Health Matters: Anxiety

Anxiety is so common it’s unusual when someone never feels anxious. But too much anxiety can take a toll not only on our minds but on our bodies, leading to back pain, high blood pressure and the worsening of chronic health conditions.

University Medical Center Psychiatrist Dr. James Reeves said anxiety comes in all shapes and sizes.

“When you think about anxiety, you think about four or five different types,” he said. “One type is generalized anxiety, which is when you worry about so many things throughout the day and you can’t seem to stop worrying about them. You can’t relax.”

The worries can be simple, about family, home or work, but they’re pervasive.

The most common type of anxiety seen for office employees is social anxiety, or performance anxiety, Reeves said. It’s when you’re not sure how someone will view you or whether or not they’ll judge you incorrectly.

“Probably about 15% of the population experiences pretty significant and sometimes disabling social anxiety,” Reeves said. “They refuse to go to parties or refuse to do things.”