Anxiety, which may be understood as the pathological counterpart of normal fear, is manifest by disturbances of mood, as well as of thinking, behavior, and physiological activity.
The anxiety disorders are the most common, or frequently occurring, mental disorders. Research shows that up to one in four adults has an anxiety disorder sometime in their life, and that one person in 10 is likely to have had an anxiety disorder in the past year.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problem in women, and are second only to substance use disorders in men. Hospitalization rates for anxiety disorders in general hospitals are twice as high among women as among men.
Anxiety is the body’s response to stress and danger. These modern ‘dangers’ are many and can be anything from a heavy work load at job to family conflicts, aggressive drivers or money troubles.
Anxiety disorder
