Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately 19 million American adults. These disorders fill people's lives with overwhelming anxiety and fear. Unlike the relatively mild, brief anxiety caused by a stressful event such as a business presentation or a first date, anxiety disorders are chronic, relentless, and can grow progressively worse if not treated.

This web site will

• help you identify the symptoms of anxiety disorders,
• explain the causes of these conditions,
• describe effective treatments,
• help you learn how to obtain treatment and
• suggest ways to make treatment more effective.

The anxiety disorders to be discussed include

• panic disorder,
• obsessive-compulsive disorder,
• post-traumatic stress disorder,
• social phobia (or social anxiety disorder),
• specific phobias, and
• generalized anxiety disorder.

Each anxiety disorder has its own distinct features, but they are all bound together by the common theme of excessive, irrational fear and dread.

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.