2023):
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
This is the most common type of anxiety disorder (Mental Health UK n.d.). People suffering from GAD face symptoms of extreme worry and anxiety about many activities that are routine to other people such as socializing, working, or traveling. They frequently have a sense of foreboding and feeling that something bad is about to happen to either them or a loved one (Mayo Clinic Staff 2017). They suffer from a wide range of symptoms such as restlessness, irritability, tiredness, or profuse sweating.
This image from Cleveland Clinic depicts common symptoms of GAD.
Panic Disorder
People who suffer from Panic Disorder experience unexpected episodes of panic attacks which can cause them a strong sense of discomfort and/or fear. Panic attacks can manifest with symptoms akin to those of a heart attack, such as rapid and irregular heartbeats, sweating, nausea, breath shortness, and trembling (Mayo Clinic Staff 2018). Severe panic attacks can have debilitating effect on people, making them think that they are about to die.
This image depicts common symptoms of panic disorder
Phobia
Phobia means fear. As a disorder, Phobia is a fear of an object, activity, situation, or people of certain characteristics. Some common phobias are, arachnophobia (fear of spiders), aviophobia (fear of flying), nyctophobia (fear of darkness), acrophobia (fear of heights), and claustrophobia (fear of tight spaces) (Depressionals n.d.). In extreme cases, people suffering from phobia will experience the same common symptoms of other anxiety disorders as depicted in the image below:
Social Anxiety Disorder
This is a type of phobia which is also known as social phobia. Those who suffer from this disorder are fearful and apprehensive of social situations, especially if they think that they will be observed or scrutinized by those around them. In extreme situations, it can lead to social avoidance and isolation, which can lead to serious negative impacts on a person’s life and mental well-being.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
People who suffer from OCD suffer from unwanted thoughts and phobia that makes them do frequent and repetitive compulsive things. In extreme cases, they may suffer long lasting obsessions that could hinder their daily lives (Mayo Clinic Staff 2023). OCD usually has a thematic nature like obsession with symmetry, or cleanliness, or constant fear of contamination. We all have seen it among our friends or relatives, especially at the height of COVID pandemic, when people in restaurants would stay at the wash basin, washing their hands for a long time.
Separation anxiety
Anxiety Disorder is a Condition not a Condemnation
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one fourth of the global population suffers from some form of anxiety disorder (WHO 2023). Among different forms of anxiety disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is the most common as one fifth of the global population suffers from it (Mind Help n.d.). Social Anxiety Disorder is estimated between 5 and 10% of the global population (Cleveland Clinic medical professional 2022), lifetime phobia is estimated between 2.6% and 12.5% (National Library of Medicine 2017), and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is estimated at 2% (Sasson n.d.).
Regardless of the type of the anxiety disorder, statistics show that women suffer more than men (National Library of Medicine 2011).
Statistics show that the onset of anxiety disorder is usually at a younger age. On the other hand, the prevalence rate of anxiety disorders among age groups appears to be more or less flat. One can conclude that, although anxiety disorders tend to start earlier in age, most people keep their anxiety as they age. The two charts below show these statistics (Javaid 2023).
In a study conducted among 617 Australians, aged 18 to 65, by the Australian National University, between 30 and 60 percent of respondents attached some sort of stigmatization to anxiety disorder (Australian National University n.d.).
Even 1% of people stigmatizing anxiety disorder is 1% too many let alone 30+ percent.
People with an anxiety disorder need help not blame or stigmatization. Unfortunately, they may experience discrimination or negative attitudes from others. This usually is because of society associating stigma to anxiety disorders. These are some common types of stigmatization associated with anxiety disorders.
Dismissive attitudes and trivialization
Many people think that those with anxiety disorders are weak and cannot live or work independently. This is risky. It can lead to wrong ideas about anxiety disorders such as thinking that the symptoms of the disorder are due to some personal or physical deficiency on the part of the person who suffers from it. People who suffer from anxiety disorder need support and confidence. Belittling or stigmatizing them will not help the situation. Some do not take anxiety disorders seriously and think that people can just stop fussing about or stop being anxious for no reason (Australian National University n.d.). This ignores the difficulty faced by those who suffer from the disorder and robs them of the help and support they need to overcome their problems.
Stereotyping
Stereotyping is a kind of generalization. It assigns a label to a person or a group of people. It can make the stereotyped person feel that they do not belong. It is not uncommon for people with anxiety disorders to be stereotyped and regarded as insane, retarded, weird, dangerous, or unpredictable (Griffiths n.d.). Stereotyped individuals may feel a sense of isolation or detachment from society and may grow reluctant to discuss their disorder and seek help (Beyond Blue n.d.). In extreme cases, victims of stereotyping may suffer from lack of self-worth, depression, or even suicidal thoughts.
The Blame Game
Cultural and Gender Expectations
In some cultures, men may be expected to be strong and not display emotions publicly. This may prevent them from sharing their anxiety disorder and seeking help. Women, on the other hand, may be regarded as the weaker sex being whiny and over dramatic if they talk about emotional problems such as anxiety disorders. This kind of expectations may unfairly stigmatize people and prevent them from seeking help when they need it.
