Anxiety

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. It helps one deal with a tense situation, for example, a challenge in the office, studying harder for an exam, or keeping focused when delivering an important speech.

In general, a mild sense of anxiety can help one cope.

But when anxiety becomes an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, it has become a disabling disorder.

Five major types of anxiety disorders are:

* Generalized Anxiety Disorder
* Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
* Panic Disorder
* Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
* Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety Disorder)

Treatment

Effective treatments for anxiety disorders are available, and research is yielding new, improved therapies that can help most people with anxiety disorders lead productive, fulfilling lives.

In this topic area, we will discuss some of the common treatments for anxiety disorder.