Anxiety: Expert Guides and Resources

Teens and young adults have more depression and anxiety than ever before. Many researchers believe there’s a direct connection between rising rates of mental illness and time spent on social media.The more time spent on social media, the more likely a young person is to become socially withdrawn, anxious, and depressed.

Anxiety is a feeling that is rooted in the emotion of fear. Anxiety is protective, necessary, and part of being a human. But when worries and fears become all-consuming or irrational, anxiety has the power to pull children away from the things they love and want to do. If this happens, normal anxiety becomes an anxiety disorder.

Social anxiety affects the way you think and feel about yourself. You may worry that if you show symptoms of anxiety, you could be negatively evaluated, humiliated, or embarrassed and seen as being socially awkward. For some people, but not everyone, it can lead to lowered self-esteem, social isolation, loneliness, and depression.

Anxiety is the most common mental disorder, but it’s also one of the most treatable. Because anxiety can produce a wide range of symptoms, all sorts of techniques and therapies can be used to treat your anxious thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. © Joice Kelly / Unsplash.comDo you have anxiety?Anxiety appears in different forms for different folks.

Anxiety appears in different ways for different people. Some people have anxious thoughts; others feel anxiety in their body. Most people with anxiety try to avoid what makes them anxious, but that just makes things worse. Instead, you can take a measured approach to confronting whatever causes your anxiety. © Billion Photos / Shutterstock.

Some people find that self-help is all they need. They read about good ways of dealing with their anxiety, and then they apply what they’ve discovered. Voilà! Their anxiety gradually fades to a manageable level.However, no self-help book is intended to completely replace professional help. And anxiety sometimes requires the assistance of a professional, just like complicated tax matters may call for a certified public accountant or deciding to draw up a will may send you to an attorney.