The Definition of Anxiety by Kate Sheppard (16, Arizona)

I do not have anxiety. I don’t. I swear. Anyone who knows me will surely admit that I am just an average teenager. At least, I think they would. Well, so what if they think I’m weird? I guess maybe that would mean they secretly hate me. And that they’ve been lying to me this whole time about what they think of me. And that I would have no friends left. And… am I overthinking this? It’s probably apparent now, but what I said earlier was a slight lie. I might have anxiety. But what exactly does that mean? The word “anxiety” can have many different meanings depending on who is saying it and the situation. ​

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In the strictest sense of the word, anxiety is simply a feeling of “apprehensive uneasiness or worry” (Merriam-Webster). In other words, it is just an emotion that everyone feels from time to time. It can happen in a variety of circumstances depending on the person. For some it is the sweaty palms when they speak in public, while for others (such as myself) it is the racing heart of ascending the chairlift of a tall roller coaster. There are a million situations that anxiety can be present in, which shows that it is not an uncommon feeling; rather, it is something felt by multitudes of people. In recent times, the word “anxiety” is likened to a disease or a flaw. However, this is not necessarily true because anxiety was solely an emotion before it was a mental disorder. Everyone knows and has experienced anxiety, similar to how everyone knows what it is to be happy, or angry, or disappointed. 

In addition to describing an emotion of fear and worry, anxiety can also refer to a mental disorder. This is defined as “an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physical signs” (Merriam-Webster). Nowadays, when someone uses the word “anxiety,” this is probably what comes to mind, because anxiety disorders are becoming increasingly common -approximately 18% of the United States suffers from an anxiety disorder.

As someone who suffers from anxiety, I can testify it can cause an abundance of misery in life. The word anxiety itself comes from the Latin word angere, which means “to choke.” This is a very accurate description of what anxiety feels like. While in the midst of a panic attack, it can quite literally feel like you are going to choke. There have been times in my life when, while having a panic attack, my face has lost all feeling because of the lack of oxygen hyperventilation causes. At other times, it can also feel like the worry will choke you in a metaphorical sense. It sometimes feels like anxiety is all you will ever be able to think about. To summarize, anxiety is not only just an emotion, it can also be an all-consuming mental state. 

Furthermore, people have different views of what anxiety as a disorder looks like. To those who don’t struggle with it, anxiety can seem extremely abnormal. If you’ve never experienced first-hand the panic anxiety can cause, it can seem strange when someone worries to the point of having a physical reaction such as hyperventilation. This can indeed make it seem like anxiety should be categorized as a “disease.” To me, however, anxiety is something I’ve dealt with for a long time on a day-to-day basis. When I see someone struggling with anxiety, I feel empathy. To be true, in some ways, anxiety has caused the worst events I’ve had to deal with in my life. But it has also helped me avoid dangerous or worrisome situations because I’m constantly thinking ahead. I can honestly say that in some ways, it’s a superpower. 

The word “anxiety” can mean many different things, depending on how it is used. The simplest definition of the word is a feeling of nervousness or uneasiness. Nowadays, however, anxiety is most often used to describe the mental disorder of feeling panicked more often than is expected or necessary. Although some people see this as strange and unusual, I can say that anxiety does not define me. It is not a measure of how “normal” I am, and even while I suffer from it, I can still do anything anyone else can do. Despite the fact that anxiety sometimes has a negative connotation, it can also be something positive; it simply depends on your point of view.​