Updated January 2026
Welcome to class, everyone!
Here we explore mental health awareness by seeking to understand various diagnoses found within the holy bible of psychology, the DSM-V.
Today’s class topic: Anxiety
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is an umbrella term, representing an overall arc of one of the major groups of disorders seen in psychiatry and medicine today. There’s been a shift in focus regarding anxiety within the psychology field as the concentration no longer lies with the wording of diagnostic criteria since the DSM-V’s 2013 publication. Rather, the interest lies in grouping these disorders and categorizing them in order to “convey more information for a dimensional view of symptoms…[reflecting] a developmental approach…enhanced with short sections on development and course, risk and prognostic factors, and associated biologic information”.
According to Barlow’s five concepts, anxiety is a “future-oriented mood state associated with preparation for possible, upcoming negative events”. In laymen’s terms, it has been described as “hearing boss battle music on full volume and never seeing the threat”.
The diagnostic criteria for generalized anxiety include excessive anxiety and worry persisting daily about a number of events or activities that lasts a minimum of six months, with the individual reporting consistent distress and difficulty of controlling said worry. The updates within the DSM-V also list that the symptoms cannot be explained better from a medical condition, another mental health disorder, or from physiological effects from substance use.
Is it Fear or Anxiety?
What is fear and what is anxiety? When does it differ, and where is the line drawn between a commonplace feeling and a persisting disorder?
They have very similar goals as a result: it is a survival mechanism. The difference lies in how these feelings start, what they respond to, and how long it persists.
Fear responds with thoughts associated with an immediate threat.
Let’s say, you’re walking your dog and he slips out of his harness. He starts running toward an incoming neighbor who’s known for having a rash temperament and who is extremely afraid of dogs. In order to rein in the threat of this neighbor’s reaction, you call out for your dog to stay. He doesn’t listen. Your heartrate skyrockets as you chase him and grab a hold of his collar with shaking hands. Once the good boy is back on his leash, the fear subsides, though your neighbor might be scolding you at this point. Crisis averted.
Anxiety follows a thought pattern of perceived threat.
Let’s say, the idea of leaving the house scares you. Your mind plays out all the what if scenarios in an attempt to process what could happen once you get into your car. If being in a car crash, being stuck in traffic, or being in a confined space is something you fear happening to you, anxiety starts spiraling out of control. Muscle tension, trembling, and heart palpitations increase. In the end, you may think avoiding the possibilities altogether is worth staying at home, even if the need to leave the house is important, like grocery shopping or picking up your kids from school.
The Root
Let’s be real: anxiety is a companion for many of us in recent years if we weren’t already acquainted beforehand. Anxiety disorders saw a 25.6% increase globally during the 2020 pandemic, though it is noted these estimates may be substantially inflated.
The reason? Stress levels increased. Stress responded to the threat in that situation. Routines were broken. Fear increased from the uncertainty. And anxiety reacted as a response to the stress.
When left unchecked, that response to stress can lead to panic disorders, social anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, and PTSD.
The Presentation
As stated above, many symptoms result in response to increased stress and a perceived threat: muscle tension, sleep problems, avoidance of certain places, people, or things, increased hypervigilance, and difficulties in concentration. Fight or flight responses may latch onto one of the four as a default: fight, flight, fawn, or freeze.
Because anxiety is such a broad term with various categories within the DSM-V, not every presentation of symptoms is the same across individuals, and not all of them can be listed here.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Living with an anxiety disorder is stressful in itself, and can be detrimental to moving forward in daily life, especially if thoughts converge around avoidance of things, people, or events that an individual perceives would set off the next trigger of symptoms.
There are many things someone can do to calm anxiety: for example, buying calming scents like lavender or peppermint, or starting daily meditation rituals.
Therapy is always a good start. Therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists are trained and knowledgeable on how to manage anxiety in whatever direction you wish to do— be that medication, EMDR, CBT, or simply talking through it.
Medication is also a good alternative. A diagnosis and a psychiatrist’s prescription are required. Not everyone will want to go down this path, but it is useful to have it as an option nevertheless.
Additional Tips
Ground yourself or the person experiencing anxiety. Focus on breathing and think (or say aloud) five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can touch, and two you can smell. For some, having something on your tongue, like mints, for taste can help tremendously. Keep doing this for a few moments after your body calms down.
The word HALT is a good acronym for figuring out if it’s your body needing something, or if your symptoms are anxiety-based: check in with yourself. Are you hungry? Are you angry? Are you lonely? Are you tired? Oftentimes, checking in with these four things and finding solutions to combat them eases the jitters you may feel.
Join an online or meetup group of people with similar experiences. It truly is invaluable finding people who just understand without needing to over-explain yourself.
Journaling feelings can also be a very good way to write down, track, and resolve symptoms of anxiety. Once noticeable patterns emerge, it’s easier to nip the anxiety in the bud before it becomes a daily interference.
Remember that you are not alone.
Class dismissed.