What is Anxiety?

Anxiety disorder is experiencing an unpleasant state of anxious or overwhelming emotions during any given time. Anxiety can be mild to severe, which can lead to having panic episodes. Anxiety disorders affect 1 in 8 youth, according to Youth Mental Health First Aid USA, the prevalence in children 9-17 years of age is 13 percent. There are many signs and symptoms of an Anxiety Disorder. Physically you could experience rapid breathing or shortness in breath, muscle aches and pains, dizziness, dry mouth, and excessive sweating. Other signs and symptoms include confusion, excessive fear and worry, phobic behaviors, isolation, and sleep disturbance. There is many risk factors for anxiety disorders. Having a sensitive emotional nature and seeing the world as a threat, exposure to traumatic events during childhood, parental separation and activity with AOD (alcohol, other drugs).

In the Youth Mental Health First Aid USA book, it is a guide to those who want to learn how to help assist someone in need of a supporter during a mental health crisis This book is designed to give tips on what to look for in any given mental illness and what to do when dealing with a young person in a crisis. The book is not in any way giving an individual the ability to diagnose someone else. I personally have learned from this book, all the different symptoms to many mental illnesses and who to help another youth in a moment of need.