Most people experience feelings of anxiety before an important event such as a big exam, business presentation, or first date. When people become anxious, they typically feel upset, uncomfortable and tense. Anxiety disorders, however, are serious medical illnesses that fill people's lives with overwhelming anxiety and fear that are chronic, incessant, and can grow progressively worse if not treated. Feeling anxious is appropriate in these situations and usually we feel anxious for only a limited time. These feelings are not regarded as clinical anxiety, but are a part of everyday life. Tormented by panic attacks, obsessive thoughts, flashbacks of traumatic events, nightmares, or countless frightening physical symptoms, some people with anxiety disorders even become housebound. Fortunately, there are effective treatments that can help. Research is yielding new, improved therapies that can help most people with anxiety disorders lead productive, fulfilling lives. If you think you have an anxiety disorder, you should seek information and treatment.

Anxiety, depression, worry and fear can be very normal. One may become anxious when threatened or even when thinking about being threatened. Various physiological changes occur during stress. These are all normal changes that will help your body function best if you have to run or fight. But in this modern world we are threatened and get anxious in places where physical activity does not help. Thus the body changes are identified not as helpful but as harmful and unnatural. But being a little anxious is good. It sharpens up judgement and skill and often allow people to function more efficiently. Being psyched up is a good thing if you have a difficult challenge ahead.

Anxiety is a term which describes a normal feeling people experience when faced with threat or danger, or when stressed. Anxiety problems originate when the flight or fight response is too sensitive. When the body's alarm is too sensitive, the flight or fight response is triggered at the wrong times. If your anxiety alarm goes off too easily, you will be more likely to become anxious in situations where other people would not feel anxious. If you have become anxious in situations in which other individuals would not be so anxious, it suggests that your anxiety the flight or fight response is too sensitive.

The flight or fight response is useful in the short term, especially when danger can be avoided by physical exertion. But it is of no use in the long term and certainly of little use in most stressful situations in the modern world. However, because the flight or fight response was useful when we were cavemen and cavewomen, it is still part of our bodily make up.

Anxiety 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.

Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately 19 million American adults. Panic disorder affects about 2.4 million adult Americans and is twice as common in women as in men. It most often begins during late adolescence or early adulthood. Risk of developing panic disorder appears to be inherited.

"It started 10 years ago, when I had just graduated from college and started a new job. I was sitting in a business seminar in a hotel and this thing came out of the blue. I felt like I was dying.

"For me, a panic attack is almost a violent experience. I feel disconnected from reality. I feel like I'm losing control in a very extreme way. My heart pounds really hard, I feel like I can't get my breath, and there's an overwhelming feeling that things are crashing in on me.

"In between attacks there is this dread and anxiety that it's going to happen again. I'm afraid to go back to places where I've had an attack. Unless I get help, there soon won't be anyplace where I can go and feel safe from panic."