Overview: Anxiety Disorders

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Anxiety is a common and normal reaction to stressful events. Anxiety disorders are when the worrying becomes excessive and impairs normal functioning. Both the intensity and the frequency of the anxiety become difficult to manage. There are many illnesses that fall under the category of anxiety disorders. Listed below are a few examples of these disorders and their symptoms.

Anxiety disorders commonly go hand in hand with depression and other psychiatric disorders. As with the other illnesses, it is best to treat anxiety as early as possible to prevent further damage to the brain.


Generalized anxiety disorder:

  • Feeling restless, wound-up, or on-edge

  • Being easily fatigued

  • Having difficulty concentrating; mind going blank

  • Being irritable

  • Having muscle tension

  • Difficulty controlling feelings of worry

  • Having sleep problems, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, restlessness, or unsatisfying sleep


Panic attacks:

  • Heart palpitations, a pounding heartbeat, or an accelerated heart rate

  • Sweating

  • Trembling or shaking

  • Sensations of shortness of breath, smothering, or choking

  • Feelings of impending doom

  • Feelings of being out of control


Phobias: Intense, excessive fears of objects or situations. Some examples of phobias include the fear of:

  • Flying

  • Heights

  • Specific animals, such as spiders, dogs, or snakes

  • Receiving injections

  • Blood


Social Anxiety Disorder:

  • Intense fear of, or anxiety toward social or performance situations.

  • Fear that one’s actions or behaviors will be negatively evaluated by others.

  • Excessive fears of being embarrassed by others.

  • Avoidance of social situations due to the fears listed above.


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Overview: Depression