Most of us probably experience some form of anxiety, and as we know, anxiety can look like a lot of different things. Sometimes we have to practice our Starbucks order, sometimes we have to do everything we can to avoid making a phone call, sometimes we experience a lot of physical side-effects of anxiety, and sometimes our anxiety is so debilitating it prevents us from living a, what we would call, normal life. We’re here to talk about some lesser-known facts about anxiety, and while having this knowledge won’t cure our anxiety, sometimes it’s just nice to know that we aren’t alone. Plus, being able to elaborate a little more regarding what we’re feeling helps our doctors and/or therapists out a lot, but we need the knowledge first. Let’s get started!
Ahh, the old nature vs. nurture debate. Tale as old as time, right? The answer to this question when it comes to anxiety is, drumroll, anxiety does have a genetic basis. If one or both of your parents experience anxiety, there’s a really good chance you will (or do) too. Much to our surprise, parents and other variables of our environments don’t cause anxiety, but our genetic makeup makes us vulnerable to experiencing anxiety in certain settings and situations.
We can start experiencing anxiety as young as 3 years old. According to the CDC 7% of kiddos between the ages of 3 and 17 have been diagnosed with anxiety already. Here’s the thing though, kids can’t quite tell us with their words yet that they have anxiety or they feel nervous or worried, instead this comes out in the form of stomachaches, headaches, and possibly even temper tantrums.
No one is safe from experiencing anxiety, but unfortunately, women are twice as likely to develop an anxiety disorder, and this is mostly due to biological differences. On the other hand, some feel that anxiety has been underdiagnosed in men.
If you’ve ever bailed on a social situation because you feel like everyone thinks you’re weird or awkward, you couldn’t be more wrong. In fact, new research tells us that due to the sensitivity of other people, anxious people often deliver well-crafted conversations because they’ve taken the time to think things through before they say them. Can we all let out a collective sigh?
Are you the person who always has cold hands or cold feet? This could be because of your anxiety. When your body starts to experience anxiety your fight or flight is triggered meaning your body is doing all kinds of crazy things including switching up your blood flow from your extremities to your torso and organs.