What are Anxiety Disorders?

Answer

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. It helps one deal with a tense situation in the office, study harder for an exam, keep focused on an important speech. In general, it helps one cope. But when anxiety becomes an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, it has become a disabling disorder.

Learn More:

• Anxiety Disorders (National Institutes of Mental Health)
• Women's Mental Health: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) (WomensHealth.gov)
• Anxiety Disorder (PDQ®) (National Cancer Institute)
• Children's Mental Health Facts: Children and Adolescents with Anxiety Disorders (SAMHSA)

Last Updated: 5/7/2008