If you suffer from anxiety, you're not alone. Anxiety disorders affect 40 million U.S. adults, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
Doctors typically diagnose patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder if they suffer from symptoms of anxiety (constant worry, insomnia, difficulty concentration and more) for more than six months. But according to Everyday Health, almost all of us have experienced anxiety at some point.
What triggers those feelings of panic and worry that we're oh-so-familiar with? We reached out to HuffPost Lifestyle's Facebook community and got some honest, heartfelt answers from our readers. Here are 21 things that trigger anxiety:
1. "Money woes! Trying to save for a wedding, a house and pay down debts seems unattainable after paying monthly bills. And forget starting a family -- how do people afford it?!" -- Facebook user Rebekah L
2. “My child’s struggles in school.” -- Facebook user Tess E. Williams
3. "I feel heat rising in my neck when too many people speak to me at once." -- Facebook user Zandra Rios-Martinez
4. "Being far from home." -- Facebook user Jojo Bean
5. "Trying anything new, going anywhere by myself, or going anywhere period. Arguing with the ones I love. Anxiety sucks." -- Facebook user Kristi Marshall-Miller
6. "Not being able to predict the future. I hate surprises and I love spoilers." -- Facebook user Bailey Annan Sonday
7. "Crowds!" -- Facebook user Linda Balzano
8. "Being verbally attacked or being around extremely negative or judgmental people." -- Facebook user Anna Heiser
9. "My performance at work. Being a leader, but feeling as though I'm 'faking' it as I go along. Being found out that I don't know as much as my peers think I do." -- Facebook user Shelly Bornemann
10. "Being alone." -- Facebook user Robyn Cox
11. "Death. I've lost a lot of people in my life over the past 10 years." -- Facebook user Lindsey Solenberger
12. "Heat! I associate it with being claustrophobic." -- Facebook user Selina Torres
13. "Thinking about my anxiety triggers my anxiety." -- Facebook user Monica Theis
14. "Work. The feeling that even though I'm a really good performer, I could be fired at any moment." -- Facebook user Gabby Nelson
15. "Hearing an ambulance." -- Facebook user Tina Mike
16. "Losing control and uncertainty. A lack of communication and trying to come to my own conclusions also does." -- Facebook user Jill Grodan
17. "Meeting new people." -- Facebook user Karen Temple Walker
18. "Not living up to the über high expectations I place upon myself!" -- Facebook user Gayle Redick Cramer
19. "Driving on the freeway." -- Facebook user Camille Wright
20. "Getting older." -- Facebook user Jill Zimmerman
21. "Life in general. It's too busy. Nobody ever takes the time to slow down." -- Facebook user Penelope Dryden
If you suffer from anxiety, take a deep breath and just know you're not alone.
If you -- or someone you know -- need help, please call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. If you are outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of international resources.
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If you have a story about living with mental illness that you'd like to share with HuffPost readers, email us at strongertogether@huffingtonpost.com. Please be sure to include your name and phone number.
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