What is anxiety?

Everyone feels anxious from time to time. In fact, experts say, in most instances, feelings of anxiety are a normal response to stress.¹ But for some 40 million adults in the United States living with anxiety disorders, the condition can escalate to intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear² that may affect many aspects of their lives including work, school, and relationships.³

Anxiety disorders include:^{4, 5, 6, 7}

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), which often presents with other anxiety disorders or depression. It involves persistent, excessive, and uncontrollable fear or worry about activities or events, even routine ones. A person diagnosed with GAD may find it difficult to control worry for at least six months and has three or more symptoms. (See What are the symptoms of anxiety?)
• Panic Disorder, an anxiety condition characterized by unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms that may include chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, or abdominal distress. People with panic disorder have frequent and unexpected panic attacks, which are sudden periods of intense fear, discomfort, or sense of losing control even when there is no clear danger or trigger. Not everyone who experiences a panic attack will develop panic disorder.
• Social anxiety disorder (social phobia), involves high levels of anxiety and fear surrounding social situations. Feelings of embarrassment, self-consciousness, or concern about being viewed negatively by others may lead the person to avoid social situations altogether.
• Separation anxiety disorder, a childhood condition where a youngster has developed excessive anxiety related to being separated from a parent or parental figure.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Repetitive behaviors such as hand washing, counting, checking, or cleaning incessantly are often performed to prevent obsessive thoughts or make them go away. While not performing these “rituals” may significantly increase anxiety, engaging in them often only provides temporary relief.
• Specific phobias, which are characterized by major anxiety over specific situations or objects and a desire to avoid them. In some cases, phobias can provoke panic attacks.