Anxiety Disorders

Extract of article from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately 19 million American adults.¹ These disorders fill people's lives with overwhelming anxiety and fear. Unlike the relatively mild, brief anxiety caused by a stressful event such as a business presentation or a first date, anxiety disorders are chronic, relentless, and can grow progressively worse if not treated.

Effective treatments for anxiety disorders are available, and research is yielding new, improved therapies 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.

Each anxiety disorder has its own distinct features, but they are all bound together by the common theme of excessive, irrational fear and dread.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) supports scientific investigation into the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of anxiety disorders and other mental illnesses. The NIMH mission is to reduce the burden of mental illness through research on mind, brain, and behavior. NIMH is a component of the National Institutes of Health, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

References

¹Narrow WE, Rae DS, Regier DA. NIMH epidemiology note: prevalence of anxiety disorders. One-year prevalence best estimates calculated from ECA and NCS data. Population estimates based on U.S. Census estimated residential population age 18 to 54 on July 1, 1998. Unpublished.

See Also

Treatment of Anxiety Disorders - NIMH

Treatment of Anxiety Disorders using Medication - NIMH

Treatment of Anxiety Disorders using Psychotherapy - NIMH

Role of Research in Improving the Understanding and Treatment of Anxiety Disorders - NIMH

How to get help for anxiety disorders - NIMH

Document Ref: E005
Date Added: 19-Apr-05
Source: National Institute of Mental Health (Extract from NIMH Publication No. 3879)

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Treatment of Anxiety Disorders - NIMH

Treatment of Anxiety Disorders using Medication - NIMH

Treatment of Anxiety Disorders using Psychotherapy - NIMH

Role of Research in Improving the Understanding and Treatment of Anxiety Disorders - NIMH

How to get help for anxiety disorders - NIMH

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