So what exactly is meant by, "anxiety disorder"?!

So what exactly is meant by, "anxiety disorder"?

?

Clinicians recognize about 12 relatively distinct subtypes of anxiety disorder:
Panic Disorder, with and without Agoraphobia; Agoraphobia Without a History of Panic Disorder; Specific Phobia; Social Phobia; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Post-traumatic Stress Disorder; Acute Stress Disorder; Generalized Anxiety Disorder; Anxiety Disorder Due to a General Medical Condition; Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder; and Anxiety Disorder Not Otherwise Specified.

{in my words}
I was diagnosed with anxiety disorder about 10 years ago. In my opinion, anxiety disorder is like a constant worry--chatterbox in your head that never seems to shut up or stop.

Sometimes, although I knew in my head that something was ok, or not anything to worry about, I *still* worried and obsessively thought about it, and something going wrong.

I knew there was something 'wrong' with the way I felt, it affected my sleep, my day to day life, and my relationship with others. I would break into tears, and have no clue why.

Sometimes I'd feel nervous, and get a racing heart beat & not know why, and have no obvious reason for it.

I'd always make excuses like "my blood sugar is low" or "I'm just not feeling well" or whatever else I could think of.

As odd as it may seem, it is a huge relief when you finally confide in someone {preferably a doctor} and get help. Another fear is admitting that you may be anxious all the time, or depressed, etc. It's not really that unusual!

Most importantly, remember that it DOES NOT mean that you are 'crazy'. It IS highly treatable! It does not mean you'll be connected to a "shrink" by hip for life.

Hope this helps!

Anxiety Disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., with 40 million (18.1%) of the adult U.S. population (age 18 and older) affected. {and that's not a typo!!}