More than one in five women say they suffer from anxiety most or all of the time – almost double the number five years ago.

Some 22 per cent admit being preoccupied with everyday worries such as money and the welfare of loved ones.

The figure has soared since 2009, when just 12 per cent of women said they felt frightened or anxious, a survey by the Mental Health Foundation reveals.

The charity’s Living With Anxiety report highlights a rise in sufferers across both sexes, with nearly half of people saying they get more anxious than they used to.

Almost one in five (19 per cent) of  the 2,300 people polled by YouGov said they feel anxious a lot or all the time,  citing money, finance and debt as their  top concerns.

But the most startling finding is among the 1,200 women taking part in the poll.

Some 22 per cent said they felt anxious nearly all (5 per cent) or a lot (17 per cent) of the time, compared with 15 per cent of men. And 52 per cent of women said they get more frightened or anxious than they used to, compared with 43 per

cent five years ago.

Money worries were cited as the main causes of anxiety for 48 per cent of women, with the welfare of loved ones and children coming second for 44 per cent.

In 2009, finance (55 per cent) and the death of loved ones (55 per cent) were equally cited as the main trigger factors. Around a quarter of women say they would be embarrassed to tell anyone they felt anxious. The charity is now launching a major campaign – coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Week – to raise understanding of anxiety and its potential effect on mental and emotional wellbeing.

Although anxiety is a natural emotion, it can lead to disorders such as panic, phobias and obsessive behaviours, says the report.

Many find solace in potentially harmful coping strategies, with a quarter comfort eating and nearly one in five ‘hiding away from the world’. More than a quarter think anxiety is a sign of not being able to cope and 29 per cent say they would be embarrassed to admit to it.

As a result, only 7 per cent overall go to a GP about anxiety – although almost a third of women say they would do so.

More than half (57 per cent) of people wish they could be less anxious – up from 17 per cent five years ago.

Jenny Edwards, of the Mental Health Foundation, described the findings as ‘stark’. She said: ‘Women often are the ones who juggle the family finances and try to make ends meet in hard times. We know women often put themselves last when they have to cut back on life’s little luxuries, or even essentials.’

Women also tend to shoulder most of the burden for caring, which can add to daily worries, she said. TV presenter Anna Williamson, 32, has suffered from generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder for the past decade but has urged sufferers to seek out ‘talking therapies’. She said: ‘I know only too well the feelings of dread, the severe panic attacks and the irrational thinking that go hand in hand with anxiety.’ NHS figures recently revealed that a third of all hospital admissions for anxiety are women over 60.

Last year a total of 8,720 patients were treated in hospital for anxiety – 2,440 of whom were women over the age of 60. Other figures show that women make up nearly two thirds of patients seeking treatment for depression – with a 7.5 per cent rise in prescriptions for medication in a year.

Written by Jenny Hope/ News Retrieved from:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2625816/One-five-women-say-anxious-time-Number-worried-money-loved-ones-doubles-just-five-years.html