Journal of Psychiatry

Anxiety Disorders

An anxiety disorder is a serious mental illness. Anxiety disorders are the most common emotional disorders and affect more than 25 million Americans. Many forms and symptoms may include- overwhelming feelings of panic and fear, uncontrollable obsessive thoughts, Painful, intrusive memories, recurring nightmares and physical symptoms such as feeling sick to your stomach, “butterflies” in your stomach, heart pounding, startling easily, and muscle tension. Types of anxiety disorders are panic disorders and phobias.
There are several types of anxiety disorders including panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobias, and generalized anxiety disorder. Anxiety is a normal human emotion that everyone experiences at times. Many people feel anxious, or nervous when faced with a problem at work, before taking a test or making an important decision. Anxiety disorders, however, are different. They can cause such distress that it interferes with a person's ability to lead a normal life.