Why Women Suffer from Anxiety: Biological and Environmental Threats

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Why women suffer from anxiety. Anxious woman with her face buried in her hands.

Women are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety disorders as men, and the symptoms begin earlier according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Women are by no means the weaker sex, but they do face unique biological and environmental factors that increase their predisposition towards anxiety disorders. Learn more as you help yourself or someone you love cope with these disorders.

Biological Causes

Are you familiar with the fight-or-flight response? It allows you to survive by fighting threats or escaping them. For women, that neurological response activates quicker and stays on longer than it does for men, thanks to two primarily female hormones estrogen and progesterone.

Those two hormones also cause PMS and menopause. The resulting hormonal shifts increase a women’s prevalence to suffer from anxiety.

Another hormone, serotonin also affects a woman’s predisposition to anxiety. Men process serotonin faster than women, which helps men handle stressful situations and move on. Meanwhile, women stay  stressed longer and think about the stressful situations longer, which makes them more vulnerable to long-term anxiety disorders.

Likewise, women possess a sensitivity to corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), the hormone that organizes stress responses. This sensitivity increases a woman’s likelihood to suffer from anxiety disorders because she senses reasons to feel anxious.

Environmental Causes

In addition to biological causes of anxiety disorders, several cultural contributors uniquely affect women and can create anxiety disorders.

  • Increased pressure to balance a successful career and a healthy home
  • Expectations to always be the strong core and sturdy backbone of the family
  • Responsibilities to nurture children, a spouse, parents and friends at her expense
  • Prolonged exposure to financial, relational or other stressors
  • Limited time or ability for adequate self-care

Women may be more predisposed than men to suffer from anxiety disorders. However, if you or someone you know suffers from anxiety disorders, contact me today. Schedule a consultation and discover effective treatment options that decrease anxiety and increase your quality of life.

Three Key Areas Where Anxiety Costs You

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Your heart pounds, your stomach feels upset and your muscles tense. That feeling is anxiety, and it’s more than a simple emotion like anger or happiness. It can be debilitating, affect every area of your life and hold you back in several key ways.

Blocked Goals

Maybe you long to lead your company to greatness, tell your spouse how you really feel about your relationship or work up the courage to leave the house. Anxiety blocks those goals if the thought of speaking in front of anyone makes you feel ill, your tongue is tied when you think about talking to a pretty girl or you feel dread when you try to leave the house.

You can follow advice from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and tell your boss,  a trusted coworker and family members about your condition. However, you will need professional help in addressing the anxiety that blocks you from achieving your goals in life.

Health Concerns

A palpitating heart, insomnia and tremors are just three physical symptoms of anxiety, and each of these health concerns affects your ability to function physically. Stomach cramps keep you from enjoying your favorite foods and dining out with friends. Insomnia increases irritability and affects your ability to work, drive or remember simple things. Tremors cause you to drop things.

Address these physical effects of anxiety as soon as possible and especially before they turn into dangerous or debilitating health concerns.

Relationship Loss

Paranoia, jumpiness and irritability affect your ability to make and keep friends. You worry about what others will think of you, you can’t stand crowds and you constantly feel the need to defend yourself.

Eventually, you give up trying to explain why you feel anxious all the time. Your inability to participate in normal activities isolates you from family, friends and coworkers. You end up feeling more alone and anxious.

Stop the cycle of anxiety. Contact me today and schedule a consultation. Together, we can work through this troubling emotion and find a solution to anxiety that works for you and removes the blocks it creates in your life.