We all know what an attack of anxiety feels like. Your heart pounds before a big presentation or a tough exam. You get butterflies in your stomach during a blind date. You worry and fret over family problems or feel jittery at the prospect of asking the boss for a raise. These are all natural reactions. However, if worries, fears, or anxiety attacks seem overwhelming and are preventing you from living your life the way you'd like to, you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder.
Fortunately, there are many anxiety treatments and self-help strategies that can help you reduce your anxiety symptoms and take back control of your life.
In This Article:
Understanding anxiety disorders
Anxiety signs and symptoms
Anxiety attacks
Types of anxiety disorders
Self-help for anxiety
Professional help for anxiety
Anxiety treatment options
Related links
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Understanding anxiety disorders
It’s normal to worry and feel tense or scared when under pressure or facing a stressful situation. Anxiety is the body’s natural response to danger, an automatic alarm that goes off when you feel threatened.
Although it may be unpleasant, anxiety isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, anxiety can help you stay alert and focused, spur you to action, and motivate you to solve problems. But when anxiety is constant or overwhelming, when it interferes with your relationships and activities—that’s when you’ve crossed the line from normal anxiety into the territory of anxiety disorders.
Signs and symptoms of anxiety disorders
Because anxiety disorders are a group of related conditions rather than a single disorder, they can look very different from person to person. One individual may suffer from intense anxiety attacks that strike without warning, while another gets panicky at the thought of mingling at a party. Someone else may struggle with a disabling fear of driving, or uncontrollable, intrusive thoughts. Yet another may live in a constant state of tension, worrying about anything and everything.
Despite their different forms, all anxiety disorders share one major symptom: persistent or severe fear or worry in situations where most people wouldn’t feel threatened.
Treatment options for anxiety disorders
Anxiety disorders respond very well to treatment—and often in a relatively short amount of time. The specific treatment approach depends on the type of anxiety disorder and its severity. But in general, most anxiety disorders are treated with behavioral therapy, medication, or some combination of the two. New research has also revealed a number of beneficial complementary treatments for anxiety.
Fortunately, there are many anxiety treatments and self-help strategies that can help you reduce your anxiety symptoms and take back control of your life.
In This Article:
Understanding anxiety disorders
Anxiety signs and symptoms
Anxiety attacks
Types of anxiety disorders
Self-help for anxiety
Professional help for anxiety
Anxiety treatment options
Related links
Print this!Print AuthorsAuthors
Normal Text SizeLarger Text SizeLargest Text SizeText Size
Understanding anxiety disorders
It’s normal to worry and feel tense or scared when under pressure or facing a stressful situation. Anxiety is the body’s natural response to danger, an automatic alarm that goes off when you feel threatened.
Although it may be unpleasant, anxiety isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, anxiety can help you stay alert and focused, spur you to action, and motivate you to solve problems. But when anxiety is constant or overwhelming, when it interferes with your relationships and activities—that’s when you’ve crossed the line from normal anxiety into the territory of anxiety disorders.
Signs and symptoms of anxiety disorders
Because anxiety disorders are a group of related conditions rather than a single disorder, they can look very different from person to person. One individual may suffer from intense anxiety attacks that strike without warning, while another gets panicky at the thought of mingling at a party. Someone else may struggle with a disabling fear of driving, or uncontrollable, intrusive thoughts. Yet another may live in a constant state of tension, worrying about anything and everything.
Despite their different forms, all anxiety disorders share one major symptom: persistent or severe fear or worry in situations where most people wouldn’t feel threatened.
Treatment options for anxiety disorders
Anxiety disorders respond very well to treatment—and often in a relatively short amount of time. The specific treatment approach depends on the type of anxiety disorder and its severity. But in general, most anxiety disorders are treated with behavioral therapy, medication, or some combination of the two. New research has also revealed a number of beneficial complementary treatments for anxiety.
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