Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety Disorders affect about 40 million American adults age 18
years and older (about 18%) in a given year,1 causing them to be filled
with fearfulness and uncertainty. Unlike the relatively mild, brief anxiety
caused by a stressful event (such as speaking in public or a first date),
anxiety disorders last at least 6 months and can get worse if they are not
treated. Anxiety disorders commonly occur along with other mental or
physical illnesses, including alcohol or substance abuse, which may mask
anxiety symptoms or make them worse. In some cases, these other
illnesses need to be treated before a person will respond to treatment
for the anxiety disorder.
Effective therapies for anxiety disorders are available, and research is
uncovering new treat- ments that can help
most people with anxiety disorders lead productive,
fulfilling lives. If you think you have an anxiety
disorder, you should seek information and
treatment right away.
(from :National Institute of Mental Health)