Anxiety disorders are a varied and complicated set of physical and psychological problems that affect more than twenty million Americans. The disorders, which include general anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorders, and phobias, can often exert a disabling influence upon the individual's life, and disrupt his or her personal and social interactions. Treatments focus upon helping the individual to identify and understand the irrationality of their anxiety, and to assist them in facing up to their fears.

Anxiety

Anxiety is, "one of the main motivating forces in much of human behavior" (Beck & Emery, 1985, p. 13), and is a normal reaction to a threatening object or situation. It produces a wide range of physiological and psychological effects that are often described as preparing the body for primitive 'fight or flight'. These symptoms result from the increased amount of adrenaline that is produced by the sympathetic nervous system, which causes an...
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