Anxiety is experienced as a result of rational situations where there is a reason to be anxious such as a job interview, but anxiety can also be irrational. People often worry about things that are outside of their control and they worry about extreme things happening such as catching a deadly virus by going to the grocery store. When anxiety becomes irrational or extreme, it has developed into an anxiety disorder. Either way the experience of anxiety can leave lasting effects.
Cost
Anxiety problems can cost a lot of money. The Anxiety Disorder Association of America or ADAA cited a report by The Economic Burden of Anxiety Disorders which stated that in the United States anxiety disorders cost the country more than 42 billion dollars a year.
Hospital Visits
People with anxiety symptoms may regularly visit the emergency room or hospital as a result of experiencing symptoms that mimic serious health conditions, notes the ADAA. These people can spend hours sitting in the emergency rooms and undergoing unnecessary testing to determine what it causing physical symptoms such as chest pain.
Mental Health
Anxiety can leave a person with other mental health conditions. Generalized anxiety disorder tends to develop over time as a person's anxiety becomes more and more chronic and common to her everyday life. In addition, anxiety can lead to the development of depression and substance abuse problems, reports the MayoClinic.com.
Physical Symptoms
Anxiety can produce physical symptoms that last long after the anxiety has subsided. Intense anxiety can leave a person feeling drained of energy and may experience a headache brought on by the tension from previous anxiety, notes MayoClinic.com. Some people experience nausea and vomit as a result of anxiety.
Avoiding Places
Anxiety that is related to agoraphobia can leave a person housebound or avoidant of certain places. HelpGuide.org reports that when you are anxious about going places either because you might have a panic attack or for other reasons this can leave a sufferer imprisoned within her own home because she feels it is unsafe to leave it.
More Anxiety
The experience of anxiety can lead you to experience more anxiety. If you are relaxed about something such as giving a speech or reaching a deadline you will likely only feel low levels of anxiety, but if you are anxious, you are likely to think about and worry about the situation. This will cause you to develop more anxiety and be left feeling even more anxious.
Fatigue
Anxiety can cause insomnia and the resulting fatigue. Often, when a person is experiencing anxiety he will be unable to sleep because he will be kept awake thinking about the impending situation that has created the anxiety. This will result in fatigue and lack of energy the following day. If this occurs on a regular basis, he will experience chronic fatigue.
