It’s normal for everyone to feel anxious and worried from time-to-time and in certain situations. For example, you might get nervous when speaking in front of a room full of people, or you may feel on edge in the run up to a job interview. However, if you find that you’re worrying constantly about most things and are unable to ‘switch off’ your anxious thoughts, or cope with the physical symptoms of anxiety, it might be that you’re struggling with an anxiety disorder.
While anxiety can affect anyone, women are more likely than men to suffer with anxiety. Statistics on anxiety show that:
There are a number of factors that might explain why anxiety is more common in women than men. Women go through a number of life stages and experiences that are unique to them, which can cause or exacerbate anxiety. This can include things like fluctuating hormones, stress, body image issues and modern day pressures that women can face. It’s also important to note that women are often more likely than men to get help and treatment for anxiety, which can result in increased diagnoses of anxiety in women than in men.
Whether you’re a woman or a man, there are a number of potential causes of anxiety, and factors that can increase the likelihood of you developing anxiety at some point in your life. These include:
However, there are also some causes of anxiety that are specifically related to being a woman.
Throughout their lives, women experience fluctuating hormone levels that relate to specific stages that their bodies go through. These stages include puberty, periods, pregnancy, childbirth and menopause. It’s thought that the hormonal fluctuations that come with these life stages can cause women to develop anxiety during these times in their lives.
During puberty, young women go through a significant amount of change. Not only are their bodies changing, which can lead to body image issues, but at this stage in their life, they’re also likely to be experiencing other challenges. Peer pressure, problems with social media use and worrying about school are just a few examples. This, coupled with the significant hormonal changes that happen during puberty, can lead to anxiety.
Periods cause women to go through hormonal ups and downs all the way through the month. Some women experience pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS), which is known to have a negative impact on their mood and cause irritability and tiredness. PMS is fairly common, but some women can experience more serious symptoms as part of a disorder known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). PMDD results in significant mood problems, causing women to experience the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Women’s bodies also go through a lot of hormonal changes when they’re pregnant and after they’ve given birth. This is known as the ‘perinatal period’.
Prenatal anxiety happens during pregnancy, before the baby is born. It can focus on lots of different things, including worries about giving birth and stress around getting everything ready for the baby to arrive. Anxiety in the prenatal period can be especially intense if the woman is having a difficult pregnancy or is struggling with debilitating morning sickness (known as hyperemesis gravidarum or ‘HG’).
Postpartum anxiety develops in the first year after the baby is born. Again, anxiety in the postpartum period can focus on anything from worrying about ‘bouncing back’ physically, to the health of the baby. Postpartum anxiety may also be more likely to happen to women who have given birth to multiples (twins, triplets or more). It can also occur alongside postpartum depression.
Lots of women also experience anxiety as well as other mental health problems during menopause – another time in a woman’s life that’s characterised by significant hormonal changes. A woman may be more likely to develop anxiety at this time if she's experiencing lots of the physical symptoms of menopause, including insomnia and hot flushes.
Women produce more stress hormone than men, which means they’re more likely to develop anxiety in response to stressful situations. These can include things like going through a divorce or suffering a bereavement.
In today’s modern society, women are under more pressure than ever and are expected to juggle lots of different demands. This can include working full-time, looking after a home and caring for children. These multiple demands can lead to anxiety, stress and other mental health problems, such as depression in women.
There are a number of core anxiety symptoms that can affect anyone, no matter their gender. These include:
The symptoms of anxiety that you experience can also be related to the type of anxiety you’re struggling with.
The main difference in anxiety symptoms in women compared to men is the fact that women are likely to experience them more often than men. In addition, women are more likely to experience anxiety symptoms that are specifically related to their unique life stages. This includes anxiety in the perinatal and menopausal periods, as well as anxiety relating to PMDD.
The good news is that anxiety is entirely treatable, whether you’re a woman or a man, and it’s possible for you to make a full recovery. At Priory, we offer world class anxiety treatment, helping you to overcome your challenges and return to the healthy and fulfilling life you deserve.
Treatment for anxiety usually consists of therapy techniques, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy, as well as medication such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
