Resources  email page print page Basic Information Introduction to Anxiety DisordersOrganizations for Anxiety DisordersAnxiety Disorders Symptoms - AgoraphobiaSymptoms - Generalized Anxiety DisorderAnxiety Disorders Symptoms - Panic AttackAnxiety Disorders Symptoms - Panic DisorderAnxiety Disorders Symptoms - Social PhobiaAnxiety Disorders Symptoms - Specific PhobiaSymptoms of Anxiety DisordersAnxiety Disorders Treatment - Generalized Anxiety DisorderAnxiety Disorders Treatment - Panic DisorderAnxiety Disorders Treatment - Social PhobiaAnxiety Disorders Treatment - Specific PhobiaTreatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder and TraumaTreatment of Panic-Related Anxiety DisordersAnxiety Disorders Treatment - Phobias More Information Anxiety as a Defense Against Depression: Part 6Anxiety as a Defense Against Depression: Part 7Anxiety Disorders in Children and AdolescentsCouples Therapy for Robert and Julia (Romeo and Juliet)Do You Have a Shy Bladder? UpdatedFacts About Anxiety DisordersFacts about Generalized Anxiety DisorderFacts about Panic DisorderFacts about Social PhobiaHoardingPanic Disorder - When Fear Holds SwayParent's Anxiety Disorders And Children's AdjustmentPTSD treatment readiness and the looming Iraq war PTSD bubbleSix Simple Habits That Defeat AnxietySmall Penis Syndrome: Characteristics and Self-Help Treatment SuggestionsWhy People Might Use Anxiety to Avoid Depression: Part 3Why People Might Use Anxiety to Avoid Depression: Part 4Why People Might Use Anxiety to Avoid Depression: Part 5Wise Counsel Interview Transcript: An Interview with David Barlow, Ph.D. on the Nature and Treatment of Anxiety and Panic DisordersWise Counsel Interview Transcript: An Interview with Dr. Michelle Craske on Anxiety Disorders Research and TreatmentWise Counsel Interview Transcript: An Interview with Richard Heimberg, Ph.D. on Anxiety Research and TreatmentWise Counsel Interview Transcript: An Interview with Steven Phillipson, Ph.D. on the Nature and Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Latest News Depression, Anxiety May Raise Odds of ObesityTroubled Minds Can Mean Wider WaistlinesSoothe Back-to-School Anxiety, Teach Kids to RelaxClassification of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder DebatableHealth Tip: Signs That You May Have Obsessive-Compulsive DisorderInsomnia and Anxiety May Be Genetically LinkedStudy Challenges Link Between Panic Attacks, PTSDBehavioral Therapy Improves Anxiety Symptoms in ElderlyGirls' Anti-Social Behavior Predictive of Later DepressionAntidepressant Eases Anxiety in Older AdultsSerotonin Transporter Gene Tied to Social AnxietyPanic Disorder Linked to Higher Risk of Heart DiseaseAnxiety News Feeds Questions and Answers I'm Afraid I'm Going CrazyPost Brain Surgery Mental ProblemsWould Medication Help? obsessive strange thoughts about life and existentialismAm I Crazy?Is it Anxiety? Is it Normal to Be Like That?Depressed 19 year old college studentDepression helps to contribute to my unemployment! - Paula Relationship Anxiety Disconnected Blog Entries Taking a Mindful Path Through ShynessYou vs. Procrastination: 1 (Mindful) Secret to Winning the BattleFreedom from Your Anxious MindAre You Wired to Worry? 3 Common Mistakes People Make When Working with InsomniaThere is No Such Thing as ADDWhat You Need to Know to Help Heal Insomnia Overcoming School Anxiety: An Interview with Diane Peters MayerHoardingAn Interview with Gail Steketee, PhD, on Hoarding and OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)In a Falling Economy, Trust Your Gut Or Reason? Avoidant Personality Disorder and Social PhobiaDo You Have a Shy Bladder? UpdatedWhat Every Parent Should Know About School Anxiety5 Steps to Emotional Freedom: Placebo or Panacea?Couples Therapy for Robert and Julia (Romeo and Juliet)Anxiety as a Defense Against Depression: Part 7Can Anxiety Be a Good Thing? Anxiety as a Defense Against Depression: Part 6Why People Might Use Anxiety to Avoid Depression: Part 5Why People Might Use Anxiety to Avoid Depression: Part 4Why People Might Use Anxiety to Avoid Depression: Part 3Why People Might Use Anxiety to Avoid Depression: Part 2Why People Might Use Anxiety to Avoid Depression: What We Can Learn From a Wartime ExperienceI Blush, Therefore I...Feeling Stuck with Anxiety or Depression? Try this Today! Catastrophizing Controlling Your Life: 3 Steps to Break FreeNew A&E Series Explores Anxiety DisordersRejection, Why Does It Hurt So Much?An Interview with Steven Phillipson, Ph.D. on the Nature and Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)Anxiety, Stress and Depresion in Light of the RecessionTherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder – building a life instead of digging up the past?Young Yet Sad: The Social PhobicHow trying to avoid your fear, anxiety, and panic keeps it knocking on your doorCatastrophizing Illness: Mind and Body RevisitedAn Interview with Victoria Lemle Beckner, Ph.D. on Treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)Small Penis Syndrome: Characteristics and Self-Help Treatment SuggestionsSocial Phobia and Self Concept and the BrainAn Interview with Frank Ochberg, MD on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)TIME OUT! 2 Things you can practice today to stave off anxiety and depression in this hectic time. Shy Bladder Syndrome (Paruresis): Getting HelpAn Interview with Edna Foa, Ph.D. on the Nature and Treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)Going to the Dentist: Fears and PhobiasStuff, Why Is It So Difficult to Part With?An Interview with Michelle Craske, Ph.D. on Anxiety Disorders Research and TreatmentBlenophobia, The Fear of NeedlesDo You Have a Shy Bladder?Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Plagued by DoubtPost Traumatic Stress Disorder and Iraqi VeteransPsychotherapy and Murder in New York: Should We All Stay Home?An Interview with David H. Barlow Ph.D. on the Nature and Treatment of Anxiety and Panic DisordersWorried SickAn Interview with Richard Heimberg, Ph.D. on Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Social Anxiety Disorder Research and TreatmentTreating PTSD, Part TwoNational Stress Øut WeekHalloween...Fear With A PurposePTSD treatment readiness and the looming Iraq war PTSD bubbleParent's Anxiety Disorders And Children's AdjustmentAn Anxiety Disorder: Small Penis SyndromeCollege and Mental Health Problems, They Go TogetherSeparation Anxiety DisorderRecognizing emotion gets harder or easier depending on your moodThe Story of A Psychiatric Service Dog TeamEarly verbal abuse results in more adult depressionOn Being A PerfectionistChronic cortisol exposure causes mood disordersTreating PTSD with Beta-BlockersDavid Beckham has OCDCortisol May Be an Anxiety TreatmentGenetic contribution to OCD may have been identified Videos Top 10 Phobias VideoAll About Fears and Phobias VideoSpotting the Signs of Stress VideoAnxiety Overview VideoFighting Fears and Phobias VideoMedication for Fears and Phobias VideoSocial Anxiety Disorder VideoAgoraphobia VideoCognitive Behavioral Treatments for Phobias VideoAlternative Treatments for Phobias VideoAnxiety and OCD VideoChildhood Phobias and Anxieties VideoGenerlized Anxiety Disorder VideoPanic Disorder VideoPost-Traumatic Stress Disorder VideoIf I Had - A Child With Sudden Mood or Anxiety Symptoms Video Overcoming AnxietyTransient vs. Persistent Anxiety in ChildrenTreatments for Pediatric AnxietyIdentifying Childhood AnxietyOvercoming Fear of HeightsGeneralized Anxiety DisorderToo Scared: Social Anxiety DisorderObsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) VideoPanic Disorders VideoPhobias Video Links [3] Articles[3] Associations[5] Community[2] Government[25] Information[2] Journals[2] Research[2] Self-Help[2] Tutorials[26] Videos[2] Personal Experiences[7] Blogs[2] Podcasts Book Reviews A Brief History of AnxietyAnxietyAnxiety, Phobias, and PanicBeen There, Done That? DO THIS!Calm Beneath the WavesGetting ControlHelping Students Overcome Depression and AnxietyJust CheckingOvercoming School AnxietyPanic DisorderPassing for NormalPhobic and Anxiety Disorders in Children and AdolescentsRepressed SpacesSelf-CoachingStressStress Survival GuideTextbook of Anxiety DisordersThe Age of AnxietyThe Anxieties of AffluenceThe Male Stress Survival GuideThe Places That Scare YouThe Stress CureTreating Affect PhobiaUnder Pressure and OverwhelmedWhen Words Are Not EnoughWish I Could Be ThereYoga Journal's Yoga for Stress Self-Help Groups BPSO (Bipolar Significant Others Bulletin Board)

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Everybody knows what it's like to feel anxious -- the butterflies in your stomach before a first date, the tension you feel when your boss is angry, and the way your heart pounds if you're in danger. Anxiety rouses you to action. It gears you up to face a threatening situation. It makes you study harder for that exam, and keeps you on your toes when you're making a speech. In general, it helps you cope.

But if you have an anxiety disorder , this normally helpful emotion can do just the opposite -- it can keep you from coping and can disrupt your daily life. There are several types of anxiety disorders, each with their own distinct features.

An anxiety disorder may make you feel anxious most of the time, without any apparent reason. Or the anxious feelings may be so uncomfortable that to avoid them you may stop some everyday activities. Or you may have occasional bouts of anxiety so intense they terrify and immobilize you.

Anxiety disorders are the most common of all the mental health disorders. Considered in the category of anxiety disorders are: Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia, Social Phobia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Specific Phobia, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Acute Stress Disorder. Anxiety disorders as a whole cost the United States between 42-46 billion dollars a year in direct and indirect healthcare costs, which is a third of the yearly total mental health bill of 148 billion dollars. In the United States, social phobia is the most common anxiety disorder with approximately 5.3 million people per year suffering from it. Approximately 5.2 million people per year suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Estimates for panic disorder range between 3 to 6 million people per year, an anxiety disorder that twice as many women suffer from as men. Specific phobias affect more than 1 out of every 10 people with the prevalence for women being slightly higher than for men. Obsessive Compulsive disorder affects about every 2 to 3 people out of 100, with women and men being affected equally.

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Many people still carry the misperception that anxiety disorders are a character flaw, a problem that happens because you are weak. They say, "Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps!" and "You just have a case of the nerves." Wishing the symptoms away does not work -- but there are treatments that can help.
Anxiety disorders and panic attacks are not signs of a character flaw. Most importantly, feeling anxious is not your fault. It is a serious mood disorder, which affects a person's ability to function in every day activities. It affects one's work, one's family, and one's social life.

Today, much more is known about the causes and treatment of this mental health problem. We know that there are biological and psychological components to every anxiety disorder and that the best form of treatment is a combination of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy interventions. Depending upon the severity of the anxiety, medication is used in combination with psychotherapy. Contrary to the popular misconceptions about anxiety disorders today, it is not a purely biochemical or medical disorder.

There are as many potential causes of anxiety disorders as there are people who suffer from them. Family history and genetics play a part in the greater likelihood of someone getting an anxiety disorder in their lifetime. Increased stress and inadequate coping mechanisms to deal with that stress may also contribute to anxiety. Anxiety symptoms can result from such a variety of factors including having had a traumatic experience, having to face major decisions in a one's life, or having developed a more fearful perspective on life. Anxiety caused by medications or substance or alcohol abuse is not typically recognized as an anxiety disorder.

We have developed the information here to act as a comprehensive guide to help you better understand anxiety disorders and find out more information about them on your own. Choose from among the categories at left to begin your journey into recovery from this treatable disorder.

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