Questions about a Disorder?
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety can be defined as worry or apprehension about bad things that could potentially happen in the future. While everyone has some anxiety at times, an anxiety disorder is excessive and irrational worry that affects a person's everyday functioning in a negative way.
Everyday ups and downs are just more challenging when you have an anxiety disorder and it can cause problems with your work and home life as well as your social life. Anxiety disorders cause excessive stress and worry not only to the person themselves but also to the people around them. Living with someone who has an anxiety disorder is a challenge in itself.
Everyday ups and downs are just more challenging when you have an anxiety disorder and it can cause problems with your work and home life as well as your social life. Anxiety disorders cause excessive stress and worry not only to the person themselves but also to the people around them. Living with someone who has an anxiety disorder is a challenge in itself.
Anxiety disorders are more common than you might think - they affect about 40 million American adults age 18 years and older per year. Unlike the relatively mild and brief anxiety caused by a stressful event (such as speaking in public or taking a test), anxiety disorders cause excessive fearfulness and uncertainty, they last at least 6 months and can get worse if they are not treated.
Anxiety disorders commonly occur along with other mental or physical illnesses, including alcohol or substance abuse, which may hide anxiety symptoms or make them worse. In some cases, these other illnesses need to be treated before a person will respond to treatment for the anxiety disorder.
Treatment is available to help people overcome their problems with anxiety. Effective therapies for anxiety disorders are available and can help most people with anxiety disorders lead productive, fulfilling lives. If you think you have an anxiety disorder, you can find out by taking our anxiety questionnaire.
SUB-DISORDERS
There are several types of anxiety disorders including:
- Panic disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Social phobia (or social anxiety disorder)
- Specific phobias
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
Each anxiety disorder has different features, but all the symptoms cluster around excessive, irrational fear and dread that something bad will happen. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is also classified as a type of anxiety disorder but it is discussed elsewhere on our website.
Types of Anxiety Disorders:
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Panic Disorder — Panic disorder is anxiety disorder that produces real physical symptoms.
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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) — Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops after a terrifying experience that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm.
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Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety Disorder) — Social phobia, also called social anxiety disorder, is diagnosed when people become extremely anxious and fearful in everyday social situations.
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Specific Phobias — A specific phobia is an intense, irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger.
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Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) — People with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) worry constantly, even though there is little or nothing to worry about.
Diagnosis
There is no specific diagnostic test for anxiety disorders. Your doctor or mental health professional will ask you questions about your symptoms and your past history. There are no blood tests that will diagnose anxiety but some tests may be done to rule out physical causes of your symptoms. Imaging studies such as X-Rays, CT scans or MRI tests are rarely needed.
Some types of anxiety tend to run in families so you may be asked about your family history in addition to your own personal symptoms. Psychological testing may be recommended to help determine whether you have other problems such as depression or personality disorder.
Learn more about Anxiety Diagnosis
Questionnaire
This simple questionnaire is designed to help you determine if you have symptoms of anxiety and could benefit from professional help.
Therapy
Developed in collaboration with Dr. Arthur P. Ciaramicoli, Ed.D., Ph.D., SoundMindz Senior Advisor, the Anxiety Therapy Program is specifically designed to take advantage of the latest Internet technologies available to help you manage and control your anxieties effectively. You will access techniques and therapeutic exercises on-demand and be able to record and view your progress.
By integrating an online workbook, with videos, a daily journal, a mobile app and supporting content, you will have access to the best therapeutic practices to manage your anxieties. We strongly recommend using all the available components in order to receive the full benefit of the program.
Medications for Anxiety
Many types of anxiety disorders improve when treated with certain antidepressants, such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).
Progress Tracker
Track your anxiety symptoms to identify patterns and help with your treatment plan. Our progress tracker can be printed out or even shared with your healthcare professional electronically.
Progress tracking for anxiety
Anxiety Questionnaire
This simple questionnaire is designed to help you determine if you have symptoms of anxiety and could benefit from professional help.