Are You Worrying Yourself Sick?

When Angst Goes Awry
Unfortunately, anxiety disorders aren't treated properly 41 percent of the time, according to a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine. One reason? The main warning sign -- worry -- is a natural emotion that most of us encounter on a regular basis. After all, who hasn't felt antsy before an interview or obsessed about not turning off the curling iron after leaving the house?

While it's true that a certain amount of anxiety is healthy (it serves as the body's alarm system, alerting us to danger and spurring us to action), the problem is that many of us worry too frequently and readily. At the slightest hint of threat, we immediately conjure up catastrophic thoughts or wonder "What if?" for hours.

"Women frequently use worrying as a way to gain some sense of control," says Michelle Craske, Ph.D., director of the Anxiety Disorders Research Center at the University of California, Los Angeles. "They mistakenly believe it helps them prepare for disaster." But all that time and energy is usually wasted: Researchers from Australia and New Zealand found that worrying can actually hinder our ability to resolve problems.

To determine if your fretting is over the top, ask yourself what's making you anxious. Most women, for instance, would be concerned about their financial future if the stock market took another nosedive. But if you have a healthy savings account, a secure career, and an affordable mortgage and you still stay up at night wondering if you'll wind up homeless, it may signal an anxiety disorder. You might also notice that you often experience some physical reactions to stress, such as fatigue, edginess, muscle aches, and insomnia.

"A more obvious red flag is when you have an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations," says Jerilyn Ross, president and CEO of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America. For example, you may start avoiding talking to strangers or taking public transportation. For a clearer list of symptoms, take a free assessment quiz at adaa.org.