Anxiety You’ve probably felt anxiety before. Anxious feelings are a normal reaction to stress that can help you overcome short-term events or challenges, like executing a mission or training event. You might feel uneasy or dread the upcoming situation, and often that is what motivates you to perform well. However, prolonged anxiety can lead to health concerns such as weight gain, heart problems and a weakened immune system. What’s the Difference Between Anxiety and Stress? Although the feelings may seem similar or frequently co-occur, anxiety and stress are different. Stress is your body’s response to a challenge or threat. Often, stress allows you to better handle tough situations and is not necessarily a bad thing. Though anxiety can be a reaction to stress, feelings of anxiety can exist without an actual stressor being present. Anxiety Symptoms Although anxiety is characterized by excessive fear or worry, it can also cause physical effects. Symptoms of anxiety may include: Having trouble sleeping Difficulty concentrating or making decisions Feeling restless or tense Irritability or anger Rapid heartbeat Shortness of breath Feeling dizzy or lightheaded Nausea or upset stomach Unexplained body aches Trembling or shaking Causes of Anxiety If anxious feelings persist and begin to interfere with your daily life, you may have anxiety. Most people with anxiety excessively worry about common concerns like work, money or relationships. They may not be able to control these anxious feelings, even when they disrupt everyday routines. The feelings might occur frequently and not go away. Different things may cause this anxiety, including situational events, your biology or a combination of both. The following experiences can trigger anxiety symptoms: Taking an exam Trying to fit in Adjusting to a new job or environment Using or quitting substances Relationship difficulties Financial struggles Pressure at work Being sick or injured Having or adopting a child Experiencing a traumatic event Losing a loved one Anxiety is a common mental health concern and can increase your risk of depression and substance misuse. Oftentimes, anxiety is short-term and will likely disappear once the stressor is resolved. To be considered a disorder, anxiety symptoms must be present for at least 6 months and occur consistently. In most cases, anxiety can be treated successfully. Talk to your health care provider about anxiety symptoms and any questions you have about your mental health. Anxiety Disorders Social Anxiety Panic Disorder Specific Phobias Social Anxiety Disorder People with social anxiety disorder are intensely afraid of social situations where they might be judged or watched by others. They are often worried about being embarrassed or rejected, especially as a result of behaviors associated with their anxiety. This may cause them to avoid certain situations altogether, even ones they deem important or would like to attend. Panic Disorder Those with panic disorder experience recurrent and unexpected panic attacks, which involve intense feelings of fear and physical discomfort. The attacks usually happen quickly and occur when no evident danger is present. People with panic disorder may also worry about future panic attacks and try to prevent them from happening by avoiding places or situations that might be triggers. Specific Phobias People with a specific phobia are intensely fearful of a certain object or situation, even if it poses very little threat to them. They may take measures to avoid these fears, and experience extreme anxiety if they do encounter the object or situation. Common examples include a fear of spiders, heights or needles. Due to the nature of your profession as a Warfighter, you may face an increased risk of developing mental health conditions, including anxiety. Experiences like deployment, combat exposure and intense training regimens can have a long-lasting impact on your wellbeing. In fact, combat veterans who served at least two deployments were more likely to report symptoms of anxiety disorders. Those with the most severe symptoms generally had poor mental health, difficulty with daily tasks and suicidal ideation. For information on how to manage anxiety symptoms and when to seek treatment, click here. Additional ResourcesFederal Communications Commission - “988 Fact Sheet”Military Health System - “Anxiety”Military OneSource - “Mental Health”ReferencesHealthline - “Effects of Anxiety on the Body”Macdonald-Gagnon G et al - “Generalized anxiety and mild anxiety symptoms in U.S. military veterans: Prevalence, characteristics, and functioning”Medline Plus - “Anxiety”Military Health System - “Prevalence of Mental Health Conditions in Active Duty Service Members”National Institute of Mental Health - “Anxiety Disorders”U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - “Anxiety”World Health Organization - “Anxiety disorders”