Easing The Burden of Anxiety

Since we opened our doors in 2016, our goal at Seattle Anxiety Specialists has been to improve the lives of those suffering from anxiety and from mental health disorders that cause anxiety.

Anxiety is a significant problem affecting millions of Americans. Not only does it rob us of joy, it also increases our susceptibility to a raft of other physical and mental health issues, from weight gain and headaches, to substance abuse and depression, to heart attack and stroke.

These disorders strain relationships, driving to the social isolation that’s causing the loneliness epidemic, and affect our career success as well. Measuring the lost productivity from these mental health challenges is staggering, the global financial impact of which is forecast to reach $16 trillion by 2030. [1-3]

Negative Effects of stress & Anxiety

Anxiety involves chronic over-activation of the stress response that can lead to a higher risk of many mental and physical problems, including:

Burnout [4]
Cancer [5]
Cardiovascular disease (including coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, stroke, fatal ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death) [6]
Dementia [7]
Depression [8]
Digestive problems [9]
Headaches / Migraines [10]
Insomnia and other sleep problems [11]
Loneliness / Isolation / Relationship dysfunction [12]
Obesity / Weight gain [13]
Problems with concentration, memory, focus, and related symptoms that can mimic or exacerbate ADHD [14]
Reduced pain tolerance / Increased suffering from chronic pain [15]

Prevalence of mental health disorders

In the United States, every year 19% of the population (40 million) age 18+ are affected by anxiety disorders. While these disorders are highly treatable, only 36.9% of those suffering receive treatment.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) note the prevalence of specific anxiety disorders within the United States:

Specific Phobias

19.3 million adults (9.1% of the population)
Women are twice as likely as men to be affected.
Symptoms typically begin in childhood, with average onset at 7 years old.

Social Anxiety Disorder

15 million adults (7.1% of the population)
All genders are equally common to be affected.
Typically develops around the age of 13.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

7.7 million adults (3.6% of the population)
Women are 5x as likely as men to be affected.
Rape is the most-likely trigger of PTSD for both women and men.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

6.8 million adults (3.1% of the population)
Women are twice as likely as men to be affected.
GAD is often comorbid with major depression.

Panic Disorder (PD)

6 million adults (2.7% of the population)
Women are twice as likely as men to be affected.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

2.5 million adults (1.2% of the population)
Women are 3x as likely as men to be affected.
The average onset occurs at age 19, with 25% of cases occurring by age 14.

If you or someone you know are experiencing anxiety or any other mental health issues that are impacting daily life or overall well-being, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional (e.g., a psychotherapist, psychologist or psychiatrist) for additional guidance and support.

References

1 The Lancet Global H Mental health matters. Lancet Glob Health. 2020;8(11):e1352. doi: 10.1016/s2214-109x(20)30432-0.

2 Chronic Stress Can Hurt Your Overall Health. Columbia University (2023, May 19). https://www.columbiadoctors.org/news/chronic-stress-can-hurt-your-overall-health#:~:text=Over%20longer%20periods%20of%20time,high%20blood%20pressure%2C%20and%20stroke.

3 Stress Management. Mayo Clinic (n/d). https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037

4 Koutsimani P, Montgomery A, Georganta K. The Relationship Between Burnout, Depression, and Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Psychol. 2019 Mar 13;10:284. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00284. PMID: 30918490; PMCID: PMC6424886.

5 Dai S, Mo Y, Wang Y, Xiang B, Liao Q, Zhou M, Li X, Li Y, Xiong W, Li G, Guo C, Zeng Z. Chronic Stress Promotes Cancer Development. Front Oncol. 2020 Aug 19;10:1492. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2020.01492. PMID: 32974180; PMCID: PMC7466429.

6 Olafiranye O, Jean-Louis G, Zizi F, Nunes J, Vincent M. Anxiety and cardiovascular risk: Review of Epidemiological and Clinical Evidence. Mind Brain. 2011 Aug;2(1):32-37. PMID: 21822473; PMCID: PMC3150179.

7 Peavy GM, Jacobson MW, Salmon DP, Gamst AC, Patterson TL, Goldman S, Mills PJ, Khandrika S, Galasko D. The influence of chronic stress on dementia-related diagnostic change in older adults. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2012 Jul-Sep;26(3):260-6. doi: 10.1097/WAD.0b013e3182389a9c. PMID: 22037597; PMCID: PMC3290680.

8 Kessler RC, Wang PS. The descriptive epidemiology of commonly occurring mental disorders in the United States. Annu Rev Public Health. 2008;29:115-29. doi: 10.1146/annurev.publhealth.29.020907.090847. PMID: 18348707.

9 Ray E. Clouse, Anxiety and Gastrointestinal Illness, Psychiatric Clinics of North America, Volume 11, Issue 2, 1988, Pages 399-417, ISSN 0193-953X, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0193-953X(18)30506-9.

10 Duan S, Ren Z, Xia H, Wang Z, Zheng T, Li G, Liu L and Liu Z (2023) Associations between anxiety, depression with migraine, and migraine-related burdens. Front. Neurol. 14:1090878. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1090878

11 Laura Palagini, Mario Miniati, Valerio Caruso, Gaspare Alfi, Pierre Alexis Geoffroy, Katharina Domschke, Dieter Riemann, Angelo Gemignani, Stefano Pini. Insomnia, anxiety and related disorders: a systematic review on clinical and therapeutic perspective with potential mechanisms underlying their complex link. Neuroscience Applied, Volume 3, 2024, 103936, ISSN 2772-4085, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nsa.2024.103936.

12 Making Caring Common (2024). Loneliness in America: Just the Tip of the Iceberg. Harvard Graduate School of Education. https://mcc.gse.harvard.edu/reports/loneliness-in-america-2024

13 Brumpton, B., Langhammer, A., Romundstad, P. et al. The associations of anxiety and depression symptoms with weight change and incident obesity: The HUNT Study. Int J Obes 37, 1268–1274 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2012.204

14 Balderston NL, Vytal KE, O'Connell K, Torrisi S, Letkiewicz A, Ernst M, Grillon C. Anxiety Patients Show Reduced Working Memory Related dlPFC Activation During Safety and Threat. Depress Anxiety. 2017 Jan;34(1):25-36. doi: 10.1002/da.22518. Epub 2016 Apr 25. PMID: 27110997; PMCID: PMC5079837.

15 Cimpean A, David D. The mechanisms of pain tolerance and pain-related anxiety in acute pain. Health Psychol Open. 2019 Nov 29;6(2):2055102919865161. doi: 10.1177/2055102919865161. PMID: 31827877; PMCID: PMC6886278.

Easing The Burden of Anxiety

Negative Effects of stress & Anxiety

Prevalence of mental health disorders

References

See Also

“I'll tell you what Freedom is to me.

No fear.”

— Nina Simone

Our Mission

Easing The Burden of Anxiety

Negative Effects of stress & Anxiety

Prevalence of mental health disorders

References

See Also

“I'll tell you what Freedom is to me.

No fear.”

— Nina Simone