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Anxiety disorders are more common than you might think. Millions of American adults have some form of anxiety disorder each year.
Some people may be more likely to develop an anxiety disorder because of their gender or family history. Women are more likely than men to have generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, specific phobias, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Many types of anxiety disorders also seem to run in families.
Sometimes life stresses can play a role in who develops an anxiety disorder.
There is no way to know who will become anxious and who will not. Two people may survive the same plane crash. One gets posttraumatic stress disorder. The other is flying within a month.
Several parts of the brain are key in developing anxiety:
- One part may signal that there is a threat. This can trigger fear or anxiety. It may also store emotional memories related to the fear.
- The other part may be involved when a person replays a painful event over and over, as in posttraumatic stress disorder.
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