Medical Facts About Anxiety You Need To Know

It Can Be Hereditary

Anxiety can be passed down through family genetics, and many who suffer from this condition may have had a family history of anxiety and related disorders. Biological factors contributing to anxiety is an emerging field of study at this point and more will be discovered in the next ten to fifteen years. If both parents suffer from a clinical anxiety disorder, their child will have a higher chance of developing it.

However, this type of occurrence may not be biological; it may be environmental or psychological due to the conditions in which the child was raised (with two parents both suffering from anxiety disorders). Many researchers and medical professionals will agree anxiety is a combination of several factors including biological, environmental, and psychological. This opinion is the consensus, although many doctors will ask if there is a family history of mental illnesses if visiting for a first appointment.

It Is Incredibly Common

As many as forty million American citizens aged eighteen and above will experience anxiety at some point in their lives. Anxiety is an incredibly common mental health issue, and although it may feel highly individualized and isolated, many cases are similar. As much as forty-two billion dollars is spent annually by the American government for treating and diagnosing anxiety disorders. This amount equates to approximately one-third of the entire national budget for mental health per annum. Women are more likely to suffer from an anxiety disorder (except for post-traumatic stress disorder) than men. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America states anxiety can occur earlier in a woman's life than a man's and that it is most common in women who are aged between puberty and fifty years old.