Women and Anxiety
The toxic relationship we all need to break free from
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Who doesn’t love a good, light hearted competition between men and women. Women are apparently better at multi-tasking, men claim to be better drivers (although the jury’s out on that one).
One thing women are surpassing men in is experiencing anxiety. Women are twice as likely as men to develop an anxiety disorder.
This is one competition no one wants to win.
From societal expectations to relationships there are many reasons why women might experience more anxiety. Ultimately it is a toxic situation many women are living in and it’s time to break free from the clutches of this condition.
What are the signs of anxiety?
Whilst anxiety can present itself in different ways there are a few common signs and symptoms, these include:
- Feelings of nervousness
- Having a sense of danger or panic
- Difficulty sleeping
- Increased heart rate and breathing
- Difficulty concentrating and feeling on edge
Why do women experience more anxiety than men?
Like any mental illness certain people can be more affected than others. Biology may play a part in the reason women experience it more than men.
The part of the brain called the amygdala is responsible for emotion and responding to stress. It is more likely to fire up during a stressful event in women than in men. When people say men and women think differently I guess this is true.
But we can’t solely blame genetics and biology because that would mean all women experience anxiety which is not true.
Social factors also play a part. Women are more likely to experience physical and sexual abuse than men. It is a scary world out there for women at times, not a day goes by where I don’t see a news story about a woman being killed by a partner or even a stranger on the street.
This fear lives inside the minds of women all the time. A walk to our car can feel like a life or death experience and don’t even get me started with the fear…
