Women Are More At Risk From Anxiety Illness Than Men!

It seems that in most cases of anxiety illness it effects women more than men and they are at greater risk of anxiety than men. No one knows exactly why this is but this area is so complex and there are genetic, psychological and emotional factors involved which are all important in the individuals risk of developing an anxiety problem or related problem.

Some of these factors make anxiety more likely whereas some lessen the risk and therefore it is very difficult to predict exactly who will develop a problem.

Also it depends where you live effects the risk too, as the rates of anxiety related issues are different throughout the world and dependant on cultural differences too. It is not just an issue for one country over another it is a worldwide issue

Some research has indicated that in some East Asian countries there are low rates of anxiety disorders where as in New Zealand there are high rates. Also within the countries themselves there are differences within the groups that make up the population. For example in the USA the African Americans have high rates of anxiety disorders, no one can explain why this is so or why rates are higher in certain groups or certain areas, however it has been shown that an important factor is how different groups see the world and how they support each other as well as how they set up their societies.

It is quite logical to assume that in areas of dense population and high crime rate such as an inner city area, that anxiety is likely to be more of an issue rather than if you lived in a small rural area where crime is not an issue and everyone knows each other where anxiety problems then would be seen to be at a minimum. In the UK for example you are 50% more likely to have an anxiety problem if you live in a city compared to living in the countryside.

There is also evidence to suggest that genetic factors play a part in anxiety disorders and your genes are important in the development of anxiety. This is more likely if you have a history in your family of anxiety or related illnesses. You are more likely to suffer from the same illness if this is the case. This is not absolutely set in stone that you will inherit this disorder but are just more likely to.

There are also social factors that are important too as anxiety disorders are a lot more common when you have life changing events for example exams, a death in the family or perhaps after a life threatening incident as in the case of post-traumatic-stress-disorder. It is very important to have the proper support and counselling at these times in order to decrease the possibility of developing anxiety related illness.

For the predictable events such as examinations or starting a new job perhaps, the preparation is important in order to decrease the stress levels before the event happening and therefore lessen the chances of an anxiety illness occurring.