Anxiety is Normal.
Everybody knows what it's like to feel anxious -- the butterflies in your tummy before a first date, the tension you feel when your boss is angry, the way your heart pounds if you're in danger. Anxiety rouses you to action. It gears you up to face a threatening situation. It makes you study harder for that exam, and keeps you on your toes when you're making a speech. In general, it helps you cope. But if you have an anxiety disorder, this normally helpful emotion can do just the opposite -- it can keep you from coping and can disrupt your daily life. There are several types of anxiety disorders, each with its own distinct features. An anxiety disorder may make you feel anxious most of the time, without any apparent reason. Or the anxious feelings may be so uncomfortable that to avoid them you may stop some everyday activities. Or you may have occasional bouts of anxiety so intense they terrify and immobilize you.

You Are Not to Blame.
Many people still carry the misperception that anxiety disorders are a character flaw, a problem that happens because you are weak. They say, "Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps!" and "You just have a case of the nerves." Wishing the symptoms away does not work -- but there are treatments that can help.

Anxiety disorders and panic attacks are not signs of a character flaw. Most importantly, feeling anxious is not your fault. It is a serious mood disorder which affects a person's ability to function in every day activities. It affects one's work, one's family, and one's social life.
Today, much more is known about the causes and treatment of this mental health problem. We know that there are biological and psychological components to every anxiety disorder and that the best form of treatment is a combination of medication and psychotherapy. Contrary to the popular misconceptions about anxiety disorders today, it is not a purely biochemical or medical disorder.

So What Does Cause It?
There are as many potential causes of anxiety disorders as there are people who suffer it. An anxiety disorder may make you feel anxious most of the time, without any apparent reason. Or the anxious feelings may be so uncomfortable that to avoid them you may stop some everyday activities. Or you may have occasional bouts of anxiety so intense they terrify and immobilize you.

Anxiety caused by medications or substance or alcohol abuse is not typically recognized as an anxiety disorder. Family history and genetics also play a part in the greater likelihood of someone getting an anxiety disorder in their lifetime. Increased stress and inadequate coping mechanisms to deal with that stress may also contribute to anxiety.

What Do I Do Now?
The information here acts as a comprehensive guide to help you better understand anxiety disorders and find out more information about it on your own. Choose from among the categories to begin your journey into recovery from this treatable disorder.

Treatments.
Treatments for anxiety depend upon the specific disorder diagnosed by a trained mental health professional.