Anxiety Treatment ... Anxiety, Depression, Stress

Anxiety disorders encompass panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and phobias (social phobia, agoraphobia, and specific phobia).

Anxiety Facts and Statistics

Anxiety Symptoms

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Panic Disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Phobias - Agoraphobia, Social and Specific Phobia

Anxiety Disorders occurring with Other Illnesses

Anxiety Disorders - One Year Prevalence (Adults)

Anxiety Facts and Statistics

Approximately 19.1 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 13.3% of people in this age group in any given year, have an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety disorders frequently co-occur with depressive disorders, eating disorders, or substance abuse.

Many people suffer from more than one anxiety disorder.

Women are more likely than men to suffer from anxiety disorders. Approximately twice as many women as men suffer from panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, and specific phobia, though about equal numbers of women and men have obsessive-compulsive disorder and social phobia.

The most common mental health problem in the United States is Anxiety Disorders, which include panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias, and generalized anxiety disorder.

See more information on Depression Treatments, Anxiety Treatments, Stress Treatment

Anxiety Symptoms

Symptoms of anxiety related illnesses are varied depending on the individual and the severity of the disorder. The below list is a general guide to common symptoms of anxiety related disorders.

chest pain
heart palpitations
shortness of breath
dizziness
abdominal distress
feelings of nervousness
trembling
muscular tension
sweating
lightheadedness
flushing
nausea
urgency to urinate

See more information on Depression Treatments, Anxiety Treatments, Stress Treatment

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder where the sufferer feels compelled to spend a great deal of time doing things over and over again such as washing their hands, checking things, or counting things.

Most healthy people can identify with having some of the symptoms of OCD, such as checking the stove several times before leaving the house. But the disorder is diagnosed only when such activities consume at least an hour a day, are very distressing, and interfere with daily life.

OCD affects men and women equally. It can appear in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood, but on average, it first shows up in the teens or early adulthood.

Approximately 3.3 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 2.3 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have OCD.

The first symptoms of OCD often begin during childhood or adolescence.

See more information on Depression Treatments, Anxiety Treatments, Stress Treatment

Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder 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.

These sensations often mimic symptoms of a heart attack or other life-threatening medical conditions. Left untreated, people with panic disorder can develop so many phobias about places or situations where panic attacks have occurred that they become housebound.

Approximately 2.4 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 1.7 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have panic disorder.

Panic disorder typically develops in late adolescence or early adulthood.

About 1 in 3 people with panic disorder develop agoraphobia, a condition in which they become afraid of being in any place or situation where escape might be difficult or help unavailable in the event of a panic attack.

See more information on Depression Treatments, Anxiety Treatments, Stress Treatment

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

PTSD may develop from a terrifying event or ordeal that a person has experienced, witnessed or learned about, especially one that is life-thretening or causes physical harm. This traumatic experience causes the person to feel intense fear, horror or a sense of helplessness. The stress caused by trauma can affect all aspects of a person's life including mental, emotional and physical well being.

During any given year, 5.2 million Americans will exhibit the symptoms of PTSD. That's about 3.6 percent of American adults aged 18 to 54.

PTSD can develop at any age, including childhood.

Nearly everyone who is exposed to an extremely frightening situation is affected by the experience. PTSD is diagnosed only if the symptoms last more than a month.

Alcohol abuse is the most common symptom of PTSD in men, occurring in 51.9 percent of those with the disorder.

Depression is the most common symptom among female PTSD sufferers, being diagnosed in 48.5 percent of cases.

The overall likelihood of an American developing PTSD is 7.8 percent for men and 10.4 percent for women.

See more information on Depression Treatments, Anxiety Treatments, Stress Treatment

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

The essential feature is anxiety, which is generalized and persistent but not restricted to, or even strongly predominating in, any particular environmental circumstances. As in other anxiety disorders the dominant symptoms are highly variable, but complaints of continuous feelings of nervousness, trembling, muscular tension, sweating, lightheadedness, palpitations, dizziness, and epigastric discomfort are common.

Approximately 4.0 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 2.8 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have GAD.

GAD can begin across the life cycle, though the risk is highest between childhood and middle age.

GAD is more common in women, and often related to chronic environmental stress. Its course is variable but tends to be fluctuating and chronic.

Sufferers often express fears that they will (or a relative will) shortly become ill or have an accident, together with a variety of other worries.

See more information on Depression Treatments, Anxiety Treatments, Stress Treatment

Phobias - Agoraphobia, Social and Specific Phobia

Agoraphobia involves intense fear and avoidance of any place or situation where escape might be difficult or help unavailable in the event of developing sudden panic-like symptoms. Although the severity of the anxiety and the extent of avoidance behavior are variable, this is the most incapacitating of the phobic disorders and some sufferers become completely housebound.

Approximately 3.2 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 2.2 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have agoraphobia.

Sufferers report a variety of fears including entering shops, crowds, and public places, or of traveling alone in trains, buses, or planes.

Social Phobia involves a fear of social situations and is usually associated with low self-esteem and fear of criticism. Sufferers may display symptoms of flushing, hand tremor, nausea, or urgency to urinate which may progress to panic attacks. Avoidance is often marked, and in extreme cases may result in virtually complete social isolation.

Approximately 5.3 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 3.7 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have social phobia.

Social phobia typically begins in childhood or adolescence and are based around a fear of scrutiny by other people, leading to avoidance of social situations.

Social phobias are equally common in men and women.

Individual fears may be discrete like eating in public places, public speaking, or encounters with the opposite sex while others are diffuse, involving almost all social situations outside the family circle.

Specific Phobia involves marked and persistent fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation including heights, flying, darkness, thunder, closed spaces, using public toilets, dentistry, the sight of blood or injury, or the fear of exposure to specific diseases. Contact with the trigger situation can evoke panic, the seriousness of which depends on how easy it is for the sufferer to avoid the phobic situation.

Approximately 6.3 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 4.4 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have some type of specific phobia.

Specific phobias usually arise in childhood or early adult life and can persist for decades if they remain untreated.

See more information on Depression Treatments, Anxiety Treatments, Stress Treatment

Anxiety Disorders Occurring with Other Illnesses

It is common for an anxiety disorder to accompany depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, or another anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders can also co-exist with illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, thyroid conditions, and migraine headaches. In such instances, the accompanying disorders will also need to be treated.

See more information on Depression Treatments, Anxiety Treatments, Stress Treatment

Anxiety Disorders - One Year Prevalence (Adults)

Percent

Population Estimate*
(Millions)

Any Anxiety Disorder

13.3%

23.4

Panic Disorder

1.7%

2.9

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

2.3%

4.0

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

3.6%

6.3

Any Phobia

8.0%

14.1

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

2.8%

4.9

* Based on 2003 U.S. Census resident population estimate of 176.4 million, age 18-64

The annual cost of anxiety disorders to society is estimated to be $42.3 Billion. More than half of these costs are due to repeat use of healthcare services to relieve anxiety related symptoms that mimic those of other physical conditions. Hence those individuals who suffer anxiety disorders are all too often misdiagnosed.

Anxiety disorders are all real medical illnesses and are often related to the biological makeup and life experiences of the individual, and they frequently run in families.

Unfortunately, misconceptions about mental illnesses like anxiety disorders still exist. Because many people believe mental illness is a sign of personal weakness, the condition is often trivialized and is left untreated.

See more information on Depression Treatments, Anxiety Treatments, Stress Treatment