What is Anxiety Disorder?

Over 18 million people suffer from anxiety disorder. You CAN find help! About 9 in 10 individuals who seek anxiety treatment report feeling better.

Although there are many different forms of anxiety disorders (and anxiety treatment), the general definition for anxiety is:

"a vague, unpleasant and sometimes debilitating emotion that is experienced in anticipation of some misfortune. "

The misfortune is usually ill-defined, meaning that it is hard to pinpoint the actual reason for what is causing the anxiety. Although many people suffer from anxiety in certain situations, the reasons for why they feel the way they do are generally difficult to identify. Most people understand that they have anxiety. What is difficult to understand is WHY the anxiety has such a strong hold on their life. If you are experiencing anxiety, keep reading and you will find a list of common anxiety disorders in this section. Identifying what type of anxiety you have and why it is happening is the first step in finding effective anxiety treatment.

What Does Anxiety Feel Like?

Melissa, a nurse, has started to become nervous in social settings. Though she has always been shy, lately she has had extreme difficulty in a variety of social situations. One of her responsibilities at work is to take patients' medical histories through an interview. She finds it difficult to look into her patients' eyes, and often the mere thought of the interview sends her into a panic. Her heart beat races, her palms sweat, and her mouth gets dry. This panic-like feeling has spread to other social events as well�Melissa often avoids parties or other social functions in which she will have to introduce herself to anyone. Melissa's fear of social contact has lead her to feel anxious in even simple daily activities such as going to the grocery store. She worries that her fear of social contact might get worse and that she will never recover to lead a normal life.

Melissa has an anxiety disorder. Melissa suffers from a particular type of anxiety called social anxiety. Other types of anxiety include phobias such as a fear of heights, fear of open spaces, and a fear of driving.