PSYCHOLOGICAL ANXIETY DISORDER

“Mental illness is real, mental illness is common and mental illness is treatable!”

Mental illness, like physical illnesses, is on a continuum of severity.  More than 60  million Americans have a mental illness in any given year, although very few actually seek treatment.  The statistic most often quoted is that one in four adults and one in five children will have a mental health disorder at some point in their lives.  The stigma associated with mental illness is still the biggest barrier that prevents people from getting treatment or retaining their treatment.

ANXIETY DISORDER

All of us encounter anxiety in many forms throughout the course of our routine activities.  However, the mechanisms that regulate anxiety may break down in a wide variety of circumstances, leading to excessive or inappropriate expressions of anxiety.  An anxiety disorder may exist if the anxiety experienced is disproportionate to the circumstance, is difficult for the individual to control, or interferes with normal functioning.

More than 19 million American adults are affected by an anxiety disorder.  Children and adolescents also develop anxiety disorders.  People with anxiety disorders also have other physical or mental disorders such as:  depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, cancer or heart disease as examples.

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