Worries about finances and the death of loved ones are the leading causes of anxiety for Americans, according to a survey conducted by the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA).

How do your worries compare with those surveyed?

• 36% are “very” or “extremely” worried about their financial status
• 31% are anxious about a loved one dying
• 10% worry about their own death

Women report slightly higher average levels of anxiety or worry than men, although nearly twice as many women as men say their feelings of worry last a week or longer. Women are also almost 3 times more likely than men to worry about their own death.

“Anxiety is a normal response to situations of uncertainty especially if there is a possibility of a bad outcome,” says Jerilyn Ross, MA, LICSW, ADAA’s President and CEO. “But for many, severe and unprovoked anxiety affects their daily lives.”

The survey finds that people use a variety of avoidance measures as a result of their worries or anxiety. Almost half of Americans have avoided people when feeling worried or anxious, and more than 2 in 5 have avoided answering their phones. For 1 in 7 people, their worries have prevented them from leaving their homes.

“It’s these avoidance behaviors and disruptions of our daily lives, like being unable to talk on the phone or leave home, that raises concern about whether a person has normal anxiety versus an anxiety disorder,” says Ross. “For 19 million men and women, anxiety is so frequent, intense, and uncontrollable that it hinders the way they lead their lives.”

Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric illnesses in the U.S. The term anxiety disorder refers to 5 psychiatric disorders that involve extreme fear or worry including generalized anxiety disorder; panic disorder; obsessive-compulsive disorder; phobias; and posttraumatic stress disorder (a complete list of symptoms for each individual anxiety disorder is available at the group’s Web site: www.adaa.org).

Ross says that constant, chronic, and unsubstantiated worry or anxiety lasting for longer than 6 months may be a sign of generalized anxiety disorder, a highly treatable anxiety disorder that affects millions of Americans.

Physical symptoms of generalized anxiety, for example, may include:

• Muscle tension
• Sweating
• Nausea
• Gastrointestinal discomfort or diarrhea
• Cold, clammy hands
• Difficulty swallowing
• Jumpiness
• Insomnia (trouble sleeping)
• Excessive irritability

If you are worried you may have an anxiety disorder, talk to your doctor. Treatment is available, and the good news is that you can feel better.