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A recent report by CNN highlights a troubling issue caused by the COVID19 pandemic – a sharp rise in the number of prescriptions filled for anxiety medications. Although the increase leveled off, it remains much higher than it was before the pandemic.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Society of America:
- “Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year.
- Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only 36.9% of those suffering receive treatment.
- 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.
- Anxiety disorders develop from a complex set of risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events.”
Anxiety disorders can include, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Specific Phobias. It is important to understand that sometimes an underlying medical disorder can trigger or contribute to anxiety.
During times of high stress, such as this pandemic, those who already deal with anxiety issues may experience an increase in symptoms, and those who may never recognized an issue with anxiety may find themselves facing it. During this particular crisis, whole families can find themselves suffering. A recent article by US News And World Report cited a poll taken by the American Psychlogical Association explored this issue. "The stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic can and is having an effect on people's physical and mental health," said APA President Dr. Bruce Schwartz.
What does anxiety feel like, how can we help ourselves?
Symptoms can vary according to way an individual’s body reacts to the elevated levels of adrenaline and cortisol that may be released.
Denise Golonka describes her experience:
“I know for me, when I experience an anxiety attack, I feel it in my chest. It becomes hard to breathe, it feels like a weight it is on me and I can get chest pains. This is just for an ANXIETY ATTACK. My ongoing anxiety, when not properly managed results in stomach issues & headaches. And stress causes my autoimmune issues to flare up, which mimic the flu … do you see the vicious cycle that can happen?
During the first weeks of this quarantine, I was having more intense anxiety attacks than I was used to. Without being aware of it and how it manifests itself, I could see someone going to the doc or hospital thinking it was something much worse. I noted a major trigger for me was grocery shopping - so my husband became the one to go out.
I found this two-part article does a great job at helping people to distinguish anxiety from symptoms of a solely physical issues.”