Victoria Clements

English 1201

November 12, 2021

Literature Analysis

When it comes to mental health struggles anxiety is one of the leading causes. Anxiety

has an effect on one in five people throughout the world. Mental health knows no bonds and does

not just affect certain kinds of people. Anxiety is paired together with body-focused repetitive

behaviors (BFRBs). It's not something that most people can control so they have to create ways

of coping and managing. In many cases anxiety has an effect on working memory making it

harder for people who struggle with anxiety to retain information.

Not too long ago, mental health struggles were seen as something that could be controlled

and others believed it didn't exist. Since many people believed it was made up to gain sympathy

they saw people as weak. Instead of helping one another they turned on people making them an

outcast. Being that anxiety can build up over time it didn’t help that people would go untreated

since they were not believed. Even now people are still scared to come out and say they struggle

with their mental health for fear they will be looked down upon.

Anxiety has many effects on a person such as the way they think or act. There could be

an important decision that needs to be made but it will stop you, “by leaving you emotionally

paralyzed.” This happens due to hyper analyzing every thought or action in a social situation. It's

not only the action that was affected but the social situation can become embarrassing. The

domino effect then leads to panic attacks that are quite common, “one in ten adults in the United

States have panic attacks each year.” With such a big impact anxiety has on people's lives the
best way to fight back is with support from family, friends, and doctors such as mental health

providers.

In the documentary about anxiety it goes on to say that there are five types of anxiety

O.C.D., social, generalized, panic, and P.T.S.D. which affect one in three people before they

reach adulthood. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders in a lifespan since

they start early in childhood and can be chronic in adulthood. This problem does not tend to go

away on its own and in part because the response that it will just go away does not help. The

fight or flight response is normal always on for people that suffer with anxiety which becomes

tiring. Anxiety can come from going to school, work, or large groups. Not only does it affect the

mind but can also cause physical pains.

Relationships are negatively impacted by anxiety disorders when it comes to excessive

worrying, heightened stress and fear or negative experiences. Dependence and avoidance are

what make relationships difficult with anxiety disorders. Some people will want close bonds and

try too hard to please others. Others may detach and close themselves off from friends and

family. When people struggle mainly with socializing then this goes into the social anxiety

category. Like a venn diagram, people can have social anxiety without having some of the other

common types of anxiety however in most cases multiple forms of anxiety are linked.

In most cases anxiety begins in early adolescence, unfortunately they often lack the

words to describe their feelings. Anxiety affects children by making them feel uncomfortable and

distracted from what they could be learning. As stated earlier anxiety can affect the working

memory especially in children as their brain is still developing. Thought processes are also

impacted by anxiety which means that children may, “not be able to coherently think when

they're anxious.” This cycle leads to discomfort since most kids don't know the word for this
strange way that they feel. For example the kids that are anxious about school are more prone to

skipping and they may also avoid doing homework since it can be overwhelming.

Anxiety affects both children and adults. It is important that people shed more light on

mental health to stop the stigmatism it has created. Understanding anxiety is the first step toward

treating it so kids that are not yet able to express that they suffer from anxiety can get the help

they need. It's time that anxiety gets more recognition and kids are taught that what they are

feeling is completely normal.

 Works Cited

AlAzzam, Manar; Abuhammad, Sawsan; Abdalrahim, Asem; Hamdan-Mansour, Ayman

M. Predictors of Depression and Anxiety Among Senior High School Students During COVID-

19 Pandemic: The Context of Home Quarantine and Online Education. Journal of School

Nursing , 26 July 2021, https://eds-s-ebscohost-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/eds/detail/detail?

vid=4&sid=a1400cbb-51e1-419c-a362-19ab3231094e

%40sessionmgr4006&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=151485310&db=ccm

Gao, Chenchen, et al. “Prevalence and Correlates of Lifestyle Behavior, Anxiety and

Depression in Chinese College Freshman: A Cross-Sectional Survey.” International JourGao,

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Chinese College Freshman: A Cross-Sectional Survey.” International Journal of Nursing

Sciences, Elsevier, 5 June 2021,

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352013221000697.

Greene, Andy. “How Anxiety Affects Us.” MindPath Care Centers, 24 Mar. 2020,

https://www.mindpathcare.com/blog/how-anxiety-affects-us/.

“How Does Anxiety Affect Relationships?” The Recovery Village Drug and Alcohol

Rehab, The Recovery Village Drug and Alcohol Rehab, 16 Sept. 2020,

https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/anxiety/faq/how-does-anxiety-affect-

relationships/.
 “How Does Anxiety Affect Relationships? - San Diego: API.” Alvarado Parkway

Institute, 23 Feb. 2021, https://apibhs.com/2020/03/17/how-does-anxiety-affect-relationships.

Khatri, Minesh. “What Is Social Anxiety Disorder or Social Phobia?” WebMD, WebMD,

27 Oct. 2021, https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/mental-health-social-anxiety-

disorder.

Paul, Dr. Sean. “How Does Anxiety Affect Children's Learning?: Anxiety.” NowPsych,

21 June 2020, https://nowpsych.com/how-does-anxiety-affect-childrens-learning/.

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https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278584620305236.

“Uncertainty • Connecticut Public Television.” Connecticut Public Television, PBS, 30

May 2019, https://cptv.org/uncertainty/.