-
Worried Sick
Living with Anxiety
Disorders
Anxiety
is
an
uneasy
feeling
that
something
may
harm
you
or
a
loved
one.
This
feeling
can
be
norm
al
and
sometimes
even
helpful.
If
you’re
starting
a
new job or taking a test, it might make you more
alert and ready for
action.
But
sometimes
anxiety
can
linger
or
become
overwhelming.
When
it
gets
in
the
way
of
good
health
and
peace
of
mind,
it’s
called
an
anxiety
disorder.
If you have an anxiety disorder, you’re
not alone. Each year, tens of
millions
of Americans of all ages suffer from long-term
anxiety. Among
children, anxiety
disorders are the most common form of mental
illness
—
one they
may carry into adulthood.
“Everybody
has anxiety,” says Dr. Daniel Pine, an NIH
neuroscientist
and
psychiatrist.
“The
tricky
part
is
how
to
tell
the
difference
between
normal and abnormal
anxiety.”
For
those
with
anxiety
disorders,
fears,
worries
and
anxieties
can
cause
so much distress that
they interfere with daily life. The anxiety grows
out of proportion to the stressful
situation or occurs when there is no
real danger.
Anxiety
activates the body’s stress response. Nearly all
the cells,
tissues and organs in your
body go on high-alert. This stress response
can
wear
your
body
down
over
time.
People
with
chronic
(long-term)
anxiety
have
a
higher
risk
of
both
physical
and
mental
health
problems.
Some
people
visit
their
doctors
because
of
headaches,
racing
heart
or
other
physical
complaints
without
realizing
that
these
symptoms
may
be
connected
to
how
anxious they feel.
NIH-
funded
researchers
are
working
to
learn
more
about
anxiety
disorders.
They
have
discovered
that
these
conditions
are
caused
by
some
combination
of
your
genes
and
your
environment.
However,
the
precise
events
that
lead
to
anxiety
disorders
are
still
unknown.
Scientists
are
also
searching
for
better ways to diagnose, prevent and
treat these conditions.
There are
several kinds of anxiety disorders. The major
types include:
Phobias
.
Intense,
irrational
fears
triggered
by
things
that
pose
little
or no
real danger, such as heights, dogs or spiders.
Among the anxiety
disorders, specific
phobias are the most common.
Social
anxiety
disorder
.
Leads
to
extreme
anxiety
and
self-
consciousness
in everyday social
situations. Also known as social phobia.
Post-traumatic stress
disorder
. Caused by trauma. This
condition leads
to
flashbacks,
nightmares
and
insomnia.
Often
accompanied
by
depression
or
substance
abuse, post-
traumatic
stress
disorder
can
occur
at
any
age,
including childhood.
Generalized
anxiety
disorder
.
Excessive
worry
about
a
variety
of
everyday
problems.
Panic
disorder
.
Sudden
attacks
of
terror
accompanied
by
physical
symptoms
that
may
include
heart
palpitations,
shortness
of
breath,
dizziness,
or
abdominal
distress.
Panic
disorder
is
one
of
the
most
treatable
of
anxiety
disorders.
Obsessive-compulsive
disorder
. Persistent, upsetting
thoughts
(obsessions) and repetitive
rituals (compulsions), like hand washing,
counting, checking or cleaning. These
behaviors are done in the hope of
preventing the thoughts or making them
go away.
Treatment for anxiety
disorders usually includes both medication and
cognitive
behavioral
therapy
(CBT).
CBT
is
a
form
of
talk
therapy.
It
helps
people
change
both
the
thinking
patterns
that
support
their
fears
and
the
way they react to anxiety-provoking
situations. Current treatments can
be
highly effective for most people.
Dr.
Denise Chavira, a psychologist at the University
of California, San
Diego,
works
with
anxious
youth
in
underserved,
rural
areas.
Her
team
is
studying
ways
to
make
CBT
more
accessible
to
these
children,
who
may
have
trouble getting to
therapy sessions. To help make up for the lack of
in-person
contact,
the
researchers
are
examining
telephone
and
self-help