Anxiety

Anxiety is a normal coping behavior in reaction to both positive events (eustress; e.g., marriage, new child, promotion) and negative events (distress; financial pressures, relationship problems). When anxiety becomes an excessive, irrational, or resulting in dread due to being overwhelmed by normal and abnormal events, it can become a disabling disorder. There are six major categories of anxiety disorders:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Panic Disorder
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety Disorder)
•  Specific Phobias

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 18% (over 40 million) of adults over age 18 are affected by anxiety disorders each year. (download NIMH Brochure on Anxiety Disorders, 224K pdf)

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a diagnosable mental illness involving excessive worry about daily life (family, health, work) even when there are no current problems or signs of imminent trouble. Many report physical symptoms like tension, vague aches and pains, headaches for no reason, and feeling tired most of the time without having worrisome thoughts. Being worried at times is normal and expected. But if you stay worried, think or fear the worst will happen to you or someone else, and cannot relax, then GAD may be the culprit.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive compulsive disorder is characterized by complaints of persistent or repetitive thoughts (obsessions) or behaviors (compulsions). The person feels compelled to continue despite an awareness that the thoughts or behaviors may be excessive or inappropriate, and feels distress if they stop them. This is in contrast to "addictive" behaviors which produce pleasure or gratification.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)