ANXIETY DISORDERS 2

Hypothesis:

Women are more prone to having anxiety disorders than men.

My Initial Hypothesis

Throughout life, I have been associated with anxiety disorders—being my mom has anxiety—I

have dealt with the struggles directly. I have seen what these disorders can do to you and others

around you, in fact everyone knows someone who has had an anxiety disorder or will have one at

some point in their life. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S. (Facts

And Statistics, 2013). This is a devastating fact. Most people who think they have an anxiety

disorder will not get the help that is needed because they find it embarrassing (Truelove, 2013). I

just can’t wrap my head around that; it is too critical to think about, and being a girl knowing this

is just too much. From the time a girl reaches puberty until about the age of 50, she is twice as

likely to have an anxiety disorder as a man (Living With Anxiety Facts, 2013). Research and

studies have further investigated this topic, supporting it.

The Empirical Evidence

All throughout history, even today, men are claimed to be superior to women in all aspects. This

claim is theoretically correct. The female brain does not process serotonin as quickly as the male

brain, which can result in a number of anxiety disorders (Stein, 2008). Serotonin is a

neurotransmitter that is important in the development of therapeutic agents for neuropsychiatric

disorders such as anxiety and depression. One article of evidence is the fact that anxiety

disorders occur earlier in women than in men (Living With Anxiety Facts, 2013). This is due to

the male brain processing and producing enough serotonin to prolong the effects of anxiety

disorders where as women do not have that privilege. Women process serotonin about half the

speed of men, so they can have major side effects. Not only does serotonin play a role in anxiety,

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but dopamine, epinephrine, and acetylcholine are also neurotransmitters that are also believed to

be the causes of anxiety disorders.

Dopamine controls the emotions that are felt or what mood the person is in. High levels

of dopamine result in the sensation of excitement and happiness, while low levels of dopamine

can result in depression, which happens to be an anxiety disorder (Morris, 2011). The amount of

dopamine that is produced is manipulated by stress. This happens to be one reason why women

tend to have anxiety disorders more than men; they have higher stress levels. Men deal with

stress by consumption of alcohol, which increases the production of dopamine, while women

tend to deal with stress other ways, so their dopamine levels tend to be lower (Truelove, 2013).

Epinephrine is a neurotransmitter commonly called adrenaline, or fight or flight. When

the brain perceives a situation to be dangerous or stimulating, such as sky diving and riding on a

roller coaster, it releases epinephrine (Clouse, 2010). In other words, the heart is under extra

pressure due to stress, so it releases epinephrine to make the mind choose to whether to take

action or not. An increased level of epinephrine can lead to chronic anxiety. This is more

common in women than men due to their high levels of stress, as stated earlier.

The chemical effects of the body are not the only causes of anxiety disorders; the

environment plays a role as well. If people tend to live in a stressful environment, it increases the

risks of having an anxiety disorder. Working in a stressful environment such as a law firm will

increase the risk as well. Women tend to live in a more stressful environment than men because

women tend to be stay-at-home moms; they have increased stress due to their children. Yes,

women and men both live in the same vicinity as each other, but it has different effects on the

opposite genders. Normally this has greater effects on women because they do not have an

“outlet” so to speak, while men do. Men typically deal with the stress through alcohol

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while women take the alternate route by eating chocolate, which increases the levels serotonin

that their brains produce.

My Current Opinion

My hypothesis was supported.

To me, anxiety disorders are not just common occurrences among populations; they are distinct

complications/illnesses that need to be “cured” so to speak. Women and men need to be aware of

the fact that there is nothing to be ashamed of. They need to realize that they need help and its

not just going to come to them, they need to want it or there is no point in trying (Truelove,

2013). Women are a main priority in my mind when it comes to treatment and diagnosis of

anxiety disorders. They are more prone to having anxiety disorders due to the stress that they are

under, and chemical imbalances of neurotransmitters. Not only do women suffer from anxiety

disorders, other people who are around them are affected as well due to the excessive mood

swings and outbreaks. Needless to say, women tend to over react to everything that happens to

them, and anxiety just makes it worst.

Men, being the opposite, tend to keep their problems to themselves because they have

other means of treatment. Men typically like to drink away their problems, or they result to

drugs. This is why men generally do not have anxiety, because the alcohol that they consumed

increases the production of dopamine to contort their mood into a happier and more carefree

manner. In a study that took place in 2012, the effects of alcohol consumption and problem

drinking on probable anxiety and mood disorder (AMD) found that moderate alcohol use was

associated with a significantly lower likelihood of having probable AMD, in comparison to

abstention (Mann, 2012). People who tend to have anxiety do not receive treatment because they

are too embarrassed to be seen there. There are about 40 million American adults who suffer

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from anxiety disorders, and about one-third of those suffering from an anxiety disorder

receive treatment (Facts And Statistics, 2013). This is unbelievable. I understand to some extent

why people with anxiety find it embarrassing to have the disorder, its just like tripping up the

stairs, it is a situation that happens to most. Normally if someone trips up the stairs they find it

embarrassing for a couple of minutes but they “forget” about it. This situation is what having

anxiety is like, and people need to understand that it may be embarrassing at first, but it will not

be embarrassing after the doctor appointment. They will find out that is was nothing to be

embarrassed and stressed about.

Overall more women tend to have anxiety disorders than men do. Women are 60% more

likely than men to experience an anxiety disorder over their lifetime (Kessler, 2005). The

neurotransmitters in the human body can fluctuate in the levels that are released from the brain.

Increased levels of the neurotransmitters normally result in increased levels of stress that can

lead to anxiety disorders, but there are some neurotransmitters that can decrease the levels of

stress.

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References

Clouse, R. (2010, August 6). In Live Strong. Retrieved October 9, 2013, from

http://www.livestrong.com/article/196424-adrenaline-anxiety

Facts And Statistics. (2013). In Anxiety And Depression Association of America. Retrieved

October 2, 2013, from http://www.adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics

Kessler RC, Chiu WT, Demler O, Walters EE. Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of twelve-

month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R).

Archives of General Psychiatry, 2005 Jun;62(6):617-27.

Living With Anxiety Facts. (2013). In Anxiety And Depression Association of America.

Retrieved October 2, 2013, from http://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/women/facts

Mann, R. E., Ialomiteanu, A. R., Chan, V., Cheung, J. W., Stoduto, G., Ala-Leppilampi, K., &

Rehm, J. (2012). Releationships of alcohol use and problems to probable anxiety and

mood disorder. Contemporary Drug Problems. 39(2). 247-263.

Morris, T. (2011, March 4). Low Dopamine And Anxiety. In Live Strong. Retrieved October 9,

2013, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/396871-low-dopamine-anxiety/

Stein, P., Savli, M., Wadsak, W., Mitterhauser, M., Fink, M., Spindelegger, C., &…

Lanzenberger, R. (2008). The serotonin-1A receptor distribution in healthy men and

women measured by PET and [carbonyl-11C] WAY-100635. European Journal Of

Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging, 35(12), 21592168. Doi:10.1007/s00259-008-

0850-x

Truelove, R.S. Lecture presented at Ball State University, Muncie, IN. (September, 2013).

Running head: WOMEN AND ANXIETY DISORDERS 1

Reaction Paper One

Women and Anxiety Disorders

Taylor P. Williams

Ball State University

PSYS 100:004