Anxiety Disorder Is A Common Mental Illness

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Filed under: Anxiety And Panic Disorders 

According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, anxiety is the most common mental illness in America, with nearly 20% of the adult population affected. Woman are twice as likely to experience life disrupting general anxiety disorder, GAD, and specific phobias than men are, however the numbers for those suffering with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are equal for the sexes.

It is interesting to note that approximately 1/3 of all adult sufferers of anxiety disorders had experienced some symptoms when they were children. Women also hold the dubious honor of being far more likely to experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and twice as likely to suffer with Panic Disorders. In these studies it is noted that childhood sexual abuse is often a precursor for PTSD, and regardless of the age of the attack, rape will trigger PTSD in 65% of the men and almost 46% of the woman who experienced it.

We all face anxiety producing events in our daily lives, beginning when we were an infant and we realized our mother had left the room. From that day on the stress in our lives continues to be experienced, overcome, and the knowledge of our successes helps us move on to the next challenge.

The child goes to school for the first day and both the parents and the child are anxious. The first sleepover, away camp, learning to drive, and going away to college are all important milestones that can cause normal anxiety in the parties involved, even though there may well be an undercurrent of excitement, also.

For adults, the list for potentially stressful situations is virtually endless. Losing a job, serious debt, awaiting medical test results, the imminent death of a loved one are just a few. All of these and more are legitimate causes for anxiety. It is only when the anxiety becomes the defining factor in a person’s life, dictating their every move in some cases, that it is time to seek professional help. If the fears are no longer based in logic, if the affected person’s daily life is seriously diminished, and if no amount of reassurance will ease their fears, it is time to obtain an evaluation from a mental health professional.

There should be no stigma associated with seeking help with for mental health concerns. It is no different than hypertension or diabetes, in that, left untreated will severely impact the suffering person’s ability to interact with their family, friends and co workers, and possibly escalate to where the affected person is unable to even leave their home.

When basic daily functioning is impacted by the anxiety disorder, and the ability to enjoy life is disrupted, a family member may need to seek advice on how to best encourage their loved one to obtain necessary help. The need for this intervention is a vital one. An anxiety disorder left untreated can easily escalate to include other mental health concerns, including depression and suicidal thoughts.

As dismal as this may all sound, help is readily available, and cost or lack of insurance does not need to be a factor. Resources for help are as close as the phone book or the computer, and many state and county mental health clinics accept sliding payments based on ability to pay.

J. Lloyd
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/anxiety-disorder-is-a-common-mental-illness-139150.html

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Comments

5 Comments on Anxiety Disorder Is A Common Mental Illness

  1. laurarara on Fri, 30th Apr 2010 5:11 pm

    2. Yes, plenty of people.

    I read somewhere that a quarter of people have a mental illness at some point in their lives.

    That leaves 75% illness-free.
    References :

  2. scrgrl on Fri, 30th Apr 2010 5:13 pm

    3. Dyslexia isn’t a mental illness.
    References :

  3. eveninggoddess420 on Fri, 30th Apr 2010 5:15 pm

    4. Dyslexia is totally not a mental illness..

    But to answer your question..I do think there are people who will never suffer from a mental illness.
    For instance, there is depression. Which is an illness.
    Then, there is just feeling depressed.
    Two very different things.
    The first one, affects your life in a dramatic way.
    It is difficult to shake off.
    The second, just feeling depressed, can go away with a change in a persons situation.

    And I also don’t think clinical depression should be referred to as the common cold of mental illness.
    It’s not as easy to treat as acommon cold.
    More persistent..
    References :

  4. american girl on Fri, 30th Apr 2010 5:17 pm

    5. There are many people who don’t and never will have a psychiatric diagnosis. There is nothing about their behavior that interferes with them functioning in an appropriate way.
    References :

  5. tangerine on Sat, 1st May 2010 1:09 am

    6. Is there really such a person as someone who has never had and never will have any sort of mental illness?
    It seems that just about everybody qualifies for a diagnosis of some sort of mental disorder. And some disorders are really common, too. For example, millions of people suffer from clinical depression, and it’s even been called the "common cold of mental illnesses". And come to think of it, an awful lot of people have also been diagnosed with other disorders, such as ADHD, anxiety, dyslexia, and bipolar disorder. Is there anyone in the world who never has had and never will have some sort of mental illness or mental disorder?

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