What are anxiety disorders?

Anxiety disorders are when your brain gets really worried about things, even if there’s no big reason for it.

Imagine you’re playing on a swing. You're having so much fun, but suddenly, your brain says, “Oh no! What if the swing breaks?” That’s like anxiety, it makes you feel nervous or scared even when everything is fine.

Sometimes, your brain acts like a really helpful friend who wants to keep you safe. But sometimes that friend gets too excited and starts worrying about things that aren’t even real dangers, kind of like how your friend might think the biggest spider in the world is chasing you when it's just a tiny one on the wall.

Anxiety disorders can make it hard to go to school, play with friends, or even sleep. It’s like having a little voice in your head that says, “You’re not going to be okay,” over and over again, and it never stops talking!

But just like you can learn to ride a bike, you can also learn to calm that worried brain down.