Category: Learning about Anxiety

Who is Affected by Anxiety?

Mental illness is isolating. Personally, that is the scariest thing about suffering from mental illness.

The good news is that you are not alone. Although anxiety might makes us feel alone, it’s probably something you have in common with almost everyone you meet. We just never know, because it’s not a common conversation starter. However, anxiety is the most common mental illness in the world.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA),Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S. Anxiety affects 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older every year (That’s 18.1% of the population). Anxiety disorders affect 25.1% of children between 13 and 18 years old.

Even on a global scale, the World Health Organization (WHO) says that 1 in 13 globally suffer from anxiety. Further, depression, an anxiety disorder, is the leading cause of disability worldwide.

One of the most tragic facts about anxiety is that most people do not recognize that it is an illness. Consequently, the majority of those affected by anxiety don’t receive help. The ADAA says that although anxiety disorders are highly treatable, only 36.9% of those suffering receive treatment. According to WHO, almost 75% of people with mental disorders remain untreated in developing countries with almost 1 million people taking their lives each year.

Below are some compiled facts about those suffering from anxiety who do not receive help:

  • Each year, approximately 20% of children in the USA and 10 to 20% of youth worldwide struggle with a mental disorder which significantly impacts their daily functioning (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
  • In the USA, less than one third of children with mental health needs receive professional intervention (National Center for Children in Poverty).
  • Youth who are initially identified with mental health disorders do not typically receive ongoing psychological treatment, nor do their families receive the support to adequately address mental health needs (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).
  • Children who are considered at greater risk for struggling with mental health challenges are also the least likely to seek and receive services (CDC).
  • Furthermore, the vast majority of existing mental health services are reactionary rather than preventive and proactive. Sadly, mental health problems are typically addressed when individuals are in crisis, often placing the afflicted individuals and others in volatile and dangerous situations (WHO).

The light in this dark fog is that there is help available and it is everywhere. Resources have never been easier to find.

What is Anxiety?

Our goal at I Came from a Book is to attack anxiety through the remedy of reading.

Before understanding how reading can help, however, it is important to understand what anxiety is. Anxiety comes in many different forms and manifests in everyone differently. Anxiety is a mental illness—one of the widest spread mental illnesses in the world.

Anxiety is a normal emotion. We all feel it and that’s okay.

The American Psychological Association (APA) defines anxiety as “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure.”

When the emotion of anxiety becomes too much to deal with or starts affecting our lives it becomes an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) says that anxiety disorders develop from a complex set of risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events. The World Health Organization (WHO) explains that anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders worldwide with specific phobia, major depressive disorder and social phobia being the most common anxiety disorders.

Anxiety can affect all aspects of our health. WHO states that people with an anxiety disorder are three to five times more likely to go to the doctor and six times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders than those who do not suffer from anxiety disorders. ADAA Research shows that untreated children with anxiety disorders are at higher risk to perform poorly in school, miss out on important social experiences, and engage in substance abuse.

An anxiety disorder can significantly impact our life. It’s an illness and like any other illness it’s important to treat it.