Anxiety Disorders Rise to Affect 1.1 Million People in NRW

Anxiety disorder diagnoses rise in North Rhine-Westphalia. Racing thoughts, sleepless nights, and constant worry have become a daily reality for approximately 1.1 million people in North Rhine-Westphalia, according to data released on Ruhr24.

According to a current analysis by the KKH Kaufmännische Krankenkasse, about 6 percent of the population in North Rhine-Westphalia was affected by an anxiety disorder in 2024. In 2014, the share stood at 4.7 percent, which the health insurance fund reports as an increase of 30.5 percent.

„Jeder Mensch hat manchmal Angst. Das ist ganz natürlich. Angst hat auch eine wichtige Schutzfunktion“, stated Dr. Aileen Könitz, a physician and expert for psychiatric questions at KKH. She explained that fear becomes a problem when it becomes disproportionately strong, is difficult to control, and increasingly dictates everyday life.”

With a generalized anxiety disorder, individuals worry almost constantly about various matters, often knowing their fears are exaggerated while remaining unable to switch them off. The exact causes are not yet fully clarified, though physical and psychological factors likely interact, including family predisposition, stressful experiences, losses, or persistent stress. Sometimes anxiety disorders also develop without any recognizable trigger, according to Ruhr24.

According to the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), symptoms can include persistent and hard-to-control worries, inner restlessness, racing heart or heavy palpitations, short and shallow breathing, trembling, sweating, dizziness, muscle tension, stomach issues, concentration problems, sleep disorders, and exhaustion. Sudden panic attacks are not a typical feature of this condition, but can also occur.

Experts advise against self-diagnosis. Potentially affected individuals should refrain from a self-diagnosis, and individual symptoms are not sufficient for a self-diagnosis, especially in times of Google and artificial intelligence on the smartphone. Individuals who notice that anxiety restricts their daily lives can turn to a general practice or a psychotherapeutic consultation hour to help classify the symptoms.

„Angststörungen sind gut behandelbar“, stated Dr. Könitz.”