• Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in America: more than 19 million Americans are affected by these debilitating illnesses each year
• Anxiety disorders cost the U.S. $46.6 billion in 1990, nearly one-third of the nation's total mental health bill of $148 billion.
What are the Different Kinds of Anxiety Disorders?
• Panic Disorder
Repeated episodes of intense fear that strike often and without warning. Physical symptoms include chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, abdominal distress, feelings of unreality, and fear of dying.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Repeated, unwanted thoughts or compulsive behaviors that seem impossible to stop or control.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Persistant symptoms that occur after experiencing a traumatic event such as rape or other criminal assault, war, child abuse, natural disasters or crashes. Nightmares, flashbacks, numbing of emotions, depression and feeling angry, irritable or distracted and being easily startled are common.
Phobias
Two major types of phobias are social phobia and specific phobia.People with social phobia have an overwhelming and disabling fear of scrutiny, embarrassment, or humiliation in social situations, which leads to avoidance of many potentially pleasurable and meaningful activities. People with specific phobia experience extreme, disabling and irraitonal fear of something that poses little or no actual danger; the fear leads to avoidance of objects or situations and can cause people to limit their lives unnecessarily.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Constant, exaggerated worrisome thoughts and tension about everyday routine life events and activities, lasting at least six months. Almost always anticipating the worst even though there is little reason to expect it; accompanied by physical symptoms, such as fatigue, tembling, muscle tension, headache or nausea.
What Are Effective Treatments for Anxiety Disorders?
Two clinically-proven effective forms of psychotherapy used to treat anxiety disorders are behavioral therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Behavioral therapy focuses on changing specific actions and uses several techniques to stop unwanted behaviors. In addition to the behavioral therapy techniques, cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches patients to understand and change their thinking patterns so they can react differently to the situations that cause them anxiety.
Do Anxiety Disorders Co-Exist with Other Physical or Mental Disorders?
It is common for an anxiety disorder to accompany depression, eating disorders, substance abuse or another anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders can also co-exist with physical disorders. In such instances, the accompanying disorders will also need to be treated. Before beginning any treatment, however, it is important to have a thorough medical examination to rule out other possible causes of symptoms.
|
Anxiety
Disorders |
||
|
|
Percent
|
Population
Estimate*
(Millions) |
| Any Anxiety Disorder |
18
|
40
|
| Panic Disorder |
2.7
|
6
|
| Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder |
1
|
2.2
|
| Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder |
3.5
|
7.7
|
| Any Phobia |
15.4
|
34.2
|
| Generalized Anxiety Disorder |
3
|
6.8
|
Source: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)