If Ive Got An Anxiety Problem What Should I Do?

Anxiety problems, and mental health problems inspecifically defined and are known as generalized
general, seem to be on the increase in our fast pacedanxiety disorders. They are characterised by a
modern day society. More and more anxiety andconstant and persistent fear of or worry about
related disorders seem to be in the news.ordinary things.
Anxiety and its associated disorders are the mostOf course there are always situations where almost
common of all the mental illnesses that afflict us. It iseveryone would be anxious, these happen to all of us
estimated that around 20% of the adult population willin our lives and it is normal to be anxious when
be affected by some form of anxiety disorder atencountering situations such as these. The mere fact
some stage in their lives. For a population as large asthat an individual is suffering from some form of worry
ours that is a large number of people indeed.or fear is not of itself evidence of an anxiety disorder.
People with some form of anxiety disorder are moreBut people who suffer from generalized anxiety
likely to use scarce health care resources. They go todisorders suffer from a continuing fear or worry when
the doctor more often than average, and are morethere is no reason to fear or worry. That is the
likely to end up in hospital than the average.important distinction, there is no need to be scared or
This of course places a large burden on our healthworried, but they continue to be.
care system and the amounts of money spent onThis condition can take over their lives to the point
combating anxiety and its related disorders is massive.where they feel they cannot control it and it is
It is estimated at over $40 billion dollars a year.manifestly excessive. That is where there may well be
There are a range of anxiety problems that peoplea problem for the individual, and the continuous worry
encounter, some well known and some not so wellcan seriously interfere with their life.
known. Post traumatic stress disorder is wellIf you feel that you are becoming more and more
documented as it is experienced by so many of ouranxious about things which shouldnt really be a cause
soldiers who have seen active duty, but some of theof such anxiety, or that your anxiety is out of control, it
other forms are less well known.is well worth investigating further. It is not helpful to
Some types of specifically recognised disorders areattempt to ignore the situation and hope it will go away,
specific anxiety phobias, such as fear of spiders orit may not, and may well get worse.
heights, panic disorders, obsessive compulsive disorderSeeking help is the most important thing you can do in
and social anxiety problems.this situation.
And then there are anxiety problems that are not