Plain Talk about Anxiety:

What is an Anxiety Disorder?

Everybody knows what it's like to feel anxious--the butterflies in your stomach before a first date, the tension you feel when your boss is angry, and the way your heart pounds if you're in danger. Anxiety rouses you to action. It gears you up to face a threatening situation. It makes you study harder for that exam, and keeps you on your toes when you're making a speech. In general, it helps you cope.

 But if you have an anxiety disorder, this normally helpful emotion can do just the opposite--it can keep you from coping and can disrupt your daily life. Anxiety disorders aren't just a case of "nerves." They are illnesses, often related to the biological makeup and life experiences of the individual, and they frequently run in families. There are several types of anxiety disorders, each with its own distinct features.

An anxiety disorder may make you feel anxious most of the time, without any apparent reason. Or the anxious feelings may be so uncomfortable that to avoid them you may stop some everyday activities. Or you may have occasional bouts of anxiety so intense they terrify and immobilize you.

Many people misunderstand these disorders and think individuals should be able to overcome the symptoms by sheer willpower. Wishing the symptoms away does not work--but there are treatments that can help.

 This report gives brief explanations of generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder (which is sometimes accompanied by agoraphobia), specific phobias, social phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. 

If you or someone you know is suffering with anxiety, please get help before the condition worsens. 

More about Anxiety:

Symptoms of Persistent Anxiety

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Panic Disorder

Phobias

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

How to Get Help for Anxiety Disorders

Online Anxiety Test 

Recommended Books on Anxiety

Ways to Combat Burnout 

Perfectionism 

Acute Stress Disorder

Afraid to Speak

As many as one-third of Americans suffer extreme anxiety when asked to make a speech.  Ten percent of sufferers say such worries interfere with their work.  Many people can overcome their fears by learning behavior-modification techniques from a professional counselor. 

Suggested Workbook

 
The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook

The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook is a practical and comprehensive guide that offers help to anyone struggling with panic attacks, agoraphobia, social fears, generalized anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, or other anxiety disorders. (Non-religious).
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Counseling for Anxiety in the Orlando Area