Anxiety
Anxiety
Overview
Anxiety and fear are basic emotions that are experienced by everyone and are necessary for survival. Anxiety is important because it helps people prepare for a threat. Fear is important because it helps people fight or escape.
The experiences of anxiety and fear are normal responses to threat or danger and are usually helpful. Anxiety and fear may be unhelpful if they interfere with a person’s daily routine or prevent a person from doing things that he/she normally does. If the anxiety or fear is long-lasting and without relief, it may be a sign that a person has developed a more significant problem with anxiety, often called an “anxiety disorder.”
Anxiety disorders are common. Almost one-third of adults will have experienced an anxiety disorder at some point in their lifetime. The good news is there are effective treatments for anxiety disorders. For more information on treatments see VA Programs and Services or Other Resources.
There are several different kinds of anxiety disorders, including:
- Social Anxiety Disorder or Social Phobia
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Panic Disorder
- Specific Phobias
The good news is there are effective treatments for anxiety disorders. For more information on treatments go to the tab Programs & Services and the tab Other Resources.
