Chronic or inappropriate anxiety can become an illness like panic disorder, phobic disorder, or OCD.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Anxiety is a common form of psychological disorder (see Figure 14-19). For most people, anxiety is just a temporary response to stress. For some people, however, anxiety becomes a chronic problem, and they regularly experience excessive levels of anxiety. They often exhibit anxiety that is inappropriate to the circumstance. Only when anxiety persists and prevents the person from leading a normal life does it become an illness. As a group, anxiety disorders represent the single largest mental health problem in the United States. They can lead to more severe disorders, such as depression and alcoholism. Anxiety disorders, previously known as neuroses, include four specific disorders or syndromes that are different in behavioral manifestations but share the fact that the person's behavior is dominated by anxiety. The four disorders are generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobic disorder, and OCD.

Chronic or Inappropriate Anxiety Can Become an Illness Like Panic